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Cluster Development

The term "Cluster" was initially elaborated by Alfred Marshall, the English economist who noted that the companies belonging to the same sector tend to group together in the same geographical territory with goal to optimize their economic activities. He called this phenomenon “industrial districts”. The theory of industrial districts was further developed and nowadays the term is widely accepted and used among those who have been responsible for industrial and regional development.

Today’s economic map of the world is characterized by “clusters” meaning geographic concentrations of interrelated companies and institutions in a particular field.  Clusters are a geographic concentration of firms, higher education and research institutions, and other public and private entities that facilitates collaboration on complementary economic activities and partnerships on innovative projects.  

Clusters embrace a range of linked industries and other entities significant for keeping competitiveness; they include, for example, suppliers of specialized inputs such as components, machinery, and services, and providers of specialized infrastructure. Clusters also often  extend to channels and customers as well as to manufacturers of complementary products and to companies in industries related by skills, technologies, or common inputs. Finally, many clusters include governmental and other institutions—such as universities, standards-setting agencies, think tanks, vocational training providers, and trade associations—that provide specialized training, education, information, research, and technical support. While some of the world’s leading clusters specialize in high-technology industries (e.g. Silicon Valley) clusters are also found in sectors ranging from wine making to automobiles to biotechnology.

Clusters are powerful engines of economic development and drivers of innovation in the European Union. EU's policy tendencies aimed at stimulating the development of competitive agglomeration are determining Member States to steer public measures to support associative forms such as clusters or poles of competitiveness.  Clusters provide a fertile business environment for companies, especially SMEs, to collaborate with research institutions, suppliers, customers and competitors located in the same geographical area.

Find below all information items we have been collecting! It is a work in progress area, therefore do not hesitate to contact us at office@wbc-rti.info to promote your cluster development initiatives!

News

  • [Event Announcement] Horizon Europe Info Days 2021

    The Horizon Europe info days will address 9 themes, each featuring a programme of exclusive discussions and hands-on sessions dedicated to a different cluster or part of the new programme.

  • [Project Announcement] EU4Tech PoC

    The EU4Tech PoC WB project offers support to 40+ promising technology based projects from the Western Balkans at the ‘Proof of Concept Stage’. We offer hands on assistance from experts and mentors to ...

  • Health portal widens opportunities between EU and non-EU countries

    The CEI-funded project within the COVID-19 Extraordinary Call/Know-how Exchange Programme, PPE HEALTH PORTAL, has created a reference portal for the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) sector and...

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Events

  • Meet the Serbian Startup Ecosystem

    This event gathesr representatives from different entrepreneurial organizations, including InCenter, Science Technology Park Niš, Business Incubator Novi Sad, SwissContact, Serbia Innovates and Competition...

  • Industry 4.0 and digital transformation in the Balkans

    Epoka University together with Universita’ del Salento and Cardiff Metropolitan University are organizing a workshop to create a discussion forum with academics and researchers to debate on fundamental...

  • EIT Awareness Day - Western Balkans

    Are you interested to hear more about EIT and KICs and see how you can get involved in numerous opportunities offered by the community?  

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Calls

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Documents

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Links

  • Covid-19 Industrial Clusters Response Portal

      This webpage supports the efforts of industrial clusters to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 epidemic in Europe. Over 1100 offers from companies were already channeled to the European...

  • BBS ClusNet - BALKAN AND BLACK SEA CLUSTER NETWORK

    The Cluster House, as an innovative business development organization for support to cluster –based economic development in the Balkan and Black Sea Region, is an initiator and a coordinator of the Balkan...

  • Serbian Cluster Association (SCAN)

    As a national-level Association, SCAN serves as a platform for cooperation among clusters, and support creation of new cluster initiatives and their development. Building a partner network with national...

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Projects

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Western Balkans Info Hub - powered by "Policy Answers" - is funded by the European Commission through the Horizon Europe project "R&I policy making, implementation and support in the Western Balkans", grant agreement: 10105887. The portal builds upon previous initiatives, such as for instance WBC-RTI.INFO and WBC-INCO.NET, which were funded under different Framework Programmes (FP) for Research and Technological Development (RTD) of the European Commission and other contracts.