Clusters stimulate innovation since their purpose is to increase business competitiveness. Their organisation is complex. It is based on the geographical proximity of rival but complementary companies specialising in the same trade, business sector or product. Heavily dependent on the environment in which they develop, clusters can take various forms and may also involve other players, both public and private. The Chambers of Commerce may therefore be stakeholders and intervene by directly assisting companies (in the fields of innovation, economic intelligence or internationalisation) and by contributing to the development of a fertile environment; by the setting up of training programs in connection with the specialisation of the cluster or housing companies within the business incubators or enterprise zones under their management, for example.
Conscious of all that the development of clusters represents for companies in a context where the Lisbon Strategy places innovation at the heart of growth, a group of European CCIs (1) have started a Eurochambres working group organised by the Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry. On the basis of discussions between its members and of a survey involving all the heads of national chamber networks, a manifesto on clusters has been drawn up and was adopted during the 14th Eurochambres Congress in Thessalonica in October 2006. The document lists the resources and skills the chambers network can place at the service of companies involved in, or wishing to join, a cluster. The Chambers of Commerce are thereby reminding European institutions of the importance of supporting innovative collaborative projects within clusters and they are also insisting that the organisational side, intended to facilitate their operation, is taken into account. Lastly, they would like programmes currently being implemented to place SMEs in a central position. SMEs are often cautious, even reticent in taking part in this type of initiative. Their implication nonetheless remains an essential factor in the success of clusters.
A joint initiative
In December 2006, on the initiative of the European Commission, a high-level group on clusters, presided by Senator Pierre Laffitte was launched. Eurochambres is a member of this. During 2007, the working group’s task was to draw up a memorandum that defined the objectives of a common policy to promote European innovation through clusters. This document will be presented during the Conference of the European Presidency on innovation and clusters to be held in Stockholm on 22 and 23 January, under Slovenian presidency.
Eurochambres would like to take this opportunity to reiterate several messages. The public authorities should focus on the creation of favourable conditions for the creation and development of clusters (tax measures, simplification of administrative procedures, a policy on competition, training, etc.). It is in the interests of SMEs to join clusters that will allow them to participate in a common competitiveness initiative, break out of their isolation and access new markets. Lastly, Eurochambres reaffirms the need to draw on the experience of the Chambers of Commerce that can act as an interface between the various players and assist companies in clusters.
The adoption of the memorandum during the conference should mark the official start of discussions on concrete political proposals in this domain.
(1)The working group brings together the heads of European Chamber of Commerce networks including Unioncamere (IT), Consejo Superior Cámaras (ES), Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag (DE), Croatian Chamber of Economy (HR), Chamber of Commerce of Romania (RO), Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (SI), Wirtschaftskammern Österreichs (AT) and the Luxembourg (LU) Chamber of Commerce.
For further d’information: Vincent Tilman, Eurochambres, tilman@eurochambres.eu
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