The 7th Balkan and Black Sea Conference "Days of Clusters" was held in Ohrid, Macedonia from September 22-24, 2016. Over 150 experts from 27 countries across 5 continents attended the conference and participated in practitioner and academic tracks. Participants also enjoyed social activities including a boat trip on Lake Ohrid, wine tasting in the Tikves region, and learning about Macedonian culture. The conference strengthened cross-border cluster collaboration and resulted in an agreement to cooperate between clusters in the Balkan and Black Sea region and South Korea.

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CLUSTER FAMILY DAYS OF CLUSTERS 2016 OHRID MACEDONIA AFTER CONFERENCE
At the 7th
Balkan and Black Sea Conference „Days of Clusters“ from September 22-24 in Ohrid, cluster family and friends had the great opportunity to exchange knowledge
and experience, meet each other, create new partnerships and all of those together with enjoying in Macedonian hospitality, delicious food, wine, history, nature, music…
This year’s conference gathered 150 cluster-based economic development experts, academicians and cluster experts from the 5 continents: Asia, Australia with Oceania,
North America, Africa and Europe; 27 countries had been involved in the practitioners and academic tracks preparation and implementation: New Zealand, South Korea,
USA, Malawi, Australia, France, Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Tunisia, Montenegro, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Check Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia,
Romania, Bulgaria, BiH, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Macedonia and Serbia.
The City of Ohrid was the unforgettable city of clusters in the Balkans 2016!
We definitely felt in true love when we came to beautiful Macedonia 
DofC 2016 Happy Cluster Family
The conference „DofC 2016” is organised under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Macedonia H.E. Prof. Dr. Gjorgje Ivanov, supported by the Macedonian
Academy of Sciences and Arts, Prof. Dr. Taki Fiti, President and the Governance of the Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, Macedonia. The Cluster House
www.clusterhouse.rs is a founder and was a co-organizer of the conference. The National Centre for Development of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Learning NCDIEL
Skopje Macedonia was a host of this year’s conference www.ncdiel.mk. Conference co-organizers were the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Macedonia and the
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University Skopje.

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DofC 2016 Opening Session
The key supporting institutions of this year’s conference were The Global TCI Network Barcelona, inno TSD, the European Cluster Collaboration platform, Black Sea Horizon
project, Hungarian International and Cluster Unit of the Ministry for National Economy; Romanian ClusteRo, Czech NCA, France Clusters and the Balkan & Black Sea Cluster
Network. The “DofC” conference became a leading cluster event in the Southeast Europe, which had been held in Nis/Serbia 2010 – 2012; Sofia/Bulgaria 2013,
Tekirdag/Turkey 2014 and Brasov/Romania 2015.
This year’s conference had been initiated by Doc. Dr. Nikolina Trajanoska, co-chairman of the conference, head of Unit for Industrial policy, MofE of the Republic of
Macedonia and realised in one year's dedicated enthusiastic partnership between Dr. Danka Milojkovic, co-chairman of the conference, general director of the Cluster
House, Nis, Serbia and director of the Global TCI Board of Directors, Barcelona, Spain and Prof. Dr. Radmil Polenakovik, co-chairman of the conference, president of the
National Center for Development of Innovation and Entrepreneurial Learning NCDIEL Skopje Macedonia and Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje.
The NCDIEL Junior Team with cluster parents DofC 2016 family
The “DofC 2016” mission was achieved – the cross cluster collaboration between countries in the Balkan and Black Sea Region, with the aim to maximize the cluster concept
capitalization in their economies, successfully strengthened. The conference contributed to socially balanced economic development and employment creation in the BBS

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region; enabling business environment for SME development based on collaboration between public sector, academia, financial organizations, media and business
community; establishment of the public-private dialogue for advocating for the needs of SMEs; exchange of knowledge and experiences in the cluster based economic
development in developed countries, countries in transition and developing countries; transnational cross clusters networking and efficient approach to EU and other
development funds.
This year’s conference consisted of three main tracks:
 Practitioners track for cluster managers, managements and companies followed by
 Academic track with focus on academics and researchers, reviewed by Scientific Committee members from 16 countries, 2 continents, and
 Macedonian clusters track.
We published the Conference Brochure and the Conference Proceedings . Enjoy in reading...
Cluster development is a unique concept that pro-actively includes the human side of management – emotions, humour, fun… we were playing the cluster-based economic
development game in our region and jointly enjoying in making the successful Balkan and Black Sea cluster story, and the region of proud people.
SE Europe Women Cluster Club Macedonian Clusters Family
Clusters and their members from the Balkan and Black Sea Region, as drivers for economic development, presented their successful stories and good practices. Special
focus this year was devoted to tourism, wine and textile.
We attended two specially created cluster development workshops facilitated by Mr. Vedat KUNT, VEGO Consulting Izmir Turkey, a member of the Global TCI Network and
Mr. Ifor FFOWCS-WILLIAMS, Cluster Navigators New Zealand, a member of the TCI Advisory’s Board. After two-days conference we continued our learning on the Wine
Cluster Study Trip to Tikves Region, the oldest wine production region in the Balkans.

