Cluster reach Norwegian regions

1. Cluster research in
Norwegian regions
Dr. Anne Katrine Normann
Research Council of Norway
akno@rcn.no
TCI Conference Delhi 29.11.-3.12.2010

2. Department for Regional R&D

3. NORWAY
- 4.8 million people
- 385,199 km2
- GDP: $ 450 billions
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- Constitutional monarchy with
a parliamentary system
- 19 administrative
regions (counties)
- 430 municipalities
- Relatively equal living conditions
- Decentralised settlement pattern

4. Programme for Regional R&D and
Innovation
VRI Finnmark
VRI Hordaland
VRI Møre og Romsdal
VRI Rogaland
VRI Agder
VRI Hedmark/Oppland
VRI Vestfold
VRI Østfold
VRI Sogn og Fjordane
VRI Trøndelag
VRI Nordland
VRI Troms
VRI Telemark
VRI Buskerud VRI Oslo/Akershus
15 regional projects
Prioritised areas
Food
Maritime
Marine
Culture
Tourism
Energy
More info: www.forskningsradet.no/vri

5. Each region
§ Interaction à instruments
§ Innovation research
Business
Regional
partners
R&D

6. Programme for Regional R&D and
Innovation
VRI Finnmark
VRI Hordaland
VRI Møre og Romsdal
VRI Rogaland
VRI Agder
VRI Hedmark/Oppland
VRI Vestfold
VRI Østfold
VRI Sogn og Fjordane
VRI Trøndelag
VRI Nordland
VRI Troms
VRI Telemark
VRI Buskerud VRI Oslo/Akershus

7. Case: The Norwegian Water Cluster
www.vannklyngen.no
§ 20 firms in Vestfold county, 100 km SW of Oslo
§ Largest concentration of water treatment technology industry
in Norway
§ Many new firms established during the last 10 years
§ Small- and medium sized, non-hierarchical
§ 500 workplaces
§ Highly educated staff – technical engineering dominated
culture
§ Knowledge intensive
§ Total turnover 200 million USD
§ Customers: cruise ships, sewer plants, construction firms,
relief organisations
§ Network formally established in 2007

8. The Norwegian Water Cluster
§ Significant growth potential of clean water industry
§ Main challenge of cluster companies: To improve the
innovative capacity and to win larger and more
challenging customer projects
§ Companies saw the benefits of becoming an innovative
cluster
§ Started out with a «clusterish» name – long before it
actually was a cluster
§ Then began the process towards becoming a cluster
§ Creating relationships and trust is essential for
clustering

9. Norwegian Water Cluster
§ Academic interest: Can networks be developed
through planned intervention from the outside?
§ Can researchers contribute?
§ Social scientists engaged as process leaders
§ From slow start to being much in demand – now
function as gate openers

10. Choosing method
§ The industrial context must be considered
§ Small, busy, non-hierarchical, dominated by highly
educated engineers
§ Strong collaborative processes between managers and
employees already exist
§ Most participants are strangers to each other
§ They are also short of time to spend on such processes!
§ The process should
§ Contribute to building relationships and trust
§ Be strictly structured
§ Be swift and efficient – ½ day at the most!

11. Network IGP method
Individual, Group and Plenary reflections
§ Combination of individual and collective reflection
§ Cross-organisation groups 3-6 members
§ Initiate collaboration by low-risk activities
§ Sharing safe information
§ Value of face-to-face contact
§ Given problem
§ Individual reflection
§ Facilitate group reflection – talking rounds
§ Short presentations in plenary

12. Cluster / Group activities
§ Cluster meetings
§ Team meetings
§ ManTek – recruitment and competence development
§ Internationalisation – marketing and R&D
§ Product innovation
§ Board meetings
§ Study trips
§ Preparation R&D projects
§ Active web-site

13. Phases in developing the network
§ 2007-I: Mapping and mobilising stakeholders
§ 2007-II: Plenary dialogues and inter-organisation
relationship building
§ 2008-I: Team establishment, team-based
dialogues, learning and joint action
§ Two teams established
§ 2008-II: Interaction between team level and inter-
organisation level

14. Results after one year
§ Frequency of contact increased by 30 per cent
§ Perception of closeness up 29 per cent
§ Increased know-who competence
§ 18 firms wanted to share personnel and knowledge
with other cluster firms
§ Joint campaign for recruiting personnel
§ Joint exhibition stand
§ Customer cooperation
§ Several joint technology development projects, also
among competitors

15. More recent results
§ Innovation in terms of new products and work methods
§ 8 preliminary collaborative projects, of which two have been
initiated by researchers (micro-technology)
§ Several companies collaborate on R&D projects
§ Recruitment efforts
§ May 2010: Merged with another network of companies - Clean
Water Norway – now 30 companies
§ High level of activities initiated by the companies
§ After 3,5 years the participants are dedicated to the
development – high spirits!
§ Role of social scientists – persistent in use of process method
– develop it further

16. References
§ Gausdal, A.H. and J.M. Hildrum, 2008. Developing learning networks through
dialogue processes – the case of the Norwegian Water Cluster. NEON
conference in Tromsø, Norway, November
§ Gausdal, A.H. 2010. VRI Vestfold. Presentasjon til Programstyret 25.5.10
§ Gausdal, A.H. 2008. Hvordan skape innovative nettverk? (How to create
innovative networks?). Magma, oktober 2008
§ www.vannklyngen.no
§ www.forskningsradet.no/vri