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The importance of an enabling environment for business and entrepreneurship, particularly for SMEs is complemented by the need to improve the impact of the economic-financial crisis from Europe, since disparities of economic development and structural economic differences still persist. In this context, the implementing clusters support policies became a priority for the European industrial policy...

The article shows how the coordination between states, businesses, science and education is crucial for long-term economic development, and established a relation between these aspects and a successful cluster policy. Blurring lines between countries and forming a network society based on clusters have the potential to form a 'new economy'.

The study seeks to contribute to the upcoming discussion how to provide better support schemes for cluster management organisations (and their staff). Typical questions are:
▪ What kind of support services are needed to increase the performance and impact of cluster management organisations?
▪ What approach is the most appropriate to identify the needs for such services?
▪ What are the key success...

"This paper outlines and deliver key triggers of a successful regional cluster policy. It first makes a broad reflection on the theory of cluster and cluster policy concepts and subsequently focuses on elaboration of an analytical scheme for policy analysis"

The paper compares the governance regimes of top-down and bottom-up cluster initiatives by using a classic principal-agent framework comprising task setting, assignment of decision rights, performance evaluation, and incentive system. The Bavarian Cluster Initiative, a top-down initiative, is used as a reference point and compared with the governance regimes of German and Austrian bottom-up...

"There is need for more integrated approaches that explores different facets of clusters in their development. The cluster strategy toolkit supports strategy development from a deeper understanding of principles and patterns in cluster dynamics. The cluster strategy
toolkit was developed as part of a larger research project. This policy brief is an adaptation of the findings of the research and...

This paper departs from the assumption that by improving a region’s organising capacity, cluster policies can strengthen regional resilience, and argues that the impact of cluster policies on regional resilience depends on the portfolio of clusters targeted for promotion, which may increase specialisation, unrelated or related variety in a region’s economic fabric.

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The report is mainly addressed to cluster managers interested in providing tailor-made and demand-oriented support services to cluster participants, mainly medium-sized companies. It is also relevant for policy-makers and local stakeholders interested in seeing “their” clusters taking over a stronger role in promoting regional structural change and industrial modernisation. The report explains why...

This paper is a part of the dissertation research and is determined to outline and deliver key triggers of a successful regional cluster policy. After reflecitng on the theory of cluster and cluster policy concepts it elaborates an analytical scheme for policy analysis.

The study contributes to the upcoming discussion how to provide better support schemes for cluster management organisations (and their staff) striving for excellence. The report provides the findings from interviews with implementing authorities as well as cluster managers and identifies a list of good practices.