Project Overview

Project Title:	European Cluster Excellence Initiative
Project Acronym:	Cluster-Excellence.eu
Programme:
Project Type:	INNO-Actions
Duration:	36 months
Start Date:	September 2009
End Date:	August 2012
Key words:

Abstract

Cluster-Excellence.eu brings together the most experienced persons and organisations in Europe in order to promote the excellence of cluster management by developing sound quality indicators and peer-assessment procedures. The objective is to set up an approach for quality labelling of cluster management and to develop training materials in order to help cluster organisations achieve high levels of excellence in their work. Cluster-Excellence.eu will then create and act as a club of professionals and institutions, to promote cluster management excellence, and diffuse the adoption of a Quality Label among its members.

Overview

How can cluster initiatives be managed professionally? And what skills do Cluster Managers need when striving for cluster excellence? These questions are being explored by the consortium around Cluster-Excellence.eu – the European Cluster Excellence Initiative. 14 Project Partners from 9 countries – all well experienced in the field of cluster management and -support – create a uniform set of cluster quality indicators and develop a quality label for professional cluster management which is accepted and recognized all over Europe. The European Cluster Managers’ Club and the Cluster-Collaboration Platform are modules in the framework of Cluster-Excellence.eu to promote excellence in cluster management.

Specific objectives:

The objectives of Cluster-Excellence.eu are:

- To develop supporting materials to train cluster managers and help them achieve excellence in the quality indicators selected and defined in the project

- To offer a self-explanatory teaching methodology supported by case studies

- To raise the recognition of cluster management as an attractive profession

- To spread the peer-review procedure for the Quality Label among cluster managers

- To promote the availability of training schemes for cluster managers

Activities

Cluster Management Excellence – Status Quo:

Get an overview of the existing quality indicators in Cluster Management, training needs as well as already available training programmes for Cluster Managers. This composes the basis for the activities and contents of the following work packages.

Cluster Management Excellence – Quality Label for Cluster Management Excellence:

The overall approach behind the Quality Label currently developed within the European Cluster Excellence Initiative is to create an independent, voluntary proof of cluster management excellence which is accepted and recognised all over Europe. The Quality label will motivate cluster managers to compare with each other and to learn from the best. The element of “mutual benchmarking” plays an important role.

Cluster Management Excellence – Cluster Management Knowledge:

Design efficient and professional knowledge materials to train cluster managers and assist them to achieve excellence in Cluster Management. The teaching methodology will be self explanatory with cases that cover the fields of knowledge in Cluster Management. That way cluster management trainings stop being only experience based and are enriched by a methodological approach.

Cluster Management Excellence – Promotion:

Create the ‘European Club of Cluster Managers’ open to professionals to disseminate and promote Cluster Management Excellence. The Club will raise the recognition for cluster management as an attractive profession.

European Cluster Collaboration Platform:

Cluster-Excellence.eu provides access to the European Cluster Collaboration Platform with online information and networking support for cluster organisations.