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Cluster development workshops facilitated by Mr. Ifor FFOWCS-WILLIAMS, Cluster Navigators New Zealand, a member of the TCI Advisory’s Board
Prof. Dr. Geunwoo Ryu
From our special guest Prof. Dr. Geunwoo Ryu, Keimyung University from
Daegu South Korea, we had an opportunity to hear how associative models,
such as network, clusters, hubs, parks, can foster innovation in Korea,
specifically the experience of KICOX, Mini-clusters in Mega Regional Economic
Areas in the Republic of South Korea.
One of the most important conference achievements is the signing of the
GRAND TRANSNATIONAL AGREEMENT ON CLUSTER-BASED COOPERATION
BETWEEN THE SOUTH KOREA AND THE BALKAN BLACK SEA CLUSTER FAMILY
WITH FRIENDS, initiated by Dr. Danka Milojkovic, Cluster House Director and
the Global TCI Network Board of Directors Member, and supported by
representatives from clusters organizations from Hungary (National Alliance
for Innovative Clusters, Budapest), Bulgaria (Foundation “Don’t stop” -
Bulgaria, Sofia), BiH (Faculty of Economics, Nezavisni univerzitet Banjaluka),
Croatia (Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Crafts of the Republic of Croatia,
Zagreb – official approval is ongoing), Czech Republic (National Cluster
Association NCA), Romania (Romanian Cluster Association ClusteRo),
Macedonia (National Centre for Development of Innovation and
Entrepreneurial Learning NCDIEL Skopje), Albania (Agrinet Korçë), Slovenia
(Development Center Novo Mesto) and The Keimyung University Daegu South
Korea, Prof. Dr. Geunwoo Ryu, a dean and an initiator of the Global TCI
Network Asia with Oceania Chapter.
Collaboration among TCI members, cluster actors from the BBS
signed a cooperation agreement with the Keimyung University
Daegu South Korea

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The specific objective of the Agreement is developing of all forms of activities in the field of education, science and economy, for the purpose of protecting and ensuring
the common interests of significance for the development and growth of the economy of South Korea and the Balkan Black Sea Region, as well as the education of staff for
the needs of the economy as a whole.
The general objectives of the Agreement are bridging the transnational regions closer based on the development of cluster-based socio-economic, R&D and twinning
programmes.
The Agreement will be an additional bridge (a tool) in connecting the BBS region with the Global TCI Asia and Oceania Chapter with the aims to support cluster-based P2P,
B2B, B2C, C2C connecting; transfer of know-how; boosting of the R&D and innovations; exchange of students; better bridging the social-cultural and language differences;
investment promotion based on building trust, respect and mutual understanding; all this due to jointly contribution to protecting peace in the world through the support
to the transnational sustainable socio-economic development and growth programmes and projects.
AGREEMENT ON CLUSTER BASED COOPERATION BETWEEN
SOUTH KOREA AND BALKAN BLACK SEA CLUSTER FAMILY WITH FRIENDS
Cluster brokerage events were brought us closer and opened us for new partnerships and projects.
The Cluster House is looking forward to see you for 365 days in new beautiful place in the amazing BBS Region, to continue with the joint mission –
CLUSTER SYNERGY FOR HAPPY PEOPLE IN THE REGION!

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Happy Cluster House Family wishing you all the best!
For successful informing of the conference participants we would like to commend the work of the Balkan Black Sea Cluster Network and the Info centre of the Cluster
House. The BBS Cluster Network includes more than 170 cluster organizations and support institutions from all of the Balkan countries. The Info centre of the Cluster
House has more than 3000 contacts with experts in the field of economic development, institutions and entrepreneurs. The membership is free, and the mission of the
network is cluster synergy in the BBS in order to develop transnational projects, approach development funds and appear on new markets. The Cluster House, as an
initiator and a coordinator of the BBS Cluster Network, developed a model for development of the SMEs and clusters in transitional countries that encourages synergetic
effects of the cross-border cluster cooperation in the region.
WARM CLUSTER REGARDS TO THE GREAT CLUSTER HOUSE FAMILY
SEE YOU IN 365 DAYS IN BEAUTIFUL ALBANIA, SWEET HUNGARY OR CHARMING SLOVENIA
Cluster House YOU
September 30, 2016

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The social side of the Days of Clusters in Ohrid... DofC 2016 photos and video
DofC 2016 welcome speech Macedonia children's folklore from Štip City

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DofC 2016 exhibition and brokerage event
Ohrid Lake

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Cocktail dinner on the boat and Lake Ohrid Sightseeing. Party on the boat.

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CLUSTER HOUSE CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION FOR CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT IN THE BBS REGION

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OHRID DOWNTOWN

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Museum of Wine – Demir Kapija

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Tikves Winery

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The Cluster House magical approach for internationalisation of clusters
cooperation this time resulted by cluster-based connecting 5 continents
Europa Asia Australia with Oceania Africa North America
Welcome to our cluster family

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DOFC 2016 CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS:
DOFC 2016 CONFERENCE PARTNERS
Conference corporate partners:
Conference supporters:

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Academic partners:
Conference domestic partners: