In recent years, cluster policy has gained increased importance in improving the competitiveness of local industries and in facilitating industrial transformation processes. The majority of European regions has developed regional Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3) to stimulate more strategic and more focused investments in the regions to create more jobs and economic growth. These growth strategies, based on clusters in the respective regions, demand comprehensive efforts for mobilising resources for accelerating innovation and industrial transformation efforts. Regions are a driving force in this endeavour, as favourable place-based business conditions are making a difference to incentivise actors in the real economy, notably small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Industrial transformation is a significant challenge for regional policy makers to adapt existing cluster policies accordingly. Requirements for enterprises, clusters as well as for cluster policy are changing dramatically. The challenge is to implement S3 through clusters to gain sustainable and inclusive growth. Not much experiences exist due to a lack of knowledge about S3 in other regions. The presentation shows new ways how to make better use of clusters and how to measure the systematic of the related approach.

1. Implementing RIS3 through Clusters
– New Role of Clusters in Regional Development -
Vukovar, Croatia
12 December 2016
Dr. Gerd Meier zu Köcker
© ClusterAgentur Baden-Württemberg

2. How Innovation Happens Today is
Continuously Changing
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3. Transformation of Industries…..
• Wind energy goes offshore
• Food & packaging go
smart packaging
• Manufacturing goes Industry 4.0
Industrial
Transformation
Processes
• Biotech & Health
• ICT & Medical devices
• Communication technologies &
automotive
Increasing
Convergence of
Technologies
• Creative industries
• Digital industries
• Bioeconomy
Emergence of
New Industries
New policies
New support
schemes
New approaches
to support
regional
competitiveness

4. …. Leds to Cross-Sectoral Innovation
16Sources: gerber and Limmatdruck Zeiler
Food
Sensors
Packaging

5. …. Leds to Cross-Sectoral Innovation
16Sources: gerber and Limmatdruck Zeiler
Food
Sensors
Packaging

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Different Pattern how Innovation
Happens Today

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RIS 3
Tools for Regional Development

8. Why RIS3
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© Foray, Fribourg, 2016

9. Success Factors to Implement RIS 3
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© Foray, Fribourg, 2016
Cluster Cluster-Initiatives
Systematic
Approach to
Implement RIS3

10. Hypothesis
Key Success Factors to Implement RIS3
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• Strong clusters
• Critical mass
• Complementarities
• Excellent cluster managements
• Initiate transformative actions
• Initiate new cross-sectoral innovation models
• Systematic approach for implementation
• Framework conditions supporting structural change
• Support Schemes

11. Monitoring and Improving the
Implementation of RIS3 through
Clusters
Strengths of clusters
• 4-star approach of
the European
Cluster
Observatory
Excellence of cluster
management
• Approach based on
the European
Cluster Excellence
Initiative ECEI
Implementation
process
• StressTesting
• Policy
Benchmarking
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12. Monitoring and Improving the
Implementation of RIS3 through
Clusters
Strengths of clusters
• 4-star approach of
the European
Cluster
Observatory
Excellence of cluster
management
• Approach based on
the European
Cluster Excellence
Initiative ECEI
Implementation
process
• StressTesting
• Policy
Benchmarking
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13. Measuring Cluster Strength
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Blue Growth, 2016

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Regional Cluster Portfolio RCP
German Region
?
?

15. Policy Benchmarking of
Implementation Process through Clusters
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Some Findings (I)

17. 17
Some Findings (II)

18. Different Ways how Clusters
Can Support Regional Policy
Makers in Implementation of RIS 3
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19. Consequences for Cluster
Managements

20. New Quality of Business Support Services
www.iit-berlin.de

21. Service Portfolio for Cluster
Managements to Support RIS3

22. Perfect Service Portfolio of Cluster Managements

23. Consequences for Cluster and
Regional
Economic Policies

24. ComplexityofRegionalLeasdership
Regional Networks
• Networking
• Experience
exchange
• Events Impact on Regional Competitiveness
New Nature of Cluster-based
Regional Economic Policies
New Regional Cooperation
Models
• Entrepreneurial Discovery
Workshops
• Acesss new value chains
• Initiating cross-sectoral coop.
• Coordinate activities of all
stakeholers
• Making use of regional
cluster portfolio
• Cluster Bridges as sustainable
cross-sectoral approach
• Intern. strategic partnerships
• Strong coordination
Cluster Initiatives
• Matching industry
with academia
• Workforce
Development
• Working Groups
• Initiating innovation
• Internationalisation

25. • Competition & Selfishness of actors
• No or weak coordination between
cluster initiatives, SME intermediaries
etc
• Individual strategies, not alligned with
peers or region
• Missing regional perspective; lack of
understanding of industrial needs
• Polypoly-like system
• No incentives to cooperate among
regional peers
• RIS3-driven (market driven) cooperation
• Clear tasks, well aligned with peers (cluster
initiatives, SME intermediaries etc.)
• Contribution to regional prosperity is key
objective; high business intelligence
• Indicvidual strategies are well aligned and
embedded with / in RIS
• Oligopoly-like system
• Clear benefits to cooperate with regional
peer
Traditional model New regional cooperation model
Traditional vs. New Regional
Cooperation Model

26.  Cluster Policy is shifting towards cluster-based
regional economic policy
 Cluster are moving from funding object towards an
smart policy tool
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Outlook