The Emilia-Romagna Region in 2014 adopted a Smart Specialisation Strategy focused on the objective of reinforcing crucial clusters of the regional innovation ecosystem, in which a critical role is played by the almost 90 laboratories and innovation centers belonging to the Regional High Tech Network.
In detail, selected clusters are:
- the traditional, consolidated and highly competitive clusters that involve, as a whole, around one million jobs and represent almost 90% of exports:
• agrifood and foodtech;
• construction industries (materials, components, engineering);
• mechatronics, engineering and automotive;
- innovative, knowledge intensive clusters, involving a large share of highly educated talents in technology, humanistic and creative fields:
• health and wellness industries and services;
• cultural and creative industries;
- relevant horizontal clusters such Greentech and Service Innovation.
In addition to measures oriented to support strategic research projects, business R&D and innovation projects and start ups, the Region promoted the creation of 7 new cluster organizations with the scope of improving the integration at the policy and business level, by sharing needs and perspectives for the identification of critical technology trends, training needs, internationalization opportunities, financing opportunities.
Members of the clusters are: laboratories and centers belonging to the Regional High Tech Network, firms, any other kind of organization that can play a role for innovation in the cluster as stakeholder, like final users or intermediaries.
INKREASE Project offered the opportunity to learn from more consolidated European experiences in terms of cluster management, comparing and discussing problems and visions.
Actually during the Learning camp hosted at Modena Technopole on the 27th September 20218, the cluster management models adopted in Denmark and in Austria have been illustrated, analyzed and debated with the managers of the Emilia-Romagna Clust-ERs, Region officers and experts from Aster, the regional consortium supporting coordination, promotion and governance of the innovation ecosystem.
Discussion tackled in particular on
- involvement and motivation of different types of members to cluster activity
- definition and sharing of the cluster agenda
- specific requirements and skills for the cluster managers.
You can watch the video with the following link: https://www.aster.it/en/video/inkrease-learning-camp-cluster-management
