by Merete Daniel Nielsen, President, TCI Network and Cluster Excellence Denmark

1. COLLABORATION ON THE ROAD TO A
MORE INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE
RECOVERY
MERETE DANIEL NIELSEN
PRESIDENT TCI NETWORK

2. C L U S T E R S
– W O R L D W I D E
P H E N O M E N O N
• Clusters - and supporting organisations -
are all over the world
• Some more business driven. Others
more driven by public authorities or
researchers
• Many might not use the cluster term.
Some use the words hub, platform,
network or partnership
• These organisations can - normally - be
seen as cluster organisations
• The area is mushrooming. A lot
• Alone in Europe the estimate is around
2.500 cluster organisations.
• Around the world perhaps we’re talking
about 7.000 cluster organisations

3. WHY CLUSTERS MATTERS
• The challenges of tomorrow demands new ways of collaborating and new business models
• No single company, municipality, organisation or university can solve the future challenges
alone. Cooperation is key
• Clusters, networks, partnerships are the future way of collaborating
• Companies in clusters are more innovative, productive and more internationalised.
Clusters
address challenges
that no sole actor
can handle on their
own
Clusters
are neutral platforms
for collaboration

4. TYPES OF
STAKEHOLDERS
IN CLUSTERS
• Many clusters builds on a triple
helix structure
• Now more stakeholders are
engaged – investors, start ups,
NGO’s
• The eco-systems behind the
cluster organisations is
becoming more complex.
• The complexity in the tasks are
also raising
• Smaller cluster organisations
organise around 25
stakeholders. Very large clusters
more than 500.

5. TYPES OF ACTIVITIES THAT CLUSTER ORGANISATIONS ARE OFFERING

7. Tourism clusters in South Africa, Scotland and
Iceland
-
digital transition helps to restart and rethink
tourism
• Tourism sector has been hit very hard by the pandemic –
and there is still a long way coming back
• Several tourism clusters have taking travel tech initiatives
to restart tourism in a safer way.
• Travel-tech is about offering products and services
focused on travel and tourism: Booking services, search
and planning platforms, create digital experiences, reach
new local customers and manage visitor flows.
• Travel tech is also a challenge for SMEs due to the many
global strong players.
• The cluster organisations are also using the opportunity
to rethink sustainability: What does it mean? Does it
matter?
• Collaboration as the new currency.
• Read more at www.icelandtourism.is/en/home-2,
efi.ed.ac.uk/traveltech-Scotland, https://seeza.today/wp/

9. Germany: Igniting green growth in
the heart of steel and coal in Europe
• Greentech.Ruhr was initiated by Business Metropole Ruhr –
Europe’s second largest metropolitan area (5 mill. habitants)
• Transition from coal and steel to service and high-tech
• Greentech.Ruhr has since 2016 gathered almost 200 members
from companies, research institutions, educational institutions
and others
• In November 2020 they won a prize from the EU Commission on
”Promotion and development of green markets”
• They work across value chains with energy efficiency, power
generation, material efficiency, waste management, mobility and
water management
• The cluster play a role in networking, facilitating meetings,
bringing in new knowledge, offering trainings, speed dating at
matchmaker.RUHR (online matchmaking for companies)
www.clusterexcellencedenmark.dk/Files/Images/Filer%20til%20direkte%20visning/circular%20econom
y%20in%20times%20of%20covid-19.pdf

11. Mexico: The automotive
cluster Nuevo Leon
• Ternium one of the worlds leading steel companies.
• Their CEO in Mexico is president for the board of the
Nuevo Leon Cluster. Closeness to the local community
is essential for him
• Support to the local health system: Project to build a
hospital to respond to the pandemic.
• Closely collaborating with the local community to
secure a sustainable growth – education, culture,
sports, library and social
• The cluster plays a core role in adapting to digital,
sustainable and more inclusive business model.

13. • Global Cluster Matchmaking for the second time
• Around 300 cluster (-like) participants meeting for networking and collaboration
• All six continents represented with 51 countries
• Around 250 meetings between cluster organisations and other actors
• Over 16.000 views of the profiles registered

15. TCI’s Cluster Policy Road Map
CHALLENGE 1
Set the right
objectives.
Preparation is key.
CHALLENGE 2
Consider the
interaction between
the clusters and
support agencies.
CHALLENGE 3
Offer different types
of support.
CHALLENGE 4
Highlight the role of
clusters.
CHALLENGE 5
Strengthen
connections around
the clusters.
CHALLENGE 6
Monitor and
evaluate the impact
of the cluster work