The 21st TCI Network, Global Conference took place in Toronto from the 16th to the 18th of October 2018. It was an ideal opportunity for CIT to present collaborative research Dr Eoin Byrne, Dr John Hobbs have developed with Panu Jalas, University of Oulu. The research applied a V-LINC analysis to Anticipated Structural Change planning in Pyhäjärvi, Finland as the closure of the Pyhäsalmi Mine in 2019 will bring key challenges to the region due to the future loss of 1,200 jobs.
As mining is the central component of the NIHAK region’s Regional Innovation System strategy (RIS3) it is imperative that future proofing of employment in the region is addressed in the context of future strategies and enterprise support. Sharing results at TCI Toronto allowed Dr Hobbs to engage with cluster practioners from the global TCI network in developing strategies and initiatives. The research recommendations around cluster development (ecoRIS3), stakeholder matchmaking (IN 4.0) and building of export consortia (Consortex) were of key interest to the participants and discussions during the session.
The Session E4: was titled “Measuring and mapping clusters” also contained presentations from Teresa Verduzco-Garza, University of Monterrey, Mexico who looked at if Northeastern enterprises are ready to operate as a Logistics Cluster; Margaret Dalziel, University of Waterloo, who presented Canada's Superclusters and showcased using lnnoGPS the technological distance within and between superclusters and regions and finally Rob McMonagle, City of Toronto, Sector Development Office where he is responsible for developing Toronto's green sector and mapping out the various clusters in all of Toronto's nine key sectors.
Image: Participants Margaret Dalziel, University of Waterloo; John Hobbs, Cork Institute of Technology; Rob McMonagle, City of Toronto and Teresa Verduzco-Garza, University of Monterrey at the 21st TCI Global Conference in Toronto on 18th October 2018 during Session E4 Measuring and Mapping Clusters.
The session was of great interest as CIT are heavily involved in research pertaining to clustering and RIS3 and are involved in the Interreg Europe ecoRIS3 project which focuses on promoting better policies and measures to generate solid interactions between key stakeholders and orchestrate sustainable innovation ecosystems within RIS3 strategies.
David Adkins, Director of Postgraduate Programmes at the University of Plymouth Business School who has worked extensively on cluster development and governance suggested that “the session resonated with me in terms of the current challenges we have in the maritime sector in Plymouth at present. It is interesting to see the overlap between RIS3 projects such as ecoRIS3 with cluster type initiatives such as the matchmaking via IN 4.0 and the export consortia development in the Consortex project. Some interesting lessons for the UK’s South Coast Marine Cluster.”
Image: John Hobbs, Cork Institute of Technology, Dorinda So Research Director at Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity, Toronto University and David Adkins, University of Plymouth at the TCI Global Conference hosted by the Rotman School of Management – University of Toronto on 17 October 2018.
Dr Hobbs suggests “Interreg projects such as ecoRIS3, Consortex and IN4.0 provide initiatives and good practices of relevance to the Pyhäsalmi region when seeking to stimulate such clusters, matchmaking and co-operative export consortia in co-ordinated efforts to reorganise their workforce. Furthermore, the TCI global conference has provided evidence of the successes of a co-ordinated clustering and competitiveness policy initiatives at both regional and national levels across the globe.”
Vincent Dugré, Member of board of Directors TCI Network who is involved in the "Digitization" working group of TCI which seeks to discuss what role clusters can play to increase the competitiveness of their industries by looking into digitization for building new capacities for clusters and enterprises that will support and enhance mobilization, cooperation, innovation, internationalization, social organization and sustainability. Mr Dugré, believes “a digitization platform for the mining services cluster in Pyhäsalmi could be strong support as firms will be seeking to collaborate and share whilst keeping members of the cluster informed. Our work at Bivizio has make accessible, through a cloud based platform, a toolbox that allows a multitude of useful applications for the cluster, its companies and others stakeholders.”
Image: Vincent Dugré, Directors TCI Network and Antonio Novo Guerrero, President Spanish Federation of Clusters at the TCI Digitisation Working Group Meeting in Toronto on 18th October 2018.
Further information on the TCI network is available through www.tci-network.org/http://www.tci-network.org/about_us, whilst more detail on the activities of the 21st Annual Conference are available via www.tci2018.org.
