Clusters help to fight COVID-19 effects

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Why do clusters matter when it comes to organisation and implementation of the strategies against the effects of crisis caused by Corona Virus pandemic?

First of all, because WE share most common mission which is “to facilitate and maintain strong, close, and trust-based collaborative relations between companies and research organizations helping public authorities to strengthen the competitiveness and prosperity of their regions”.

Second, because WE bring necessary knowledge to the drafting of recovery plans. For years, clusters have successfully implemented European, national and regional projects and they have first-hand knowledge on the needs and capacities of each sector for innovation and collaboration – the keyword for a successful recovery. Clusters can identify cross-sectoral cooperation opportunities, expand their business to new sectors, link appropriate stakeholders, do matchmaking across regions and scale-up worthwhile ideas and projects needed for the recovery. Clusters connect ecosystems and regions. For years, clusters have been a part of the implementation of interregional European programs (INNOSUP, ERDF, Interreg, Vanguard Initiative).

Third, because clusters are both drivers of change and a key tool for the successful and quick implementation of innovation projects. Especially SMEs affiliated to a cluster are more willing to participate in project calls and their success rates are higher. To that end, clusters can help to properly allocate the funds for economic value creation as well as manage funding for SMEs. Clusters also have real-time information on economic and technological developments, challenges and opportunities of the industries, transformative trends and their implementation and the needs of companies, especially SMEs. Clusters act locally but reach globally.

There are plenty of good examples of how clusters have reacted to the pandemic and how they practically impacted the situation. In Belgium, the health cluster BioWin contributed to rapid activation of Walloon resources, identification of expertise and talents, and facilitation of collaborations between the different actors to work on the following areas to fight the COVID-19 crisis. In Krakow, we have started the COVID-19 service as the cooperation platform helping companies to find partners with the view to reorganise value chains and supplies to hospitals.  

The call for action

European Clusters Alliance reinforces the call to the Member States to include clusters in the drafting and implementation of the national recovery plans. The COVID-19 crisis can be turned into an opportunity to accelerate the European transformational leadership and turn into a green, digital and resilient Europe. It is Europe’s moment: to Repair and to Prepare for the Next Generation”. We would like to invite all stakeholders at regional, national and international level to join forces and establish working relationships to build collaboration platforms and prepare a systemic response to the actual and future situations.  

Cluster LifeScience Krakow invites you to join forces within the COVID-19 Special Interest Group (SIG). We will present the options, examples and opportunities for all willing and able to collaborate with the view to the recovery.

The COVID-19 Session presentations

  1. Nina Hoppmann, IDiA / European Clusters Alliance, „A call for the recognition of Industrial Clusters in the European Recovery Initiatives
  2. Agnieszka Rzeźnik, Uniwersytet Medyczny Łódź, „COVID – rola i działania Uczelni we współpracy z przemysłem
  3. Anna Stachniuk, Doradztwo Strategiczne Anna Stachniuk, „Safety at work possible during Covid 19 – UV-C lamps as a method of prevention
  4. Anna Tejchman, Instytut Biotechnologii BIOMED, „Building non-specific immunity in the fight against SARS-CoV-2
  5. Piotr Fic, Biomed-Lublin S.A., „Zapobieganie zagrożeniom epidemicznym w Polsce
  6. Michał Bryda-Przybyszewski, CadXpert – Systemy Druku 3D, „3D Printing against COVID-19. Solutions for enterprises and institutions

NAWIĄŻ KONTAKT:
Kazimierz Murzyn
Klaster LifeScience Kraków

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