Latest news

Many agencies and organisations involved in cluster work have begun to evaluate cluster programmes. More and more people are interested on the challenges that the evaluation process involves. This was reflected on the “Evaluation Workshop” in TCI Conference in Cape Town, which was followed with great interest by participants.

Madeline Smith from Scottish Entreprise (SE) presented at the 2008 TCI Global Annual Conference (Day 3 Wednesday 29th October) the results of the Cluster Dynamics International Study, based on the cases of California, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland. Since this session, a lot of interest has raised. This project is keen to widen its scope of study and apply the cluster dynamics analysis to other regions.

23 October 2008, Europe
Europe INNOVA awards TCI member Christoph Beer as best Cluster Manager 2008. Christoph Beer is the manager of tcbe.ch-ICT Cluster Bern (Switzerland) and an active member of TCI since 2005.

Clusters: Balancing Evolutionary and Constructive Forces
This new publication on clusters was presented by its author, Örjan Sölvell at the 11th TCI Annual Global Conference in Cape Town 2008, South Africa. The Redbook is the outcome of many years of research around clusters, statistical cluster mapping, cluster initiatives, and cluster policy. It gives the reader an overview of the field, and shows how clusters can be used as a constructive tool, not only for scholars but also for cluster practitioners, industry, academic and political leaders, and civil servants working with clusters, regional development and innovation.

"Managing a region's structural change
in global competition: technology, people, policy."
Leipzig, Germany. 22-26 June 2009, Leipzig
The Organizing Committee is already working on next TCI Annual Global Conference, that will be held on June 22-26 in Leipzig, the heart of Central Germany.
Book the dates and keep informed about the conference on www.clusters2009.com

Article by Alberto Pezzi, TCI Secretary

Here we are. Even if for some of us it seems it happened yesterday, last week TCI has celebrated its tenth anniversary.
That first conference, organized in Barcelona by something more than an informal group of cluster practitioners (already from all five continents and gathering some of the probably most knowledgeable people on a still young cluster theory), took place on 3-5 November 1998 and it could be considered TCI foundation.

"CLUSTERS: Meeting the challenge of globalisation"
Cape Town, South Africa. 29-31 October 2008


Cape Town welcomed TCIs with open arms. The local team headed by TCI Director, Nigel Gwynne-Evans lined up a fabulous itinerary: a one-week programme beginning with cluster tours, the best chance to learn from 5 successful cluster initiatives in hig-tech, agri-processing, manufacturing, engineering, creative industries and services; the Clusters 101 course, a half-day introduction to clusters by cluster experts; the regional approach to competitiveness with regional sessions on India, Latin-America and PACF-Pan African Competitiveness Forum; and the Academic Summit that this year ran for two days alongside the main programme. 54 countries were represented and there were presentations from more than 70 speakers, including many well known and highly respected specialists involved in clusters and economic development. And of course, the social functions provided a wonderful African and Cape-Town experience that none of us will forget.

11-12th November, Malmö, Sweden
The 4th International Conference on Service & Innovation will guide you to make wise decisions about the future. The way forward is to compare your company or your research with companies or researchers that are even better at transforming to the new service economy. Meet over hundreds of Swedish companies such as Ericsson, TeliaSonera, The Astonishing Tribe, Scandvision, TetraPak any many many more. Together with research groups and policymakers this conference will be a meeting ground for future actions.

17-18 November, Paris, France
The biggest European event for cluster cooperation expects to have around 800 participants from over 25 countries.
“For Europe to tap the full potential of its clusters, they must also achieve a critical mass and strategic orientation through more and better trans-national European cooperation, across national borders. This raises the prospect of generating world-class European clusters.”

13-14 November 2008, Sophia Antipolis, France
The 13th and 14th November, under the French presidency, in Sophia Antipolis (France) the European Minister conference on the clusters has taken place. Expected were 27 European ministers charged with the politics of clusters ( or their representatives), as well as the European Commissioners end employees of the European Commission.