TCI A global forum for dialogue and action on competitiveness, clusters and innovation systems

1. TCIA global forum for dialogue and action on competitiveness, clusters and innovation systems Presentation in the BRICS Workshop in Rebild, February 13th, 2006 Lars Eklund, President

2. WHAT IS THE COMPETITIVENESS INSTITUTE? THE COMPETITIVENESS INSTITUTE is a non-profit,global network of cluster practitioners dedicated to facilitating the spread and success of cluster-based competitiveness initiatives through networking, research and training activities The formal constitution of THE COMPETITIVENESS INSTITUTE took place during the Institute’s First Annual Conference dedicated to “Nut and Bolts of Cluster Development”, held in Barcelona on 3-5 November 1998 Inauguration of TCI facilities on Nov. 5th, 1998

3. MISSION “THE COMPETITIVENESS INSTITUTE’s mission is to improve living standards and local competitiveness of regions across the world by enhancing cluster-based development initiatives” “The global network for regional competitiveness: • We offer information on clusters and competitive regions worldwide. • We use multiple arenas in real life and on the net for exchange of ideas, knowledge and experiences on methodologies for economic growth. • We work on clusters, innovation systems, promotion of entrepreneurship and regional branding” (Board of Advisors, Hong Kong 2006)

4. Vision Cluster-based development concepts are generally accepted and effectively applied among practitioners, policy makers, financing agencies and business leaders worldwide, with TCI serving as the forum for dialogue and knowledge sharing among thought leaders in the field.

5. OBJECTIVES • To improve the methodologies for enhancing the • competitiveness of clusters • To raise the professional level of practitioners of cluster development • To promote cluster-based competitiveness and development strategies

6. MAIN ACTIVITIES • Conferences • Networking • Research and knowledge dissemination • Cluster-related knowledge management services

7. MAIN ACTIVITIES TCI Annual Conferences – addressing “hot key issues” in Competitiveness and clustering development • Barcelona, 1998: “Nuts and bolts of cluster development” • Varese, 1999: “The Challenges of Mature and Emerging Clusters” • Glasgow, 2000: “Clusters in the New Millennium” • Tucson, 2001: “Clusters in the New Economy” • Cairns, 2002: “Connecting clusters” • Gothenburg, 2003: “Innovative clusters: a new challenge” • Ottawa, 2004: “Creating Competitiveness, Growth and Prosperity through Innovation and Clusters” • Hong Kong, 2005: “"Enter the Dragon: China's Emergence and International Competitiveness"

8. MAIN ACTIVITIES Networking – maintaining practitioners network connected • Monthly newsletter sent to over 3.000 recipients • Online forums through TCI web page • Regional conferences and workshops on relevant issues CIVIC ENTREPRENEURS ACADEMICS RESEARCH CENTRES KNOWLEDGE SUPPLIERS CONSULTANTS DEVEL. AGENCIES OTHER STAKEHOLDERS FACILITATORS LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS LOCAL DECISION-MAKERS

9. MAIN ACTIVITIES Research promotion and knowledge dissemination: fostering cluster-related research focussing on process. Some examples of initiatives • Porter-Becattini Summit meeting on the role of government in cluster-based development initiatives (March, 2000) • The Cluster Initiatives Greenbook presented at Gothenburg (2003) together with Ivorytower and the Harvard Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness • The Cluster Policies WhiteBook with IKED(International Organization for Knowledge Economy and Enterprise Development) launched and discussedin Ottawa (September 2004)- now available as a “living document” with discussion forums on-line

10. MAIN ACTIVITIES Cluster-related knowledge management services: make cluster knowledge ready-to-use to TCI members • The Clustering Knowledge Services (CKS): • The Cluster Initiative Database • The Virtual Library • The Clustering Knowledge Service (on-demand research) • TCI’s added value in providing cluster-based knowledge services: • TCI is the world’s largest network of cluster practitioners • TCI is an independent non profit organization • TCI gather all type of cluster agents: Government, Academia, Associations, Consultancies, Independent Experts and Companies

11. STRUCTURE: LEGAL ENTITY AND MEMBERSHIP LEGAL ENTITY • THE COMPETITIVENESS INSTITUTE is a non-profit, non governmental organisation, with a global scope, open to members from all countries MEMBERS • Ordinary members: individual cluster practitioners with at least two years of proven experience in cluster projects • Supporting members: Non-profit organizations, government agencies, or multilateral organizations dedicated to fostering economic development, • Honorary members: Nominated by the Board of Directors in recognition for their contribution to the Institute

