“ADRIATIC DANUBIAN CLUSTERING” FINAL CONFERENCE Saverio D’Eredità INFORMEST Project Manager LP Tecnical Assistance Venice, 13° March 2012

SOUTH EAST EUROPE PROGRAMME COUNTRIES 16 COUNTRIES: EU Member States, candidate contries, potential candidate countries and third countries 4 THEMATIC PRIORITIES: 1 - INNOVATION 1 - INNOVATION 2 - ENVIRONMENT 2 - ENVIRONMENT 3 - ACCESSIBILITY 3 - ACCESSIBILITY 4 – REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 4 – REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Priority 4: Development of transnational synergies for sustainable growth areas Promote a balanced pattern of attractive and accessible growth areas Joint actions to support governance as a new partnership of functional areas “ADRIATIC DANUBIAN CLUSTERING” (April 2009 – September 2011)

13 PROJECT PARTNERS 9 EU and 4 IPA partners 4 Italian Regions: Veneto (LP), Friuli Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna, Molise 6 Regional Development Agencies: Maribor Regional Development Agency and Centre for Promotion of Entrepreneurhship (SLO), SMEs Development Agency (BIH), ITD+HITA (Hungary), Bulgarian Economic Forum (Bulgaria), DUNEA (Croazia) 1 Governamental institution: Directorate for the development of SMEs (MN) 1 Municipality: City of Nis (Serbia) 1 University: Institute for Economic Forecasting -IPE (Romania) TOTAL BUDGET: Euro Duration: 36 months (prolonged)

GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT Strengthen the territorial marketing of the Adriatic-Danubian area in relation to other regions of the global economy, with the aim of developing local economies and their endogenous resources by creating sectoral network relationships suitable for making more competitive transnational value chains and fostering FDI attractiveness EXPECTED FINAL RESULT The establishment of an Adriatic-Danubian real and integrated network as a tool for the promotion of sectoral value chians (extended transnational clusters) working in a true regional productive system

ADC STRATEGIC RELEVANCE Exchange of knowledge concerning production cycles and market outlets Integration of transnational value chains and their inter-sectoral connections Exchange of best practices in the field of clusters governance Sharing of business opportunities and growth schemes Consolidation of transnational partnerships as a platform to establish a standing cooperation framework for transnational clusters

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT: Identification of the strategic transnational value chains Growth of horizontal ties among companies of the Adriatic-Danubian area New dynamic partnership among territorial development actors dealing with clusters development Improved business environment through innovative ICT (Digital Business Ecosystem) Development of territorial marketing capacity of the identified transnational clusters

ADC PROJECT ACTIVITIES 1.Sectoral studies&Governance Models – Context Analysis for the identification of Strategic Sectors (WP3) 2.Shaping of a strategy for the integration of Transnational Productive System (WP4) 3.Digital Business Environment – Pilot Action for the implementation of a Digital Business Ecosystem (WP5) 4.Territorial marketing of ADC transnational clusters (WP6)

MAIN PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS  4 Strategic Sectors selected on the basis of a wide Context Analysis: Modern Housing, Agro-food, Mechatronics and Logistics Transnational Partnership Agreements  Signature of Transnational Partnership Agreements to foster clustering process within the Adriatic Danubian area in the strategic sectors with more than 80 stakeholders involved signing the agreements  A dedicated Working Group on Governance collected Cluster organization best practices in order to propose a common model for the governance of transnational clusters

ADC From theory to practice 1.Strategic Sectors choice: constraints-options- solutions 2.Transnational Cluster Development 3.Digital Business Ecosystem 4.Territorial Marketing Strategy 5.Project recommendations

Identification of clusters on the basis of the following options 1) the most important sectors emerging from the analysis, considering the economic potentials of the ADC area and the existing specialisation 2) the most suitable approach, (for example: technological innovation, territorial integration, etc…) 3) sectors of particular interest for the countries involved in the project The choice of ADC Strategic Sectors: constraints-options-solutions

 ADC Economic Map outlined: the 1° cluster mapping at NUTS III level in Europe  4 Strategic Sectors selected on the basis of a wide Context Analysis: Modern Housing, Agro-food, Mechatronics and Logistics

ADC From theory to practice Transnational Cluster Development 1) The need for a Common Methodology: how to raise target groups awareness? - “selling” opportunities to ADC target groups (business-related objective)? - going beyond the “simple b2b”: strenghtening vertical connections in the transnational value chain - the need for a concrete output: Transnational Partnership Agreements as the first brick for the sustainability of transnational cluster The mediation of ADC: combining concrete business opportunities and visibility of SMEs with transnational clustering and Local Productive System integration

ADC From theory to practice Transnational Cluster Development 2) Benchmarking Cluster Governance: for what? - Compare different clustering approach and related public support schemes - Mutual learning and circulation of knowledge: typical “best practices exchange” but finalized to the outline of a new model suitable for ADC transnational cluster governance a) Governance models have been presented and compared in the framework of working groups b) Governace models in SEE area are quite different but show similarities: a common framework is possible

ADC From theory to practice Transnational Cluster Development 3 Transnational Partnership Agreement signed for Modern Housing, Agrofood and Mechatronics sectors 1 Letter of Intent for Logistic sector More than 80 signatories (Project Partners, SMEs, Public institution, cluster, association and reserach centres) 1 Cluster Manager profile approved Benchmarking of cluster governance models

ADC From theory to practice Digital Business Ecosystems A cutting-edge “philosophic” approach to a better and shared use of ICT tools for cluters development The main weakness: a general lack of practical application in spite of the significant funding support from the EC ADC “bet”: exploring the potentialities of DBE approach to be applied at clusters level Cooperation vs Competition: a possible reality or just a “slogan” – ADC findings

ADC From theory to practice Digital Business Ecosystem 1ICT Survey at regional level (Friuli Venezia Giulia region, Slovenia, Hungary) 1Feasibility Study delivered 1ICT platform for a web-based cluster cooperation (ADC network platform)

ADC From theory to practice Territorial Marketing Strategy Starting points: -A sustainability of project results is needed: this is a common weakness of many EU funded projects -Strenghtening Adriatic-Danubian compound in the global economy is the core output of the project: how to ensure a greater visibility to clusters and cluster companies? -How to concretely support SMEs: the need for a specific, tailor-made support even after the project closure

ADC From theory to practice Territorial Marketing Strategy Achievements  Implementaion of an Help Desk ICT Platform to support the effective cluster cooperation  Activation of cluster coordination unit for the sustainability of Transnational Partnership Agreements  Outlining of a Territorial Marketing Strategy for SEE area

ADC From theory to practice Territorial Marketing Strategy Project recommendations: -A quite ambitious but essential output -Territorial Marketing Strategy stands as the common framework in which Local Help Desk should be set up and be operative -Local Help Desk should be the “answer” to the need for a medium-long term project sustainability -A more intensive public support looks essential: promotion of project results with public decision makers is needed -Valorising the role of Cluster coordination units (WP4 working groups coordinators) should act as first promoters of transnational clusters

ADC From theory to practice Some first conclusions 1)ADC experience has proved a renewed interest toward transnational cluster as the access key to innovation, growth and territorial integration 2)Raising SMEs and private sector interest is never an easy work: ADC has tested a methodological approach suitable for a private sector active involvment in the project 3)Working through a global change: from the (classic) territorial-based cluster toward innovative networks 4)Horizon 2020 & Smart Specialisation Strategy: ADC act as cutting-edge initiative for future EU strategies 5)New types of emerging regional specialisation may offers further development to ADC results

Thanks for your attention!