Last week the Lower Austrian CLUSTERIX 2.0 lead partner got the opportunity for intensive learning about Hungarian economic and innovation policies, regional development activities and cluster management challenges. The staff exchange hosted by the West Pannon Regional and Economic Development Non-profit Ltd. included meetings with several levels of relevant stakeholders, such as the head of Department for Cluster Development and the head of Department of Enterprise Development in the Hungarian Ministry for National Economy, the Agro ICT cluster manager, and of course Westpannon representing the regional perspective.
New ideas on how to empower better cluster management services to their members and how to strengthen evidence-based policies through a further development of the monitoring and evaluation system will be included and further elaborated in the Hungarian CLUSTERIX 2.0 Action Plan.
“Although I have been working with Hungarian partners in European SME and cluster related projects for 15 years already, this one-week staff exchange helped me a lot to gain a better overview and deeper understanding of structures and approaches in the Hungarian economic development system. Putting yourself into your neighbour’s shoes for a while helps reflect on your own activities and triggers new ideas. This is an experience I recommend to everyone.” Simone Hagenauer, ecoplus. The Business Agency of Lower Austria.
