Cluster policy in Europe and Asia: A comparison using selected cluster policy characteristics

Currently, cluster concept is one of the most important tools for governments to enhance competitiveness and innovations through sectoral specialization and cooperation. The paper focuses on applications of the cluster policy in the distinct territorial context of Europe and Asia so that to perform a comparison between different approaches to the cluster concept application in real practice. The paper introduces a comparative study of the cluster policy concepts based on the characteristics defined by the authors, such as scope, approach, targeting, autonomy, institutional coordination, policy instruments and evaluation system studied for the selected European and Asian countries such as Denmark, France, Germany, China, Japan, and South Korea. The research draws upon processing the secondary data obtained through content analysis of the related literature, government documents and strategies, and also cluster funding programmes. The findings demonstrate the diversity of cluster policies implemented in the context of European and Asian conditions at the current stage of their development. © Foundation of International Studies, 2017 & CSR, 2017

Impact of cluster policies on structure and management of cluster organisations in Czechia and Slovakia

Evaluation of an impact of cluster policies on cluster organisation performance is a research challenge. The establishment and development of cluster organisations (hereafter "COs") are the result of many factors which work together over time. Second, some COs are results of national or regional government initiatives, while others emerge spontaneously without public support. This paper presents a development of cluster policies and current stage of COs in Czechia and in Slovakia in terms of different approaches to cluster policy. The lack of convincing arguments for positive impact of public support on COs development in previous research and published studies was a reason for selection of these countries as they shared the same history as former members of Czechoslovakia (dissolution in 1993) and a lot of political, socio-economic and cultural similarities. In spite of their common historical development, the distinct differences in the way of establishing and developing cluster concept can be identified. For the comparison of the current stage of COs in these two countries, the secondary data for analysis of cluster strategies, documents, programmes and implementing bodies of public support were analysed, and primary data obtained from managers of COs using structured interviews was gathered, analysed and compared. From December 2015 to August 2016 research in more than 130 COs was carried out and then evaluated. Research findings confirmed that cluster policies are implemented in both examined countries in a different way what is manifested in different results in a number of COs, their structural characteristics and management level. Example of Czechia with strong and long-term public support shows that implementation of cluster-based policy plays an important role in evolving the cluster concept in the country, while evidence from Slovakia with weak support for cluster initiatives and COs’ establishment and development confirms, that inadequate governance and financial framework for the COs-related support in Slovakia did not bring a comparable level of COs development measured by structural characteristics and management quality as is in Czechia. © 2017, Academy of Economic Studies from Bucharest. All rights reserved

Cluster policy in Slovakia and its significant regional aspects

In Slovakia, the role of clusters has long been underappreciated, and the country still has no explicit cluster policy. The first official policy document mentioning cluster concepts and clusters was the National Strategic Reference Framework for 2007-2013. This document recognizes clusters as a tool for increasing the competitiveness of companies and a way to turn theoretical research results into global market practices. To achieve national strategy goals, it is important to incorporate national strategies on clusters into regional operational programmes. Regional governments and supporting agencies, therefore, play a crucial role in the design and implementation of strategic clusters. There is no agency, organisation or ministry in Slovakia explicitly devoted to clusters. Slovak clusters have emerged mostly from the "bottom-up," some of them with the support of regional governments. The author describes the existing cluster-based policy at a national and regional level in the country. An analysis of regional aspects of Slovak cluster policy based on telephone interviews and questionnaires directed at representatives of all Slovak self-governing regions has been carried out. To improve existing cluster policy at the regional level, recommendations are made.Internal Grant Agency of FaME TBU [IGA/FaME/2015/0036