Collaborating to Compete: role of clusters and opportunities towards shared prosperity by Merete Daniel Nielsen at the 11CLAC

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Collaborating to Compete:
Role of clusters
and
opportunities towards shared prosperity
Merete Daniel Nielsen, director Cluster Excellence Denmark
&
President, TCI Network

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COLLABORATING TO COMPETE:
ROLE OF CLUSTERS
AND
OPPORTUNITIES TOWARDS SHARED
PROSPERITY
-
MERETE DANIEL NIELSEN
DIRECTOR
CLUSTER EXCELLENCE DENMARK
&
PRESIDENT, TCI NETWORK

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DENMARK?

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DENMARK?

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THE NORDIC CLUSTER SUCCESS STORY
– COLLABORATING TO COMPETE
 A thriving Nordic Cluster Landscape with
110+ strong clusters across Denmark,
Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland
 More than 10 years of sound cluster
policies
 Clusters are seen as a key tool to foster
national and regional development
 Strong public support for cluster
programmes
(national/regional/local/transnational)
 Strong Nordic traditions on collaboration is
a cornerstone in the Nordic cluster success
story.
 Programmes to foster Nordic Cluster
collaboration
 Clusters are still hot topic!

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MULTILAYER CLUSTER APPROACH

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CASE: GATE 21 FROM GREATER COPENHAGEN –
PAWING THE WAY FOR SMARTER CITIES

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THE ORGANISATION BEHIND GATE 21

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GATE 21: A RANGE OF LIVING LABS TO TEST NEW
TECHNOLOGIES

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• National cluster and network strategy
in 2013 – second one in operation
now.
• Aims:
o Coordination of cluster policy:
Six ministries, five regions,
municipalities + a many others.
o Excellent cluster organizations –
using the European Cluster
Excellence Initiative (labelling of
clusters)
o Strong international
collaboration
• Establishment of Cluster Forum for the
cluster and network policy in Denmark
• SO LETS WORK TOGETHER! Lets
secure a stable framework for cluster
development
NEED TO COORDINATE: NATIONAL
CLUSTER STRATEGIES

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EVALUATION, EVALUATION & EVALUATION:
THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATING IN CLUSTERS
Companies active in clusters are:
Four times more likely to innovate
compared to similar companies, who
are not involved in cluster activities.
Obtain productivity growth which is 3,6
pct. higher other similar companies not
involved in cluster activities.
Normally only 5-6 pct. of SMEs are
active international. By participating in
clusters 14 pct. of SMEs have
international activities.
The McKinsey report: Clusters has the
biggest participation of companies
compared to resources spend

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DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF CLUSTERS
A cluster is a geographical proximate group of
interconnected companies and associated
institutions in a particular field, linked by
commonalities and externalities.
Professor Michael Porter, Harvard Business School,
1990
Cluster initiatives are organized efforts to increase
the growth and competitiveness of a cluster within
a region, involving cluster firms, government
and/or the research community.
Örjan Sölvell, Göran Lindqvist and Christian Ketels, The
Cluster Initiative Greenbook, Ivory Tower AB, 2003

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A POLITICAL DEFINITION OF CLUSTERS….
• Cluster aim to build knowledge bridges between companies and knowledge institution and to
create innovation and growth within a group of companies with shared interests
• Triple helix organisation, i.e. both companies, knowledge institutions and public partners/ civil
society take an active part
• Formally established organisation of the cluster and its activities with at least one fulltime
equivalent and have the resources to offer services and activities to the members. The aim is a
long-term, sustainable effort.
• Minimum of 20 committed participants from private companies
• Clusters must have a valid label; Bronze, Silver or Gold (or be in process) of the ECEI - European
Cluster Excellence Initiative

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARED PROSPERITY
– ACTIVITIES IN CLUSTERS: OLDIES AND NEWCOMERS
 Knowlegde sharing  Innovationsproject, -
preprojekter, feasability studies,
 Matchmaking
 Entrepreneurship  Internationalisation Competence development

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SERVICES DEVELOP IN LINE WITH MATURITY
– BE PATIENT…

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COLLABORATE TO COMPETE: HOW IS YOUR CLUSTER
CONNECTED TO THE BROADER ECO-SYSTEM?

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RELATIONS WITH OTHER CLUSTERS?

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DRAWN YOUR OWN ECO-SYSTEM – KEY STAKEHOLDERS:
WHAT IS THEIR ROLE? WHAT KIND OF RELATION DO YOU
HAVE TO THEM? WHAT IS THE ROLE FOR YOUR CLUSTER?

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 The cluster manager is the one!
 Core tasks: Building the cluster, talking to the
companies, policymakers. Using the personal
network.
 Appoint a CEO as early as possible – normally the
cluster manager has build the cluster. Or try to find
that person in the cluster.
 Below 0.5 fulltime is not recommended (but can be
the only option…)
 Clear governance structure – clear mandate for the
cluster manager
 Efficient board – use them for strategy development –
what are the requirement for the board?
 Sustainable funding: More than one funding source.
Become independent from public funding….
THE IMPORTANCE OF CLUSTER MANAGEMENT
– SOME KEY LEARNING

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SOME CLUSTERS TRENDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
 Policies been in place since the middle of 90’s – and ongoing professionalization has pushed cluster policy,
strategies and initiatives forward. Learning from failure is a key when we deal with innovation.
 With high ambitions comes stronger initiatives: Superclusters, spearhead clusters, mergers, collaborating
clusters, global clusters
 Clusters are global – and its growing!
 Clusters can help to build on Latin American competitive advantages and build that bridge between the
countries. The TCI LA chapter is working in this direction, exploring synergies – and can connect to the best
international practices from TCI global network.
 Clusters as operators of change:
 Digitalisation
 Circular Economy
 Automatisation
 New skills in the workforce
 Globalisation
 Co-specialisation
 Cross cluster collaboration

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 Growing focus on clusters over the last 20 years. No always so popular to talk about
clusters. Now in a much better place…
 More than a decade of documenting performance of clusters
 Different tools in place for securing better performance: European Cluster Excellence
Initiative (labelling), many activities on cluster collaboration
 Clusters are seems as integrated part of an innovation infrastructure – and not stop-go
projects for funding clusters.
 Way better collaboration between clusters and the rest of the innovation and business
system.
 More focus on cross-cluster collaboration, professionalization and internationalisation
of clusters.
 Focus now - on consolidation for clusters – clearer governance and better cross-cluster
collaboration. New task for clusters – engine of change!
 And political ambitions and pressure works….
 Learn from failure – we have all tried it.
KEY LEARNINGS

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Merete Daniel Nielsen
mdnielsen@tci-network
Twitter: @meretnielsen
www.tci-network.org