In recent years, various cluster organisations in many different sectors have been created in Austria. Especially for Austrian SMEs, those clusters have been a great help and local businesses have profited from the exchange of knowledge, cooperation and opening to the international market. In my last post I talked about a bottom-up approach through which Austrian IT clusters formed a common network by their own initiative. Today I will take a look at an Austrian cluster platform that is organised by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth.
Clusterplatform Austria is an initiative to create a common platform for existing clusters and networks across all sectors in Austria. Its purpose is to bring together separated clusters, which often work relatively independently from each other. One of their activities consists of organising workgroups for various topics such as “clusters and their role in the Austrian innovation policy” or “Connecting the Austrian cluster policy to Europe”. The platform thereby aims to strengthen the innovation and international competitiveness of Austrian enterprises, especially SMEs. Another focus is establishing a connection with R&D institutions as well as increasing supra-regional cooperation of cluster initiatives and federal and provincial cooperation. The platform wants to contribute to the development and realisation of Austrian research-, technology and innovation policy as well as create a link to EU cluster activities.
In contrast to the CITT project and the cluster network Digital Network Austria I talked about last time, Clusterplatform Austria was initiated by a governmental institution. Being supported by the Austrian government is obviously beneficial for many issues clusters have to deal with. Through the involvement of the state, financial resources, existing contacts and supra-regional connections are available to support the cluster´s activities.
In Centrope we have an equivalent situation on a larger level: the success of national cluster platforms and the eagerness of enterprises to open themselves up to an international market creates the need for cluster platforms that act on an international level in order to create the same structures that already exist on a smaller, national market.
But the question is: What would you prefer: the freedom of a bottom up approach or (financial) support by public institutions?
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