Directorate General for Internal Market Industry Entrepreneurship and

Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs European Cluster Strategy Christophe Guichard Team leader Cluster internationalisation Unit GROW. F 2 – Clusters, Social Economy & Entrepreneurship Working Party on Euro-Mediterranean Industrial Cooperation 8 March 2017, Brussels

Clusters matter for economic growth § Clusters are defined as groups of firms, related economic actors, and institutions that are located near each other and have reached a sufficient scale to develop specialised expertise, services, resources, suppliers and skills. Clusters should be considered as regional ecosystems of related industries and competences featuring a broad array of inter-industry interdependencies. § Economic activities that are located in clusters account for about 39% of European jobs and 55% of European wages*. Cluster firms… § - are more innovative than non-cluster firms § - register more trademarks and apply for more patents § - cooperate more § * According to the most recent data from the European Cluster Observatory

Focus of European cluster policy Clusters accelerators for innovation and industrial change International cluster cooperation Cluster excellence PME

Promoting international cluster cooperation Supporting SME internationalisation through clusters Cluster Internationalisation Programme for SMEs (COSME, € 19 m) European Cluster Collaboration Platform • The hub connecting clusters across Europe and beyond. • Over 500 cluster organisations profiled !!! International cluster matchmaking events in third countries and Europe • 6 Events in 2016 with: US, Taiwan, Iran, Mexico, Brazil & EU stakeholders • 5 events planned in 2017: US, Taiwan, possibly India European Strategic Cluster Partnerships – Going International (ESCP-4 i) • "Clusters Go International" call promoting SME internaliationalistion towards 3 rd countries • 15 Cluster partnerships implementing joint strategies to go international

www. clustercollaboration. eu

International Cluster Match-making Events 2016 • EU-USA Event, Hannover Messe, 25 -26 April 2016 Focus: Advanced manufacturing, industrial automation, environmental technology, etc. Participation of over 75 EU and US clusters / EDOs with 250 face-to-face meetings scheduled • Taiwan -EU Event, ICT Fair Computex, Taipei, 30 May-3 June 2016 Participation of 23 EU clusters - 120 one-to-one meetings with Taiwanese organisations • Iran – EU event, EU Economic Mission led by Commissioner Bienkowska, 17 -19 Oct. 2016 Focus: automotive and mobility, tourims and sports, textile, biotech and green tech Participation of 14 EU clusters and 60 Iran organisations – 7 industrial site visits • Mexico – EU event, Green Expo, 25 -27 October 2016 Focus: Renewable energy, Energy efficiency, Waste management, Wastewater management Participation of 38 EU clusters and Mexican organisations - in cooperation with the Low Carbon Business Action (funded under FPI, EEAS) • EU – Brazil Event, Pollutec, Lyon, 28 -30 November 2016 Participation of 35 EU clusters and Brazil organisations – Green technologies • EU Cluster Event, Brussels, 30 November 2016 - prior to the European Cluster Conference 2016 Participation of 120 EU clusters –

European Strategic Cluster Partnerships – Going International (ESCP-4 i) Overall, 15 EU Cluster Partnerships "Go international" (+ 10 non-funded) involving: 80 European cluster organisations § 10, 000 SMEs across 23 European countries Main target countries 12 USA 10 BRAZIL JAPAN 8 CHINA 8 INDIA 8 5 CANADA 3 MEXICO Other Latin Amercica 7 0 5 10 15 Others: Korea, Taiwan, North & West Africa, ASEAN, Gulf/Middle East

REINA PLUS - Renewable Energy Internationalisation ESCP project for European SMEs European Strategic Cluster Partnership Going International (ES, AT, FI, PT) Objectives • Support and reinforce the internationalization of European SMEs in selected renewable energy markets - North America and North Africa , by fostering the collaboration and integration of capacities of companies involved in the four EU Energy Clusters. Coordinator - North African market: Merinova Energy Vaasa Cluster (FI) Expected outcomes A platform in North Africa will be created where African energy infrastructure investors could meet European energy technology providers - Will help European companies to kick start technological and commercial cooperation Conducted Energy Days in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in the field of electricity equipment (ex. Power For Africa, Nov. 2016) - Outcomes include: • contracts on equipment supply or engineering • Gathering investors (eg. from Finland) to invest on solar in Morocco Focus on smart grids, facilitating cluster SMEs sales of equipment (to a major utility in Algeria) and deliver engineering support to Algeria companies within the Framework of Algeria Solar Plan

Towards a Euro-Mediterranean cooperation agenda on clusters European Cluster Collaboration Platform Increasing MED clusters visibility International Cluster matchmaking Events • Promoting networking opportunities with EU clusters European Strategic Cluster Partnerships – Going International Facilitating technological and industrial partnering with EU cluster partnerships Policy exchanges shaping a cooperation agenda Building upon a Cooperation Arrangement on Clusters

More information • • EU Cluster Portal: http: //ec. europa. eu/growth/smes/cluster/observatory/linksmedia/cluster-portal/index_en. htm • • European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) http: //www. clustercollaboration. eu/ • @Clusters_EU • • European Strategic Cluster Partnerships – Going International http: //www. clustercollaboration. eu/eu-cluster-partnerships • • COSME calls http: //ec. europa. eu/growth/contracts-grants/index_en. htm • Thank you for your attention