CLUSTERS3 Policy Learning Document “Peer Reviews”

Submitted by David Fernánde… on 10 June 2018

In the framework of the Interreg Europe project CLUSTERS3 “Leveraging Cluster Policies for successful implementation of RIS3, six peer reviews were organized and hosted by 6 of the project partner regions: Basque Country (ES), Hadjú-Bihar (HU), Highland and Islands (UK), Latvia (LV), Lubelskie (PL) and Northern Ireland (UK). TCI Network, as advisory partner, looked for the selection of international experts in the field of cluster policy and smart specialization, selecting cluster practitioners with solid background and experience.

The peer review visits were conducted between April and July 2017. In addition, TCI Network coordinated the cross-participation of experts from the partner regions in the peer review exercises, as a way to cross- fertilize the existing expertise within the project.

Through peer-to-peer discussions in a two-day workshop and interviews with stakeholders, two international experts reflected with the local team of cluster practitioners and project partners from other regions the potential of cluster development in that particular territory. The peer reviews concluded with recommendations on how cluster-based efforts should evolve and adapt to better implement RIS3 strategies in that concrete region, aimed to help partner regions to elaborate the next action plans.

The 6 peer review reports were the inputs for this 2nd Joint Policy Learning Document “Peer Reviews” of the project, written by James R. Wilson and Anastasiia Konstantynova, from Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness and member of TCI Network. The aim of this second project policy learning document is to synthesize the main findings from the six peer-review exercises, and provide a summary of the main learning points.

Watch here the set of videos with testimonials from the peer reviews exercises and listen to experiences from the 6 peer review exercises from regional policy makers, cluster stakeholders, peers from other regions and international experts.

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