17 September 2003 | 19 September 2003 | Sweden

Building Innovative Clusters is the new challenge and a natural extension of clustering. The 6th TCI Global Conference's goal was to provide policy-makers, cluster practitioners and academics the methodologies for building innovative clusters and innovation systems. Sixteen different clusters explained their iniciatives at the Action Workshops through their cases with emphasis on cases from the EU accession countries took place. The conference format was highly interactive with roundtable discussions, forums and workshops what offered plenty of opportunities, to exchange ideas, learn about cluster practices and build networks.

The Gothenburg meeting was and inspiring platform to discuss about methodologies and policies for building innovative clusters and innovation systems and to explore the practical application of current strategies and cluster initiatives at regional and global levels. The cluster approach is now a well-established tool for the analysis of industry dynamics and is a basis for policy initiatives to foster growth and economic development. The conference participants considered that not all clusters are innovative. "Some of them are clusters only in the sense of the co-location of firms in a specific industry, giving cost saving and productivity benefits to their members, but with very limited collaboration".

The three-day conference was holded by the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems and provided to the attendes a unique opportunity to participate and interact as well as examinate particular cases with other peers to understand the current challenges. Most of the participants were really satisfied with the action workshops, which were defined as a "stimulating method to orientate the active discussion".

Before the conferences started, each participant recieved a copy of the Greenbook of clusters initiatives which was a source of reference trhougout the event and probably will be also a reference in clusters field.