Title: Flemisch cluster policies Bart De Caesemaeker 27 February 2004 www'iwt'be
1Flemisch cluster policies Bart
De Caesemaeker27 February 2004www.iwt.be
2Overview of this presentation
- Flanders some figures
- General survey of IWT
- Overview of cluster policy
- Former cluster policy
- Technological Valleys
- Cooperative innovation Networks (2001)
- Flemish Technology Excellence Poles
- Conclusions
3Flanders Geographical situation.
4Flanders some figures
- One of the 3 regions in Belgium
- 6 million inhabitants
- 60 of European Union purchasing power lies
within 400 km - 7 universities of which 2 world-class
- Very open economy (80 export)
- Strong sectors automobile, petrochemicals and
plastic processing, life sciences - Excellent ICT-infrastructure
- Educated, productive, loyal, multilingual and
flexible workforce
5IWT General survey
- History Established 1991
- Mission promotion of innovation
- Formal Government agency
- Personnel 50 scientific advisors
6IWT Key figures
- Annual budget 200 million euro
- 60 million for RD-projects
- 10 million for Innovation projects SMEs
- 30 million for Strategic Basic Research
- 7 million for HEI
- 30 million for Flemish Innovation Cooperation
Networks - Measures of Flemish Government
- Clients
- 150 innovative enterprises / year
- 500 SME projects / year
- Network of intermediairies
- 200 advisors in the field
7The RDI measures of IWT
- Subsidies
- Enterprises
- Research Institutes
- Grants to PhD
- Intermediairies
- Coordination
- Services
- Flemish Contactpoint FP6
- IRC-Flanders
- Information Office
8Historical overview of cluster policy
- 1994 Bottom-up accreditation of organisations as
(economic) cluster - 1998 Technology Valleys as policy choices
(mapping) - 2001 VIS (Cooperation for innovation)
bottom-up competitive funding for
projects (2x2 years) of
animation/stimulation of innovation
(semi-structural) - Technological Excellence Poles special
initiatives (picking winners by
intermediairies) / start-up grants for
specific infrastructure for
collective research and innovation platforms
9Former Cluster Policy
- Definition A network in which firms/organisations
in Flanders spontaneously participate to develop
links with the scientific community in the field
of - scientific research
- product development
- technological innovation
- export promotion
- Criteria To enhance competitiveness of the
cluster, new network, combine several aspects of
the innovation chain, create new employment,
SME-oriented. - Financial aid50 of the total budget of the
organisation
10Example former cluster policyFurniture cluster
- Main actor professional organisation of the
furniture sector (Febelhout) 200 SMEs are member - Aim is to stimulate the competitiveness of the
furniture industry by enhancing its creativity,
design potential and innovation capacity - Four action lines
- stimulating creativity (trend watching, financial
aid for stimulating collaboration with a
profesional designer), - market research and potential
- E-business platform
- Education and training
- Grant about 1 million euro 1997-2001
11Technological Valley
- A Flemish Valley is a cluster of knowledge driven
by high-tech enterprises, knowledge centres and
education centres - Criteria one leading research institute,
high-tech work force is available, instruments
for risk funding, good infrastructure - Aim more in the context for the promotion of the
Flemish Region - Timeframe top of the new-tech bubble economy,
esp speech and language recognition FLV
12Example Technological ValleyDigital Signal
Processing Valley
- IMEC core actor / largest independent research
institute in micro-electronics.Origin of DSP
Valley lays in demonstration that IMEC research
can bring economic benefits to Flanders and
merit further governmental support. - Two hours drive radius / English language
newsletter, but only Flemish companies are
memeber (25)Deepcluster application domains
audio (Philips), communication (STMicroelectronics
), imaging (Agfa Gevaert) - 2500 DSP engineers presented for marketing of
the region for establishment of new ventures - International cooperation with Finland (Tampere)
and Sweden in 6 FP
13New VIS / CIN - Scheme 2001.Cooperative
Innovation Networks.
- VIS/CIN Decree philosophy
- transparent scheme, juridical sound (no
authorisation anymore), open call - structural financing for 2 x 2 years
- financing of projects and activities(not of
organizations or institutes) - management and control more follow-up and
attention to the results and output, than
(financial) verification of input
14New VIS / CIN - Scheme 2001.Cooperative
Innovation Networks. Definition.
- Cooperative Innovation Network
- structural cooperation between (in general)
Flemish companies, - in case together with knowledge
organizations(universities, RD centres, ) - with the aim to organize activities of collective
research, technological advice and/or
technological innovation stimulation - CIN can be seen as a counter part of support to
individual companies
15New VIS /CIN - Scheme 2001Structure of a
Cooperative Innovation Network
- Formal juridical entity with at least 10 member
companies or - network organisation based on a consortium
agreement, with main contractor or - a de facto CIN organization (collective research
organization, federations, )
16Cooperative Innovation Networks an overview.
