Monthly Archive for April, 2009

Let me share some views on cluster building in CEE

Published on April 30, 2009 in Case studies. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

On the Round Table discussion on ICT clustering of the CITT conference, our participants came up with several interesting views. Let me share with you some of the group’s opinions about clusters:

  1. Cluster cooperation may appear in two forms: as a formal legal entity or as natural cooperation among the participants. The current focus of publicly funded initiatives in CZ, HU and SK is to support formal legal entities.
  2. Clustering in technology parks is a form of a virtual cluster: the cluster is the structure for the cooperation.
  3. There are no widely accepted criteria for measuring the success of clusters. Different metrics are relevant for different players (e.g. public bodies, academic instituations and independent companies.
  4. Why do SME’s cooperate ? They do not cooperate: they do business and earn money.
  5. A successful cluster needs a good university. Good university => cluster => high technology output.
  6. A cluster is a funding issue. Many clusters were created in the recent years. Will they survive after initial funding ends? When public funding ends, many ‘artificial’ clusters remain without real activities.

What do you think about these issues?

Going to the ICT Brokerage in Brno?

Published on April 11, 2009 in Current events, Czech Republic and EU funding programmes. 0 Comments Tags: .

On April 29-30 we co-organise the ICT Brokerage focused on the Centrope region and the 7th Framework Programme in Brno. There will be an opportunity to network with other SMEs for FP7 projects, discuss their innovation ideas with the top university researchers in Southern Moravia and meet also the European Commission representatives.

The first information day will be followed by more interactive sessions of the second day including the moderated discussions divided into several tables according to the FP7 5th & 6th call’s challenges. Afterwards you can spend time with your potential partners on biletaral meetings. Gunther Krumpak is going to give an introductory plenary speech on Opportunities and Threats of the ICT market in Central Europe and later we are chairing with Gunther the discussion table on Digital Content and Intelligent Information Management. Continue reading ‘Going to the ICT Brokerage in Brno?’

Internet World 2009 in London

Published on April 10, 2009 in Business innovation and Current events. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber in London has organised together with VITE a trip to visit the promising Internet World 2009, taking place from the 28th to the 30th of April in the capital of the United Kingdom (London). A one-day fact finding mission will complete the programme in England.

Most of you might know that London is by far the most important IT location in Europe, thus I think this is a very interesting event to find out more about this market, new trends, technologies etc.

As I will also be there as a representative of VITE, I wanted to ask whether someone has already been at this fair. I would appreciate if you shared your experiences and impressions with us! Or will anyone visit the fair this year as well? If yes, which expectations do you have?

In general: do you think that due to the current economic crisis we should more than ever concentrate on larger markets?

A bonus is how many jobs?

Published on April 8, 2009 in Facts, figures & trends. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

This post is maybe somewhat outside the range of issues dealt with here, but when it comes to the present economic situation, ICT and technology transfer are somehow involved as well.

Two headlines struck me this morning on a press newsletter, placed one above the other:

“Gierig”: Goldman Sachs-Chef will Reform der Managergehälter
Goldman Sachs-Chef Lloyd Blankfein nennt die Finanzbranche “selbstsüchtig” und fordert eine Reform der Managerbezahlung. Noch 2007 kassierte er eine Rekordprämie von 67,9 Millionen Dollar…

(„Goldman Sachs boss wants executive salaries regulated. In 2007 he cashed himself a bonus of $ 68 million…”)

Feuerfest-Konzern RHI streicht weltweit 1000 Jobs
Drei Viertel der betroffenen Jobs gehen in der Produktion verloren. Damit sollen jährliche Kosten von rund 80 Millionen Euro eingespart werden. Grund ist die “schwierige konjunkturelle Lage”…

(“Austrian RHI cancels 1,000 jobs worldwide to save € 80 million…”)

Now I know it is too trivial to compare such figures, but I keep asking myself the following question: How many jobs could be saved if such companies just fired one person (who cashes such bonuses) instead of sacking 1000 people?

Continue reading ‘A bonus is how many jobs?’

Please join us at an interregional conference on ICT clustering in CENTROPE

Published on April 1, 2009 in Austria, Current events, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. 7 Comments Tags: , , , .

On Thursday, April 2, my colleagues and I at the Pannon Business Network are hosting an international conference on ICT clustering in Győr, Hungary. We are organizing this meeting in parallel with the CENTROPE ICT Cluster Match brokerage event.

The conference will provide a stage for discussion and cooperation among ICT companies and institutions in CENTROPE. (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria). Our aim is to enhance network development among relevant stakeholders in this region and to create a platform for ICT cluster cooperation.

We look forward to seeing other nowEurope readers and contributors at the event! Feel free to share your experiences of the conference here at nowEurope, by adding your comments to this post.