Regional Development and Governance Symposium Innovation Enhancement in Slovenian Regions Tadeja Colnar Leskov

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Regional Development and Governance
SymposiumInnovation Enhancement in Slovenian
Regions Tadeja Colnar LeskovšekAnteja
ECGIzmir, 26 October 2007
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What does it take for region to become innovative?
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Cluster program for innovation enhancement
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Cluster program was part of proactive industrial
policy
Internationalization of SME
Improving enterprises competitive capacity (4
measures)
Increasing productivity
Investment in technological development


Networking and cluster development
Innovative environment
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starting with mapping
which indicated

• Linking and networking was relatively weak.
• Geographical (regional) dimension was not clear -
  dispersed throughout Slovenia.
• Infrastructure which could support cluster
  development was only emerging.
• Existing co-operations and flows could represent
  a basis for at least nine potential clusters.

Which cluster is strategic for Slovenia?
How to develop clusters?
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... followed by measures to respond to identified
needs.
From supporting strategic clusters to a set of
horizontal policy measures

• Measures aiming at
• Promoting cooperation and networking between
  companies and between companies and RD
  institutions
• Developing clusters in practice Pilot Projects

• Objectives
• To gain experiences and develop knowledge
• To strengthen linkages along supply chains
• To strengthen linkages between RD and business
• To promote cluster concept

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Results achieved from 2001 to 2004 were
encouraging

• 17 clusters - networking of more than 300
  enterprises (57.000 employees) and 40 support
  institutions,
• 4 technological networks - networking of 43
  enterprises (30.000 employees) and 15 support
  institutions,
• 29 technology centers - co-operating of 240
  enterprises,
• 53 enterprises (22.700 employees) introducing the
  system for continuous improvement in production,
  processes and technology.

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Key success factors - Clear roles and
competencies

• Ministry of Economy acted as catalyst of the
  clustering process
• Providing co-financing of start-up costs (40) of
  cluster initiatives (management, projects)?
• Analysis
• Facilitation
• Training
• International networking

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Key success factors - Balanced Top Down And
Bottom Up Process

• Bottom-up process
• Measures not replacing market mechanism.
• Decisions about areas (industries) of cluster
  development, organizational and managerial issues
  are domain of participating actors (firms and
  institutions).
• No Constrains, no strict Rules, no guided
  Strategies.
• Initiative and responsibility for success of
  business and clustering remain domain of
  managers, employees and individuals.

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Major challenge in implementing cluster policy

• how to create trusting environment
• Public policy cannot be developed in the absence
  of strong public private partnership, which in
  return, can not be developed without the culture
  of trust.
• Trust is needed between partners, between
  employers and employees between boards and
  shareholders, and between state and citizens.