Building a successful cluster – an Irish perspective
A scientific business cluster from the Republic of Ireland has shared its insights into the development of a successful cluster in a new publication.
The manual 'The Formation and Maintenance of a Successful Business Cluster' has been produced by Geoscience Ireland (GI), based on the experiences of managers and partners in the formation of their own cluster, and was recently launched with the endorsement of the Irish government.
The 10 steps for the creation and management of a successful business cluster contained in the manual were developed after a comprehensive examination of the GI cluster, a government backed initiative in the Irish geoscience sector which was established in 2012 and currently has 41 member companies.
The impetus which underpins the evolution of GI was to get companies to collaborate together to win work overseas, thus ensuring their survival and growth and hopefully job creation as they expanded.
The evolution of GI has led to a greater understanding and recognition of geoscience by government as a fundamental element of economic and social development.
Koen Verbruggen, Director of Geological Survey Ireland, said: “There were many lessons learned from the development of Geoscience Ireland; building trust between competing companies; extending the collaboration between government, state agencies and the private sector; strong political and administrative support and the rigorous pursuit of business opportunities by providing accurate market intelligence and contacts are among the skills and competencies grown in Geoscience Ireland.
"Successful clustering involves close cooperation, unified teamwork and policy alignment: the various actors must cooperate effectively to achieve the common goal, namely high-calibre sustainable employment and sectoral development.
"This document captures many of the GI development experiences to date, which we hope can be transferred to other sectors and inform the further development of cluster policy in Ireland. While it was commenced in 2019, its relevance is greater than ever in the light of the COVID-19 crisis."
Read more and download the manual here.
