Sborník 2009 díl 2. - Fakulta informatiky a managementu - Univerzita ...

Elżbieta Pohulak-Żołędowska CLUSTERS-SUPPORTING POLICIES IN CHOSEN CENTRAL
AND EASTERN EUROPE COUNTRIES
be the rigt answer for the new EU members needs, but considering factors mentioned
above – it will surely be a long and complicated way to follow. [4, s. 58]
The identification of business clusters is usually based on four basic methodological
approaches: input-output analysis, calculation of location quotients, quantitative and
qualitative techniques to visualise particular networks/clusters; and a combination of the
above approaches.[2, s. 30] Special attention needs to be paid to the possibility of
clusters straddling statistical boundaries. Furthermore, as clusters are not static systems,
cluster maps can present only a snapshot image in time of clusters that are emerging,
growing or declining.
3. Clusters in the economic policies of chosen countries.
Because of the specific conditions in which clusters in CEEC evolve, they differ a lot
from those existing in the Western Europe. Clusters are spontaneously emerging
cooperations of enterprises, customers, authorities, suppliers, scientific centers (e.g.
universities) etc. This sort of likages between mentioned entities gives the regions they
exist in an extra acceleration of development. Central and Eastern Europe Countries
differ from Western Europe countries in many areas. But the idea of developing their
economies through cluster structures development seems to be a good one. [1, s.9]
Unfortunately clusters seem to be a result of evolution - a slow process of matching, a
long lasting co-existence of different “market actors”. Unfortunately for developing
countries, which have to “catch up the world running away”. For this reason the
revolutionary changes are more welcome there than evolutionary ones. And such
changes can be fostered only by cluster support economic policies of countries, regions
or local ones. The variety in clusters in shape, composition, nature of inter-firm links,
and institutions underpinning them is mirrored by the variety in national and local
cluster support policies ranging from passive to pro-active strategies. Cluster policies
are variously seen as ways to dynamise local economies, facilitating regional industrial
reorganisation; as tools to strengthen survival firm through networking relationships or
as strategies to use public funds earmarked for development more efficiently.
3.1 Slovenia
Slovenia’s approach of “dynamic concentric circles” encouraging clustering of SMEs
around a lead company, mostly large in size, had fostered eleven institutionalised
clusters encompassing 700 companies working on more than 150 joint projects in areas
such as marketing, production, R&D and internationalisation in 2003 [2, s. 71].
Slovenia became interested in clusters towards the end of the 1990s while trying to
grapple with the significant lag in productivity of Slovenian industry compared with the
EU average. In contrast to the other four countries researched, Slovenia decided to
integrate the concept of clusters systematically in a comprehensive approach to serve
long-term economic policy goals. It anchored clusters at the heart of a pro-active
industrial policy aiming at SME support and the upgrading of productivity levels and
innovation potential of Slovenian industry dedicating significant resources both in
money and in attention paid to the process. [7, s.71]
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