- Flemish Innovation Cooperations (VIS) can
introduce 4 types of projects. - Technology advice
- Thematic cooperations (cluster projects)
- Subregional cooperations
- Collective research
17CIN project types.
- Projects of Thematic Innovation Stimulation (TIS)
- target group of companies with a common
technological need or opportunity - must cover Flanders
- Projects of Subregional Innovation Stimulation
(RIS) - target group of companies in a geographical
region - all (industrial) sectors
- Projects Technological Services (TD)
- to offer technological (innovative) solutions and
opportunities - Projects Collective Research (CO)
- from strategic long term research to cooperative
technology transfer projects
18VIS/CIN-TIS Thematic networks
- Objective to bring together a group of companies
to create networking and synergy. The instigators
of the network receive financial support for
their actions. - Duration 2 x 2 years
- Participation open to everyone, cost are
limited(maximum entrance fee for members of
3.000 )Financial support 80 - Actual situation about 40 networks in high tech
and traditional sectors - Examples mechatronics, aluminium, steelplate
working, Food conservation, Multimedia, Housing
for elderly and disabled people, - Actions seminars, workshops, advice in preparing
innovation plans, - Approximately 60 persons (full time)
19Expected resultsEnhanced Innovation Activity
- Measured by e.g.
- Number of innovation projects submitted for IWT
support - Number of technological cooperation agreements
between companies in the target group - Number of front-office services provided
- Number of innovation advices
- Number of networking events
- (All of course at acceptable quality levels)
20Description of the project type TIS
- First call (2001) 14 projects approved,
starting date January 2002 - Second call (2002) 26 projects approved
- Expected date of completion of programmeopen
ended - Previously ad hoc Clusters
- The predominant role of the government
- selection and funding (80 of costs)
- coordination of actors
- support to actors
21Thematic innovation stimulation Origin of the
initiatives.
Proposals by clusters, VIS/CIN en new initiatives
25
20
Clusters
15
VIS/CIN
10
New
5
0
2001
2002
2003
22Sectors involved in Thematic Innovation
Stimulation
23TIS 2003
- Main aid 515.240 euro / project for 4 years
- Average number of persons 1.7 FTE
- Total number of advisors 63 FTE
- Main cost per advisor 100.000 euro / year
24Global results of VIS /CIN (reported by the
initiatives).
112,5 FTE-year, 76 / 93 projects reported
25Example TISLeuven E-Security Cluster
- Leuven Security Excellence provides a single
point of entry to a unique geographic
concentration of world-class e-security expertise
and e-security professionals in the Leuven -
Brussels region - Network of all actors in e-security value
chainusers, hardware and software vendors,
service and knowledge providors, experts in
information technology law and research
institutes - Creation of internationally accepted standards
that makes network trendsetter for e-security
26Flemish Technology Excellence Poles
- Driver need for more strategic basic research
- Aim long-term collaboration between industry and
academia - Fits in a broader scope of measures
- Public research organisations VITO (materials,
energy and environment), IMEC (micro-electronics),
VIB (biotechnology) - Funding scheme of IWT Strategic Basic Research
- Funds at the universities for resarch
- Examples
- Flanders Institute for Logistics
- Flanders Mechatronics Technology Centre
- Flanders Innovation Centre for Communication in
the graphical sector - Flanders Drive
27Example Flanders Drive
- Automotive industry very important for employment
(production/habitant). MNE production plants. - Trauma closure Renault 1995Anchoring
constructors through performant
suppliers-Flanders Drive Non profit
organisation 1996 - Testing and Engineering Centre (VETC nv) for
mechanical product development (20 Meuro, with
European aid) 2004 - LMS is initiator(world leader in CA dynamic
testing for automotive)
28Example Flanders Institute for Logistics
- Flanders Central location for EDCs (180)Antwerp
harbour (largest petrochemical cluster) - Competition / cooperation with the
Netherlandspressure of East-European transport
companiesshift of EDC to the East with
EU-enlargement.Promote Delta Port region
(Holland, Flanders, Nordrhein Westfalen) - Central role of academic entrepreneurs in
initiating the network (firms are
interchangeable). - Shift to value-added logistics service
innovation and organisational innovation (3PL/4PL)
29Conclusions (1)
- Cluster organizations are regional by nature
- Custer development in Flanders is also determined
by the characteristics of the regional economy
firm-based enterprise culture strong export
orientation lack of big MNEs (because of weak
capital market) strong B2B, part of global
production systems. - Cluster policies are a necessary instrument for
structural change
30Conclusions (2)
- The evolution of economic clustering,
establishment of cluster organizations and
development of cluster policies need to be in
co-evolution. - Cluster policy was too early in the nineties
because business actors were not engaged in
networking,but too late at the end of the
century because institutional set-up was not
ready.
31Conclusions (3)
- Cluster policies have to be organized in a
learning mode. In particular the identification
and analysis of innovative clusters is a model
for strategic positioning the national innovation
system in a global economy (alliances and
co-opetition). - International policy learning can compensate for
that if enough absorptive capacity is present.