Cluster Growth Councils

Six Engineering Cluster Growth Councils

Six Engineering Cluster Growth Councils, based in consortium cities and surrounding regions (Malaga, Alcalá de Henares, Bologna, Cork, Istanbul, and Paris), each have a collaboration network and culture for joint innovation in their partner regions.

Growth focus through 6 cluster growth councils

Following a successful SME survey spanning 500 engineering businesses from across Europe, SME Cluster Growth partners have established six Cluster Growth Councils.  Each serve as a platform to develop closer relationships between Engineering SMEs and universities in order to build joint action plans and strategies, align activities with local and regional issues and innovation agendas to solve their common challenges collaboratively. 

So who is involved and who benefits from the Cluster Growth Councils?

The Councils work to 4 key success factors

  1. Increase interactions between Engineering SMEs and universities 
  2. Multiply interactions between different clusters 
  3. Determine the precise success factors to be adapted with the challenges specific to each cluster 
  4. Create a direct impact in each country 

Let’s review how this works…

  • Each Council agree the themes their council works to address.  This reflects the  insights derived from the development of six  Regional Growth Needs Analysis Reports & the interviews and case studies conducted.  
  • Each Council develops their vision of cross-European collaboration and how they both add and benefit from strong added value on an international basis.  

Let’s put the first spotlight on our French Cluster Growth Council. Led by IMTBS, they are focusing the work of their Cluster Growth Council around two challenges

  • Firstly the need for engineering SMEs to strengthen their relationship with the University and learn innovative ways to work together and  
  • Secondly to develop European relationships with the five other Cluster Growth Councils.  Their Council comprises stakeholders including SME owners across different engineering segments, the French public bank of investment, the largest professional organisation of French industry and an OPCO (French organisation involved in finance, lifelong learning and applied studies for young people). 

Each Council Includes

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Members

Council's Mission

Cluster Growth
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Community
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Facilitating Mechanisms
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Cross-Border
Network Building

Cross-Sectoral
Network Building

Each Council includes

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Each Council works for

SME Cluster Growth Magazine

Issue #4

Welcome to the fourth edition of EMPOWER, the SME Cluster Growth project magazine. Throughout this issue, we will show you the latest activities and programmes developed within the framework of the SME Cluster Growth project, as well as some examples of business growth in which we analyse the keys to their success.