Presentation by Laura Delponte

1. CSIL Centre for Industrial Studies
Corso Monforte 15, 20122 Milano, Italy
tel.+39 02 796630 fax +39 02 780703
csil@csilmilano.com www.csilmilano.com
TCI Conference - Changing clusters in a changing environment
Antwerp, 09 October 2019
The journey towards industrial transition:
clusters as strategic agents of change for
reinvigorating entrepreneurial dynamics.
The case of Piedmont region.
Laura Delponte
Development and Evaluation
CSIL

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The research background – The European Observatory for Clusters and Industrial Change
Test new approaches to industrial transition
through clusters
Lessons learning
Funding opportunities
Collaborations and partnerships

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The methodological approach
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Develop new cluster approaches
and programmes
Regional
benchmarking
survey
Assessment of
regional assets
and challenges
Consultation
with cluster
policy makers
and cluster
stakeholders

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Why Piedmont?
 Supporting industrial systems to quickly react to
global economic dynamics, achieve robust
investment recovery and clear competitive
positioning in global value chains
 Redefining the role of the region’s cluster
organisations
 Making better use of synergies with and
between EU funding within the framework of
the regional S3 strategy
Revamping the regional innovation strategy and cluster policy is one of the main
challenges in relation to industrial transition, along with

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What are the strengths and weaknesses of the regional ecosystem?
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Population with tertiary education
Lifelong learning
Scientific co-publications
Most-cited publications
R&D expenditure public sector
R&D expenditure business sector
Non-R&D innovation expenditures
Product or process innovators
Marketing or organisational innovators
SMEs innovating in-house
Innovative SMEs collaborating with others
Public-private co-publications
EPO patent applications
Trademark applications
Design applications
Employment MHT man. + KIS services
Exports MHT manufacturing
Sales of new-to-market and new-to-firm
innovations
EU28 Piedmont (IT) Emilia-Romagna (IT) Upper Bavaria (DE)
A manufacturing
powerhouse, but with a
less innovative and
dynamic
entrepreneurial
landscape compared to
more innovative
European regions

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Drivers of competitiveness gaps and low entrepreneurial dynamics
 Lack of financing for start-ups and
scale-ups
 Skill mismatch
 Over fragmented productive
system and insufficient
collaboration
 A high proportion of SMEs does
not innovate
 Demographic shift –population
ageing and low fertility rate

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What are the strengths and weaknesses of the regional cluster policy?
 Long-standing support to
clusters
 Developed on the local
industrial districts specialisation
patterns
 Linkages with S3
 Focus on collaborative research
to build networks between large
and small companies and
university, industry and SMEs
 Cluster organisations have been
perceived as effective channels
through which disburse the
regional funds, but not as
strategic partners
 Narrow approach to cluster
policy, which only looked at
increasing R&D spending
 Too much focus on regional
collaboration and partnership

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What are the key challenges of the regional cluster policy?
Identify a new business model
for cluster organisations
Regional clusters have reached
maturity; the number of
members has stabilised in spite
of the existing potential
Partnerships and collaborations
across policy areas

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What are the obstacles?
Financing for
cluster
organisations
has to comply
with State Aid
rules
Working in policy
silos (SMEs,
education, research)
and low propensity
towards policy
experimentation
Competition for
funding and
lack of a long-
term national
policy
framework
Clarification of
the role of
cluster
organisations
vis à vis other
cluster players
Capacity in
cluster
organisations to
act as system
integrators

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What is the way forward?
Improve capacity in cluster
organisations, consistently pursue
cluster labelling
Start-up and scale up support
Internationalisation, education, digital
skills

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Laura Delponte
Senior Consultant
T: +45 52 22 65 58
e: delponte@csilmilano.com