Overview

 

The Cluster Competitiveness Report has been developed to generate objective, independent data, which measures the performance of regional, economic clusters worldwide.

The Report aims to enhance the competitiveness of the world economy through a solid conceptual framework and its administration of the Cluster Competitiveness Report by an independent foundation. Eventually it will build a global database containing accurate, objective information about clusters from a variety of industries. The Cluster Competitiveness Report aims to satisfy the needs of three groups of users.

• Cluster organizations and individual companies to better understand their clusters' competitive position.
• Researchers of the cluster phenomenon by providing them with a source of rich, objective data.
• Regional governments and development agencies to measure progress and prioritise cluster-specific policy choices.

The Report is administered by Fundació Clusters i Competitivitat and was developed in collaboration with Michael E. Porter, Bishop William Lawrence University Professor based at Harvard Business School. The Report is based on the research and findings on the microeconomic foundations of competitiveness over the last twenty years that he has carried out at the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness.

This is the first report of its kind and will provide every user with access to information on cluster performance that has not been available anywhere else. The Report will be offered to governments, development agencies and industry associations all over the world.

The Reasons for its Creation

 

There is a widespread and growing interest in cluster-based policies for economic development in many countries but the availability of cluster information has not kept pace.

• Regional governments and development agencies are unable to assess the effectiveness of cluster-based programs and initiatives. For example, "How can we prove that these policies are better than more traditional approaches ?"is a common problem but as yet, unanswered.
• The cluster approach has been difficult to monitor and control. Moreover, it is difficult to set clear, measurable objectives, thus discouraging governments otherwise keen to adopt a cluster initiative.
• Criticism about the slow development of the cluster theory. Few rigorous data-based studies exist to show that the cluster theory approach to economic development is superior to others. Academic researchers of cluster theory are forced to build their own information sources for their models.

The lack of readily available cluster information has seriously hampered the development of theory and it is thus hoped that the Cluster Competitiveness Report will bridge that information gap.