Home > Reports

Reports

Industrial clusters as drivers of the European economy: results from the 2020 European Panorama Report

The European Observatory for Clusters and Industrial Change has published the 2020 edition of the European Panorama of Clusters and Industrial Change . The report presents an overview of how clusters contribute to the competitiveness of the European economy. It analyses cluster strength across 51 exporting industry sectors in Europe and identifies 2,950 regional industrial clusters. These industrial clusters account for almost one in four European jobs (61.8 million jobs or 23.4% of total employment) and about half of total employment in exporting industries (50.3%). The majority of the 51...
Read more
  • Apr 02, 2020
  • alina danielescu

Smart guide to cluster policy monitoring and evaluation published

The European Observatory for Clusters and Industrial Change published valuable guidance for cluster policy-makers. It shows how to better monitor results and strategically evaluate policies and programmes set up to support the development of industrial clusters and the competitiveness of its firms. The new smart guide to cluster policy monitoring and evaluation (also attached) develops a common framework, reviews indicators, methodological approaches and tools. It also provides numerous concrete good practice cases from eight different European countries to illustrate proposed options for...
Read more
  • Mar 30, 2020
  • alina danielescu

Trends in European clusters: results from the 2019 European panorama, trends and priority sectors reports published

The European observatory for clusters and industrial change just published a series of reports that give an overview of the European cluster landscape, why these regional concentrations of related industries matter, and which recent trends drive industrial transformations. The European panorama of clusters and industrial change presents an overview of how clusters contribute to the competitiveness of the European economy. It analyses cluster strengths and development trends with a focus on 10 cross-sectoral, so-called emerging industries. These comprise advanced packaging, biopharmaceuticals...
Read more
  • Jan 28, 2020
  • alina danielescu

The Smart Guide to Cluster Policy - a tool for cluster policy makers and stakeholders

The Smart Guide to Cluster Policy is a new tool for policy-makers and practitioners to support industrial modernisation, SME growth and smart specialisation. The Guide was presented at the Smart Regions conference on 2 June 2016, and is the latest publication in the series of Guidebooks on supporting SME policy through structural funds. The new Smart Guide to Cluster Policy is a practical guide targeting regional authorities and stakeholders interested in "how to make better use of clusters for promoting regional industrial modernisation, supporting the growth of SMEs and encouraging smart...
Read more
  • Oct 24, 2019
  • alina danielescu

New circular economy strategic R&I agenda

The H2020 CICERONE project, in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, has developed a Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA) that will constitute the backbone of the future joint programming platform for circular economy: the EU Circular Cooperation Hub . The SRIA was developed based on eight priority themes (biomass and biotechnologies, chemicals, construction and demolition, food, plastic, raw materials, waste and water) and builds on four societal areas that face sustainability challenges (urban areas, industrial systems, value chains and territory and sea) to identify...
Read more
  • Oct 07, 2020
  • Lee Gibson

The role of Materials in the post-COVID society

This Reflection Paper addresses the role of materials in the post-COVID society and summarizes positioning, potential solutions, and recommendations that stem from the European Materials community (Alliance for Materials A4M ) towards Horizon Europe in the Post-COVID scenario. The paper compiles existing Strategic Research Agendas (SRAs) of different materials stakeholders and address a specific reflection in the context of the current COVID19 pandemic. It puts forward proposals for strategic research and innovation activities to the European Commission, Member States, and the European...
Read more
  • Oct 06, 2020
  • Lee Gibson

A robust innovation ecosystem for the future of Europe

This report collects the insights, suggestions, and key takeaways from a series of online and offline consultations with the European innovation stakeholders. These included universities, start-up communities, investors, corporates, local, regional and national authorities and national ministries in charge of innovation policies. Overall, around 350 participants attended the workshops discussing the main challenges and suggested actions for each stakeholder group. It was carried out by the Directorate General for Research and Innovation, European Innovation Council (EIC) Task Force, Unit of...
Read more
  • Oct 01, 2020
  • Lee Gibson

Smart Villages and the European Green Deal: making the connections

This document contains the personal reflections of Professor Bill Slee on the links between Smart Villages and the European Green Deal. As an active member of the European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) Thematic Group on Smart Villages, he argues that smart rural communities are already providing many inspiring examples of how to address each of the challenges identified in the European Green Deal at local level. A just transition is called for in the European Green Deal and this is explicit in the transformational changes observed among various types of smart communities - in...
Read more
  • Sep 25, 2020
  • Lee Gibson

EntreComp at Work

The European Entrepreneurship Competence Framework (EntreComp) is a free, flexible reference framework developed by the European Commission that can be adapted to support the development and understanding of entrepreneurial competence in any setting. EntreComp has the potential to be used in a variety of ways including: supporting policy and practice to develop digital skills assessing digital skills supporting training of educators, trainers and teachers to deliver digital skills to design programmes and learning opportunities to recognise and certify skills EntreComp can be used across...
Read more
  • Sep 15, 2020
  • Lee Gibson

Culture shock: COVID-19 and the cultural and creative sectors

Cultural and creative sectors are important in their own right in terms of their economic footprint and employment. They also spur innovation across the economy, as well as contribute to numerous other channels for positive social impact (well-being and health, education, inclusion, urban regeneration, etc.). They are, however, among the hardest hit by the pandemic, with large cities often containing the greatest share of jobs at risk. The dynamics vary across sub-sectors, with venue-based activities and the related supply chains most affected. Policies to support firms and workers during the...
Read more
  • Sep 14, 2020
  • Lee Gibson

Pages