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.

1. European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

2. Cluster-Excellence.eu is…
…currently one of the most relevant
cluster management related projects at EU level
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

3. Cluster-Excellence.eu
A PRO INNO Europe® Initiative to raise the excellence of Cluster
Management in the EU
14 project partners develop a meaningful set of quality indicators and
assessment procedures for the evaluation and documentation of Cluster
Management Excellence
Project coordinator: Emiliano Duch, International Center for
Competitiveness, IESE Business School
Project run time:
September 2009 - August 2012
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

4. Project Overview: 4 modules
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

5. Project Overview: 4 modules
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

6. Cluster Management
Excellence Indicators and Label
Objectives:
Create an objective process for measuring and assessing Cluster
Management Quality
Establish an independent and voluntary evaluation of Cluster
Management Excellence by developing:
- a structured set of Quality Indicators that is mutually agreed on
- a Cluster Quality Label to motivate Cluster Managers to
compare with their peers
What are we working on right now:
Develop a modular set of quality indicators for
Cluster Management Excellence
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

7. Cluster Management
Excellence Indicators and Label
About 35 relevant indicators
Focus of the Indicators –
identified in the following domains:
the 3 levels of the Shell Model
3 Framework 1. Structure of the cluster
conditions* (level 2)
2. Typology, governance, cooperation
(levels 1 and 2)
Source: European Cluster Excellence Initiative, WP2
3. Financing cluster management
2 Cluster
actors (level 1)
2 4. Strategy, objectives, services
1 Cluster organisation (level 1)
5. Achievements, recognition
* Level 1 and level 2) are in the focus (level 1)
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

8. Project Overview: 4 modules
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

9. Cluster Management
Excellence Knowledge
Objectives:
Develop learning materials to train cluster managers and help them
achieve excellence in cluster management
Offer a self explanatory teaching methodology supported by cases,
that cover a wide range of topics
What are we working on:
Development of teaching materials
(manuals, teaching notes, audiovisual materials)
Development of reference case studies
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

10. Project Overview: 4 modules
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

11. Cluster Managers‘ Club
The European Cluster Managers’ Club:
A place where cluster managers can:
 Share & analyse their problems with their peers in a "club spirit”
 Get prepared to tackle new challenges
 Aspire to cluster management excellence
Main Services:
Facilitate the access to training schemes and other existing services
for cluster managers
Organise working groups on topics of interest
and raise the exchange of best practices
Promote the Quality Cluster Management Approach
Provide networking opportunities (Special events, journeys…)
Become member of the club: www.clustermanagersclub.eu
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

12. Project Overview: 4 modules
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

13. Mapping Mapping
of cluster of cluster
organisations members
Communities /
social networks News / events &
informations
Marketplace, Eu-programs / calls
offers/requests & tenders
Register your Clusterinitative:
www.cluster-excellence.eu/collaboration European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

14. The European Cluster Collaboration Platform is an online portal rich in
information and networking services that enable better and more targeted
interaction between cluster organizations and their members.
Key functionalities:
Mapping and profiling of cluster organisations
Mapping and profiling of cluster members
Establishing sectoral and thematic communities
Searching for new project ideas and financing sources
Frameworksetting for future collaboration
with new partners
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

15. Achievements in 2010
The European Cluster Managers’ Club Event 2010:
© European Commission 2010
© European Commission 2010
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

16. Achievements in 2010
The European Cluster Manager of the year Award 2010:
JOHAN P. BANG, Cluster Manager at Future Position X
© Europa InterCluster 2010
© Europa InterCluster 2010
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

17. Achievements in 2010
Launch of the beta version of the
European Cluster Collaboration Platform
© Europa InterCluster 2010
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

18. Achievements in 2010
Creating the set of cluster quality indicators
Focus of the Indicators –
the 3 levels of the Shell Model
3 Framework
conditions*
Source: European Cluster Excellence Initiative, WP2
2 Cluster
2 actors
1 Cluster
organisation
* Level 1 and level 2) are in the focus
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry

19. Contact
Project Coordination:
IESE Business School
University of Navarra
Emiliano Duch
clusterexcellence@iese.edu
Project Communication:
Daniel Stürzebecher
MFG Baden-Württemberg
stuerzebecher@mfg.de
European Commission
Enterprise and Industry