29.

stresses that all the measures promoted through this integrated approach should focus on growth and competitiveness, and on priority areas of action which must go beyond simply exchanging experiences and information to include joint projects and initiatives, inter-project exchanges of staff and beneficiaries, development of Community networks and institutions, etc.; To this end, proposes: 1. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMMON STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR CLUSTERS considers that there should be a general strategic framework bringing together the approaches of the various stakeholders: public administrations, universities, research centres and businesses, so as to implement the three abovementioned processes in a coordinated manner: — to make it possible to create the necessary conditions for encouraging the setting up and development of clusters; — to encourage the implementation of initiatives proposed by clusters; — to interlink clusters both nationally and across borders, in order to cooperate and exchange experiences; in this context, proposes that the first step in developing the strategic framework should be to set up a High Level Expert Group which would study the matter and set down guidelines for the integration and harmonisation of criteria for the Council and the Commission. The group should be fully independent and chaired by a person of European renown in the field. It should include representatives from all the spheres involved: politics, administrations (particularly regional), businesses with experience in managing clusters, universities, research and technology institutes, financial bodies and other possible funding bodies (business angel networks, venture capital funds, etc.); believes that this strategic framework would benefit from the various cluster initiatives already in existence in specific fields, and would bring them together, creating action lines to facilitate the processes involved in the development of clusters: INCUBATION PHASE — creation of environmental conditions needed for development; — provision of financial aid to make it easier to interconnect small and large enterprises in the same area and harness potential synergies; — involvement of ‘driver’ enterprises; — relations with research centres in the sector; START-UP PHASE — development of relationships of trust; — interlinking of businesses from different clusters so as to create cross-border meta-clusters; — creation of own organisational structure and brand image; — development of strategic cooperation agenda; GROWTH PHASE — creation and development of own projects; — incorporation of clusters in European technology platforms; — alliances between clusters, interregional cooperation platform; — dissemination of results of cooperation between clusters, ensuring that the project results reach other regions; — new products as a result of joint initiatives; MATURITY PHASE — own patents and innovations; — appearance of commercial sub-clusters; — strategic partnerships for economic development; — attraction of new investment to the region; 2. INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE THE CREATION OF A STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK BRINGING CREDIBILITY TO THE PROCESS acknowledges that cooperation between enterprises in clusters must be encouraged, promoting the creation of a first-level network of cluster networks, enabling them to share services and best practices at European and global level, for instance by: — developing and rolling out cooperation tools so as to share the knowledge acquired by regional clusters; — promoting events/meetings/match-days with the various players, particularly enterprises, in the different clusters; — drafting a joint annual activity report for all European clusters; — promoting the development of shared services in the fields of training, information, etc.; stresses that it is key for public administrations to encourage early demand projects, by: — linking observatories and technology tracking bodies in different regions by setting up a European system for tracking industrial research and innovation, and improving information on intellectual capital, so as to anticipate possible supply-side solutions and value-adding technologies; — encouraging cooperation with European technology platforms; — implementing joint public projects between several regions (common specifications and procurement processes); — promoting common regulations in different areas to encourage or anticipate development of innovative technologies; stresses that it is essential to combine existing information into a single European Cluster Information Platform (INFOCLUSTER) and include features that are useful to enterprises and are only partially covered at present; in this context, considers that the most suitable body to perform the role of information platform would be the European Cluster Observatory: — a regional information system which sets out the current range of infrastructures and research centres, enterprises active in R+D and innovation, universities and other bodies, research areas promoted, key technical and political contacts, etc. This resource would facilitate networking between knowledge centres and clusters. It could be managed by the European Commission in cooperation with the CoR, which could provide contacts with regions and clusters existing at regional level; — a dynamic European competition barometer in which each cluster could compare itself with similar ones, and find out its position in relation to the competition; — a cluster policy map showing national and regional policies in each geographical area, in all fields (R+D and innovation funding, financial support instruments, training and exchange programmes, etc.) for the exchange of information; — various reports on the best knowledge-sharing practices applied by enterprises or clusters; considers it necessary to promote cooperation between financial instruments for innovation (capital/debt/direct aid) in regions or countries, in order to facilitate investment in major projects involving several regions from different European countries via clusters, which could benefit from greater leverage from European funds such as the EIB and EIF; believes that it is possible for clusters to share resources and services so as to have joint access to higher-quality services: — specialised job exchange and programmes for researcher exchanges and training in the private sector; — mobility of enterprises sharing incubator facilities and services; — exchange of technical skills, research structures and production facilities so as to achieve economies of scale and scope; — European system for research tracking, industrial innovation and improved information on intellectual capital; 3. EX-ANTE, EX-DURANTE AND EX-POST ASSESSMENT MEASURES TO SERVE AS GUIDANCE FOR FUTURE INITIATIVES considers that assessment is a means of research that can use specific techniques and answer questions such as: have the needs of the cluster have been met? Has a suitable policy been designed and properly implemented? Will it have the desired effect? Can unachieved objectives be re-examined? Can the effectiveness of the policy be increased? sees assessment as a tool that should be used throughout the implementation process and that should, among other benefits, increase the credibility of the cluster policy.