Towards Cluster Excellence Using Cross-industry, Cross-cluster and Cross- regional Collaboration

About ICT Cluster: Foundation ICT Cluster was created in 2005 by representatives of the Bulgarian ICT business. Acting as an umbrella organization of Bulgaria ICT Industry , ICT Cluster has 10 members ( ICT associations and ICT clusters ) , which includes more than 280 ICT SME from different segments of the ICT Industry and 6 Bulgarian technical universities. ICT Cluster is a strategic cluster initiative of Bulgarian ICT business . The mission of the organization is to increase the competitiveness of Bulgarian ICT industry by support of ICT SME growth, promotion of ICT cluster excellence and creation of new business opportunities through cross- border, cross-industry and cross-cluster collaboration. ICT Cluster activities are aligned with the following goals: Promotion of cluster approach and cluster excellence as a tool to increase the competitive of Bulgarian ICT SME; Support of industrial transformation and development of emerging industries by using ICT in Bulgaria and the region; Facilitate entrepreneurship, foundation of business skills, supporting establishment of national system for technology risk financing; Creation of new global business opportunities across regions, industries, borders, and continents; Boosting technology transfer, Innovations and R&D development in Bulgaria;

GIVE project General objective is to build up strategic cluster partnership in the field of green smart technologies among the three industries: automotive, renewable energy and ICT. 8 partners : ICT Cluster, AITA, MASIT, HAMAC, ICT Cluster Plovdiv, CLUJ IT, Automotive Cluster Slovenia, Green Current Renewable Energetic and Innovation Cluster – Hungary More information about the partnership you could find on the Cluster Collaboration Platform or on the following link : http://www.clustercollaboration.eu/escp-profiles/give

Danube ICT Clusters’ Sustainable Cooperation for Smart and Inclusive Growth Danube ICT Objective: to create sustainable long term strategic transnational cooperation among ICT Clusters resulting in elaboration of common strategy for transnational cross-cluster and cross – industry collaboration and to identify for the benefit of SMEs Partnership: ICT Cluster, ICT Cluj , Vojvodina ICT Cluster, Montenegrin ICT Cluster Duration: 6 months ( December 2015 – May 2016 ) Results : Creation of Strategic Action Plan for cross- cluster collaboration focusing the future collaboration of the Balkan and Black Sea ICT Clusters network to agriculture and food industry. 2 future project ideas: - Comprehensive value chain mapping for smart agriculture in the Balkans region - Entrepreneurial discovery for cross-cluster development of business models and smart technology-service solutions for precision agriculture

Balkan and Black Sea ICT Clusters Network ICT Cluster is a leading organization of the Balkan and Black Sea ICT Clusters Network. The Balkan and Black Sea ICT Clusters Network was launched in April 2014. So far it has 20 organizations from the ICT sector form 11 countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. The main goal of the Network is to create framework to intensify collaboration of ICT Clusters and ICT organizations in the Balkan and Black Sea region aiming to meet common challenges affecting business opportunities in the region.

Objectives of the BBS ICT Network To create a framework aiming to intensify collaboration of ICT clusters in the region, thus meeting common challenges affecting the business opportunities in the region. To spread the cluster approach through out the region as a effective tool for support of innovation and SMEs. To attract critical mass of ICT clusters, companies, research organizations and academic institutions aiming to stimulate common R&D projects in region. To achieve mutual understanding among stakeholders for market trends and competitive advantages of each network member. To implement more ICT competitive tools with the aim to change the regional economic performance. To attract more regional foreign investors through collaborative partnership among the leading players from each national market.

Thank you for your attention Anna Naydenova Executive Director