TACTICS:
Transnational Alliance of Clusters Towards
Improved Cooperation Support
Cooperation Opportunities in the
Mediterranean Basin
Content
I.
Context and Objectives of the survey
II.
Countries with cluster policy
III.
Countries with no concrete cluster policy
IV.
Mediterranean Institutional Framework
V.
Areas of Potential Cooperations
VI.
Recommendations
Context
• 8 Mediterranean countries have been analyzed:
Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey and
Israel.
•Take into account the current political context , instability of some of
these countries.
Objective of the survey
Increase the awareness of cooperation opportunities with Mediterranean
countries by:
• Describing their environment to stimulate innovation (existence of cluster
policies, support to R&D activities, R&D funding, etc.)
• Drawing a map of key public and private actors (potential partners for
clusters)
• Measuring their degree of openness to collaborate on international level
(participation in EU projects, existing policies to support international
cooperation etc.)
Countries with cluster policy (1/3)
• Greece
The first steps in terms of cluster initiative in Greece were made in 2006,
through the Hellenic Technology Clusters Initiative.
January 2008, marks the disclosure of the new branding identity of the
initiative – Corallia.
Major sectors: ICT and environment
• Israel
We chose to put Israel in this category mainly because it has a well
developed innovation policy and ICT sector, throughout the country.
Moreover, the networks of private investors, venture capitalists and business
angels are very efficient and can be envied.
Major sectors: ICT, Biotech & Health
Countries with cluster policy (2/3)
• Lebanon
Launched in January 2009, the Lebanon Creative Cluster, is an initiative, which
makes the first step towards the creation of a real cluster in Lebanon. LCC aims at
transforming the country into a creative hub on an international level and
overcoming the existing barriers to success, by promoting and developing the
creative industries in Lebanon.
Main sectors: ICT, Biotech & Health
• Morocco
In 2010, the country has launched an ambitious cluster policy based on the funding
of R&D collaborative projects and the financial support provided to the
governances.
This policy is a part of a broader framework, formed by the National Plan for
Industrial Emergence 2009-2015, implemented by the Ministry of Industry,
Commerce and New Technologies. Currently, 3 clusters have been labelled .
Main sectors: ICT, Microelectronic & Mechatronics
Countries with cluster policy
• Turkey
Although it still does not have a specific and well defined cluster policy Turkey
is actively investing in the development of the so called Technology
Development Zones (total number: 39), which are quite similar to clusters or
technology parks.
Turkey is making many efforts to enhance its competitiveness in order to
become a Member State of the European Union, consequently it can be
considered as a potential partner for European clusters.
Main sectors: ICT, Biotech & Health, Environment, Defence & Aeronautics,
Machinery
Countries with no concrete cluster policy
• Cyprus
Main reasons for the absence of a cluster policy: political fragmentation,
small dimensions of the country, incapability to provide the necessary critical
mass of companies, no tradition in public-private collaboration.
• Algeria
Despite the absence of a concrete cluster policy, Algeria is investing and
developing technology parks and incubators. Since 2007, the country has a
National Agency for Promotion and Development of Technology parks.
Main sectors: ICT, Biotech & Health, Agrofood, tourism
Mediterranean Institutional Framework
The following organizations define the institutional frame of the existing and
future cooperation :
• The Union for the Mediterranean – an institution that gathers
officially the countries from the Mediterranean basin and the EU;
• The European Neighborhood Policy – an initiative with a focus on
bilateral actions, cross-border cooperation and concrete actions in
countries with specific problems;
• European programs – the participation in European programs is a
revelator of the main sectors in which the Mediterranean countries
are developing their research.
Potential Areas of Cooperation
A non negligible participation by countries from the Mediterranean basin in
European FP7 projects is observable.
Part in the total number of FP7 projects
Total number of FP7 projects
14000
12000
10000
Total number FP7
Projects
8000
6000
Total number of FP7
projects of the 8
countries
4000
2000
0
1
European Programs: participation in FP7 and key sectors
Transports
11%
Energy
5%
Envirionment
13%
SME
(Cooperative Research)
13%
Health
11%
KBBE
11%
ICT
36%
Recommendations
• Most of the analyzed countries have developed Science & Technology parks’
oriented policies instead of a real cluster policy, for instance: Turkey, Tunisia,
Algeria…
• Absence of evaluations measuring the performance and/or the efficiency of
the undertaken policies in any of the 8 countries presented.
• Countries can be pointed out because of their potential for cooperation and
the progress they have been making during the last 10 years:
Turkey
Morocco
The countries from the Mediterranean basin, non-members of
the EU, should be considered by European clusters, as high
potential partners for cooperation, even if it requires mid-long
term efforts.