nowEurope Comments

What does (and doesn't) work in building clusters | nowEurope

Vit Skala — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:32:42 +0000

In my opinion, facilitators has to be a special kind of persons. :o) I would differentiate among facilitators and managers of clusters.

Role of facilitator is at the forming of the cluster, managers will manage already running cluster. It it truth both facilitators and managers has to be strongly motivated. Finances are just one of the motivators… Good idea for another article! ;o)

What does (and doesn't) work in building clusters | nowEurope

Balazs Barta — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:40:40 +0000

No doubt, facilitator is key. However, based my personal experience, since we are managing clusters for four years by now, I would go slightly further on this issue - how to motivate the facilitator? In case we have a talented and competent facilitator, why to do the job for other businesses’ interest, and not to do it for himself/herself? For example, supporting sales to new markets - selling as a salesman ensures far more personal income opportunity than doing it as an employee of a cluster. What do you think?
Balázs Barta, PBN

What does (and doesn't) work in building clusters | nowEurope

Vlastimil Vesely — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:42:07 +0000

Thanks, Amit, perfect point. I agree with you, this is also the important driver of the innovation engine.

Europe (so called western, and to certain level also central) lives in relatively wealthy and comfortable environment where we lack strong impulses for working harder or for trying new ways. I’m not calling for any threats, but the current crisis may be the push - both for business innovation as for more active citizenenship not relying too much on our governments.

What does (and doesn't) work in building clusters | nowEurope

Amit Savyon — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:14:21 +0000

I would just like to add a comment on this topic. True, Israel does rely on continued significant funding from investors (such as Michael Cherney’s organization, Len Blavatnik’s Family Charity, Lev Lalev, and countless other organizations), but it’s important to look at the environment in which Israel’s culture of innovation took root.

No, I’m not saying you have to surround yourself with enemies in order to innovate, but because there ARE certain psychological effects of dire necessity, it’s important to look at them when attempting to start a culture of innovation.

One of those is simply removing the option of failure. The inability to fail is much more powerful than the promise of higher revenues. Survival is one of the most undeniable instincts, and is crucial when developing a culture of innovation.

What does (and doesn't) work in building clusters | nowEurope

Steven Carlson — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:19:43 +0000

I haven’t heard any further news about this, Alice, but we would welcome comment here from anybody else who has - Steve

What does (and doesn't) work in building clusters | nowEurope

Alice Freifeld — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:49:23 +0000

Steven Carlson,
Did you receive any responses or further information on data protection in Hungary? I am an historian in the US, President of the Hungarian Studies Association. The Hungarian archives have prohibited U.S. scholars from accessing documents that include private information, such as names, even if they are available to other scholars of Hungary, the EU, Canada, etc. even if we signed the affidavits agreeing to comply with privacy protection laws.

The research that was blocked included a musicology project on Gypsy bands that asked to see the 1950s music union records to better understand whether Roma musicians were included in the official music culture. My own work is on the 1945-48 period, reintegration of Jews, since Hungary was the only Central European country with a substantial (approx. 200,000) Jewish population that survived.)
How does the safe harbour agreement apply? Is it trumped by local protection policy? Since your post in 2005 the Hungarian Privacy Protector, Atilla Péterfalv,y was supposed to head up a privacy committee for the EU. I haven’t yet found anything on what effect this had. Were the Hungarian attitude to be adopted Europe-wide, EU-US scholarly cooperation would be put in crisis.
Alice Freifeld
Department of History
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32605
freifeld@ufl.edu

What does (and doesn't) work in building clusters | nowEurope

Vlastimil Vesely — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:41:39 +0000

Thanks, Jeffrey, for the very interesting info and links. How does your software tool work, resp. what are its main features? Is there any demo available?

What does (and doesn't) work in building clusters | nowEurope

Volodymyr Vorobey — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:44:22 +0000

Vit, indeed, you captured of what I meant by harm well. There is also another factor of harm as a waste of someone’s time. When some “clusters” without real long-term interest engage managers, they take their valuable time from other options of investing the time. Often it could make more difference if owners or managers just spend more time with their team, transferring knowledge and/or developing organizational culture.

What does (and doesn't) work in building clusters | nowEurope

claudialepo — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:26:18 +0000

I’m studying in Budapest during this difficult period and for a matter of fact I’m starting to write about the economy in Hungary.
Obiuvsly the crisis had created a dramatic scenario, but on the other hand I think that the strongest companies will be able not onnly to survive, but also to improve their production and to become more important in internal and external market.
The mass media’s task now, may be try to avoid the panic.

What does (and doesn't) work in building clusters | nowEurope

Jürgen Rattenberger — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:03:12 +0000

Dear all,
as National Contact Point (NCP) for this call, I am very willing in supporting possible proposers and would also be very grateful for a short notice if you have plans in participating.
I can only encourage anyone to use this opportunity, as it is a two stage call and you only need a 12 page proposal at the 18th of December and FFG is also supporting Austrian participants with the “Anbahnungsfinanzierung”.
best regards,
Jürgen Rattenberger.
+43-5-7755-4208