The Cluster Initiative Greenbook

Antecedence Formation CI Cluster-based IFC
Time
Figure 4
The cluster initiative lifecycle
ter’s competitiveness, such as promoting innovativeness and new technologies, technical
training, and, again, brand building.
• Important clusters have CIs with higher budgets, are more likely to have an office
and an explicit vision, their facilitators have better networks of contacts, and they
are less prone to exclude foreign-owned companies. All these factors are important
for success.
Building on experience
• In countries where CIs are an established way of organising industrial policies, CIs
are more likely to formulate an explicit vision and achieve consensus about what
activities to perform, which has a great impact on success.
The well-funded CI
• CIs with a budget sufficient to carry out significant project without separate funding
perform better in terms of goal fulfilment. They are better in promoting cluster
growth, and somewhat better in improving competitiveness.
• The well-funded CIs are more likely to pursue certain objectives, including spin-off
promotion, technical training, and infrastructure projects.
CIs in a transition economy: the case of Slovenia
The case of Slovenia illustrates several factors that are particularly challenging in transitional
economies:
• Trust in government initiatives is low, and there is little experience in industry collaboration
to build on.
• Clusters are often weak, lacking domestic rivalry and foreign investments.
• General knowledge of clusters and cluster initiatives is poor and there is a lack of
expertise needed to communicate the concepts. This makes it difficult to build common
frameworks for CIs.
• There are several obstacles to entrepreneurship, including bureaucracy and lack of
venture capital.
• The government’s long-term commitment in CIs can be questioned if CI programmes
are not supported by other microeconomic policies, such as education
policies or FDI policies.
Cluster initiatives for a new era
Cluster initiatives are an increasingly common means to strengthen and develop clusters.
And CIs are perceived to have a positive impact; more than 80% of our survey
The Cluster Initiative Greenbook • 13