Trends and priorities for cluster policies and cluster organisations in Europe will be discussed in interactive ways. The European Cluster Observatory will present its 2016 European Cluster Panorama and the latest information on cluster support initiatives in relation to industrial modernisation will be shared. Model Demonstrator Regions, European Strategic Cluster Partnerships – Going International and other cluster initiatives will share their lessons learned. The Conference will also let participants have their say on who to select for the 2016 European Cluster Manager of the Year Award and the 2016 European Strategic Cluster Partnership of the Year Award.

In conjunction with the European Cluster Conference, the European Cluster Collaboration Platform is organising a large-scale European cluster matchmaking event that will be held as a pre-event on 30th November 2016, also in Brussels. This will be a unique opportunity for European Clusters to explore common areas of interest for cooperation and build complementarities in terms of sectoral, value chain and market focus. The first European cluster matchmaking event organised in 2014 in conjunction with the European Cluster Conference gathered over 80 cluster organisations from 18 countries and led to a total of 170 inter-cluster meetings.

More information about the cluster matchmaking event will also soon be made available on the European Cluster Collaboration Platform: www.clustercollaboration.eu.