The competitiveness of cluster “Srednogorie med”: preconditions and limitations

Rozdział z: Functioning of the Local Production Systems in Central and Eastern European Countries and Siberia. Case Studies and Comparative Studies, ed. Mariusz E. Sokołowicz.In the environment of global competition, the role of clusters in creating national competitive advantage is rapidly increasing. One of the first and successfully developing clusters in Bulgaria, with a contribution to the economic development of the country, is mining cluster “Srednogorie Med.” Established on the regional industrial principle, the cluster, as a type of local production systems, brings together the efforts of the companies for the mining and processing of copper and gold-containing ores, located on the territory of Central Sredna Gora, the companies, serving industrial production and the municipalities on whose territory the companies operate. This paper aims mainly presenting the level of competitiveness of the local “Srednogorie Med” cluster with the usage of M. E. Porter’s diamond model as well as at outlining the preconditions and limitations for the creation of a competitive advantage for the cluster in its future development. The study is based on secondary information (periodicals and the Internet), as well as personal interviews with representatives of the cluster.Monograph financed under a contract of execution of the international scientific project within 7th Framework Programme of the European Union, co-financed by Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (title: “Functioning of the Local Production Systems in the Conditions of Economic Crisis (Comparative Analysis and Benchmarking for the EU and Beyond”)). Monografia sfinansowana w oparciu o umowę o wykonanie projektu między narodowego w ramach 7. Programu Ramowego UE, współfinansowanego ze środków Ministerstwa Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego (tytuł projektu: „Funkcjonowanie lokalnych systemów produkcyjnych w warunkach kryzysu gospodarczego (analiza porównawcza i benchmarking w wybranych krajach UE oraz krajach trzecich”))