20 Jul Mapping the European Cluster Ecosystem
You can download the mapping at the end of this page.
This Cluster mapping has been drafted by industry specialists under the auspices of the European Champions Alliance Focus Group Enabling Innovation in Europe, led by Pranav Girish.
Enabling Innovation in Europe
The Enabling Innovation in Europe Focus Group wants to enable innovation and growth in businesses and help companies scale across Europe, along with the European Champions Alliance.
Building bridges between the stakeholders in European Tech is our goal, in order to do so we took action and started our project with a European Cluster mapping.
You will find a classification of the European Cluster ecosystem in the following countries: France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
You will find various sectors in the mapping: Cybersecurity, Space Tech, Green Tech, Health Tech, Smart Industry, Mobility & cross-sectoral.
To be strong and relevant, an ecosystem needs transparency, the members need to be aware of each other and ideally share the goal of collaboration and mutual support. The aim of the ECA Focus Groups is therefore to gather those stakeholders and to support networking, collaboration, and joint business perspectives. A sectorial mapping of the most important members of the ecosystem is the starting point for all of our Focus Groups.
What is a cluster?
A cluster is what is commonly defined as a group of companies. In most cases, it is made up of small or large companies that are concentrated in the same geographical location and often come from the same sector. The cluster can gather exclusively companies but also training organizations and research centers.
The cluster concept originates with Harvard Professor Michael E Porter, who has also been the driving force behind the cluster mapping methodology.
“A cluster is a geographically proximate group of interconnected companies and associated institutions in a particular field, linked by commonalities and complementarities. The geographic scope of a cluster can range from a single city or state to a country or even a network of neighboring countries.” Porter (1998)
Why is a Cluster a relevant solution?
Networking:
Clusters are a relevant solution to network with your pairs, to review vendors, provide insight into industry trends and see where a partnership could be mutually beneficial is something that even the digital communications world cannot fully replicate. By entering a cluster your company benefits from time and effort-saving advantages in the long run.
Development:
Growth is very important for many small or medium-sized companies, it is imperative to win new opportunities. Companies have succeeded in growing exponentially by getting closer to their local environment, regrouping around their local factories, near cities where scientific hubs or clusters, and universities are active.
Talent:
Innovation clusters attract qualified workers just like magnets. Young companies or startups have to recruit wisely in the early days, as poor recruitment can be incredibly costly – both in terms of financial resources and time. Leading your company to bright, skilled workers instead of trying to entice them to come to you may be all you need to gain a competitive edge in the race to the top
DOWNLOAD THE MAPPING HERE
Click the button below to download the complete ECA Cluster Mapping. Have a good read and don’t hesitate to give us feedback!