12. STRUCTURE: GOVERNING BODIES GENERAL ASSEMBLY • meets at least once a year, it represents TCI members • BOARD OF DIRECTORS • elected by the General Assembly • 2/3 of members have to be from different countries • meets monthly (via NetMeeting and Teleconference) • Chairman: Lars Eklund – VP EMEA (VINNOVA, Sweden), • Members of the Board: Alec Hansen – VP Americas (ECGroup, US) • Arthur Bayhan – Acting VP Asia Pacific (CFS, Pakistan) • Alberto Pezzi – Secretary (CIDEM, Catalonia) • Nana Adeishvili – Director (CERMA - Georgia) • Mateja Dermastia – Director (ANTEJA - Slovenia) • Staff: Temporary Executive Officer: Kristofer Erlandsson • Manager: Franziska Blunck

13. STRUCTURE: GOVERNING BODIES Commissioners Nominated for this year by the President or Vice presidents, endorsed by the Board of Directors Jan Sandred, Marketing, Media and Information Frédéric Miribel, Lyon Conference 2005 Alec Hansen, Washington Developing Countries Forum Andrea Erdmann, Gender Initiatives Tracy Scott-Rimington, Oceania Nigel Gwynne-Evans, South Africa and other BRICS Countries Prasad Bhamre, Central Asia Thomas Winther, West Africa & Africa David Nordfors, Middle East & Innovation Journalism

14. STRUCTURE: BOARD OF ADVISORS BOARD OF ADVISORS • Nominated by the Board of Directors • Composed by relevant personalities from the world of Government, business, and international institutions, that have played an important role in the application of cluster initiatives • The Board of Advisors members are honorary members of TCI • The role of the Board of Advisors is to assist the Board of Directors in defining the guidelines of the actitivities of the Institute

15. STRUCTURE: BOARD OF ADVISORS President Prof. Antoni Subirà Professor at IESE (Barcelona - Spain) Members Mr. Thomas Andersson President, IKED (Malmö - Sweden) Mr. Sergio Arzeni Head of LEED Programme at OECD (Paris – France) Prof. Eduard Ballarin. Professor, IESE (Barcelona – Spain) Mr. Silvano Bertini Director SME programme Emilia-Romagna Region (Bologna – Italy) Mr. Bob Breault President and CEO Breault Research Org. (Tucson - USA) Prof. Michael Best Prof., Uni. of Massachusetts, Cambridge University (Oxford - UK) Mr. Emiliano Duch (*) President, Competitiveness (Barcelona – Spain) Prof. Michael J. Enright (*) Professor, Hong Kong Business School (Hong Kong – PRC) Mr. Per Eriksson Director General, Vinnova (Stockholm – Sweden) Mr. Ifor Ffowcs-Williams (*) CEO Cluster Navigators (Wellington – New Zealand) Prof. Piero Formica Prof., University of Tartu, Abu Dhabi Men College (Tartu, Estland-Abu Dhabi, UAE) Mr. Robert Gonzales President, New Global Strategies (Tucson - USA)  Mr. Yves Guyon Director at Lyons Chamber of Commerce (Lyon - France) Mr. Eric Hansen (*) CEO, Economic Transformation Group (NY, San Francisco - USA) Mr. Ken Lanza Director at USAID (Washington D.C. – USA) Ms. Alison Munro Director of cluster programme Scottish Enterprise (Glasgow - UK) Prof. Tea Petrin Embassy of Slovenia (Brussels - Belgium) Prof. Michael E. Porter Professor at Harvard Business School (Boston - USA) Dr. Stuart Rosenfeld Principal Regional Technology Strategies (North Carolina - USA) Mr. Frédéric Richard (*) Director of Strategic Research at UNIDO (Vienna – Austria) Prof. Hubert Schmitz Director, IDS University of Sussex (Brighton - UK) Dr. Örjan Sölvell Professor, Stockholm School of Economics (Stockholm - Sweden) Mr. Bernd Thomas Former Secretary General of ACEM (Munich - Germany) Mr. Bert Twaalfhoven European Foundation for Entrepreneurship Research (The Netherlands) Ms. Elisabeth Waelbroeck-Rocha Director General of BIPE (Paris - France)

16. 9th Annual Conference in Lyon, Rhône-Alpes Governance and Companies as Cornerstones of Cluster Initiatives Lyon, October 9-13, 2006

17. Upcoming events: Symposium in Barcelona, April 27-28: Cluster Competitiveness Evaluation Regional Conference in Islamabad, May 15-16: Competitiveness and Economic Growth for Asia: Taking Stock of Pakistan’s Global Competitiveness.

18. www.competitiveness.org Thank you for your attention!