Description
Danish clusters have always been very active in the globalisation of SMEs even before the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the clusters were active in more than 60 countries supporting 1,000s of SMEs to internationalise every year. In the online session hosted by Cluster Excellence Denmark in May 2020, 15 internationalisation specialists from 15 Danish cluster organisations discussed the changes in globalisation that have occured. The conclusion was that even if international activities have been cancelled or postponed, globalisation has not stopped but only gone digital.
Global Investor Pitching demonstrated that companies still need investors, maybe more than ever. It is possible for cluster organisations to facilitate the links between international investors and innovative companies. Several Danish clusters have successfully hosted large events where international investors met with Danish entrepreneurs online with many positive results showing interest from both, the investors and companies.
Online International Matchmaking Events showed that international matchmaking is key for cluster members because it is the meet-point for new possible collaboration partners. Many matchmaking events have gone online and initial reports show significant increases in international participation in the online matchmaking events.
International Knowledge also showed that workshops and conferences are turned into webinars and several clusters have reported that it is easier to attract international CEOs as speakers for webinars than to normal conferences; simply because they are not travelling around the world. This way is making rapid new international knowledge-transfer to cluster members easier.
International Projects Meetings proved many international cluster activities are organised as projects with partners from around the world. Travel restrictions make it difficult for collaboration partners to meet. Thus, the Danish clusters reported that the parties meet online instead and advanced project kick-off meetings can be managed through video meetings.
To read more on the conclusions of the online session held by the Danish Clusters, please click here.