V4CLUSTERS – V4Clusters Project – Boosting V4 Cooperation through Strategic Cluster Identification, Networking and Informatisation (Intensification of Cooperation of the Visegrad Group countries through strategic analysis of clusters, networking and informatisation).
The project focuses on supporting the cooperation between individual clusters operating in the Visegrad Group countries and stimulation of selected clusters to cooperate at the international level.
Activities implemented in the Project are part of the macroeconomic strategy prepared for the Visegrad Fund. In addition, V4Clusters partners are working on the creation and development of a publicly accessible online portal integrated with the Visegrad Fund website.
Implementation period: November 2013 – December 2014
Source of financing: International Visegrad Fund
ACTIVITIES ARE IMPLEMENTED IN THE FOLLOWING THREE AREAS:
A – IDENTIFICATION of cluster organizations in the Visegrad Group countries will be carried out by creating national clusters bases in which they will be classified according to their geographic location, sectors, specific life cycle and ongoing cooperation in the Visegrad Group. Based on the collected data, a strategic analysis of cooperation opportunities will be carried out in order to determine the basis for creating the target network of cluster organizations. Data will be collected in a uniform format in all partner countries and will serve as a contribution and base to start informatisation.
B – NETWORKING and match-making meetings will take place as part of partner meetings in Gyor (Hungary), Nitra (Slovakia), Gliwice and in Ostrava (Czech Republic). Cluster managers representing the country of a given meeting host will present their organizations and meet with invited Visegrad Group clusters, both with those representing similar sectors as well as with clusters representing complementary industries, in order to create a cooperation network. Leading clusters, at least one in each of the partner countries, will develop a communication strategy that will be a contribution to the future programming of the Visegrad Fund, reflecting the needs and directions of cluster development.
C – INFORMATISATION of the identified clusters will focus on the content of national databases that will be merged into one whole through an integrated digital system. Access to the system will be possible via a communication portal through which partners will be able to share and enter the necessary data. The V4Clusters database will be presented in the form of interactive maps and will be integrated with the Visegrad Fund portal.
Partners and their role:
National Cluster Association (Czech Republic) – project coordinator.
The Union of Slovak Clusters – UKS (Slovakia) – UKS is a national institution with its activities covering the whole territory of Slovakia. In the project, UKS focuses on illustrating current situation and collecting information from leading clusters in Slovakia.
Upper Silesian Agency for Entrepreneurship and Development Ltd. – GAPR as a regional development agency, actively involved in cluster processes in Poland, focuses on the development of cooperation strategies for clusters in the Visegrad Group countries.
Czech Knowledge Cluster (Czech Republic) – deals with informatisation of cluster databases, which will be prepared in the form of interactive maps, and creation of the V4Clusters portal, which will be an integrated part of the Visegrad Fund website.
Pannon Business Network Association (Hungary) – focuses on the identification of Hungarian clusters, gathering the necessary data, promotion of networking, development of Action Plan for Hungarian clusters.
In addition to specific tasks, each partner will be responsible for organizing a meeting promoting networking of leading clusters, collecting data, preparing national databases and developing a Cluster Communication Strategy for a given country.
