An online training resource for cluster managers towards a smart industry Erasmus Project

Project Title

An online training resource for cluster managers towards a smart industry

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal); Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship); New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Cluster organisations’ role is to facilitate industry competitiveness of geographicaly concentrated companies and players of a same industry sector by connecting them together and fostering collaborative innovation dynamics. Clusters must be aware of global trends impacting the economy to support their members in their anticipation and adaptation to changes.

In the context of transition towards Industry 4.0, it has become a necessity for cluster managers to upskills and advice the SMEs of their network to foster their digitalisation and competitiveness. That is why the Cluster4Smart project aims at upskilling cluster managers, with the final purpose to shape strong European clusters able to prepare industries for incoming trending topics of the global market. The main objective of Cluster4Smart is thus to develop an innovative online training resource dedicated to cluster managers of Europe and to their stakeholders.

To this effect, a strategic partnership of seven complementary entities gathered, from different countries and expertise in different relevant fields: three clusters (SCS Cluster, ArchEnerg and AMUEBLA); the University of Strasbourg, (UNISTRA); a consultancy firm in cluster management (gnomon); an Innovative Business Center (CEEI-Burgos); and the Hungarian Cluster Association (IKOSZ).

Diverse activities were successfully carried on, leading to the following outcomes :

1. Study of the current knowledge and gaps on clusters towards clusters4.0, based on the existing literature and the actual needs for skills of European cluster managers and stakeholders since 146 respondants (on 150) expressed their needs in the survey.
20 ability, capacity, skills, and competence needs have been identified and served as a basis for the definition of the course learning outcomes. This survey completes the few existing literature on this topic.

2. Selection of the learning outcomes and definition of the training content.
Prior to the selection was lead an in-depth mapping of the cluster manager’s competences, skills and knowledge profile, based on the IO1 results and on the experience of gnomon and Unistra in teaching cluster management. Then the Cluster4Smart learning outcomes were selected by the consortium and according to the needs expressed in IO1, and a set of 50 topics united in 10 lessons and 4 main modules have been defined, indexed in the Joint Curriculum (IO2).
This work carried out in this phase was not only useful the project but also allowed Unistra to further develop its training offer in cluster management.

3. Production of the e-learning training materials, which was the fruit of the consortium collaboration, since the lessons were distributed among 5 partners, harmoniously coordinated by Unistra.
Diverse innovative tools were developed: 53 videos (traditional course and motion design), 3 interactive infographics, 22 interactive exercises, 47 course documents and 14 tool and vocab sheets, and 3 case studies.
This longer but fruitful phase (c. 60-hours-training) also involved 21 industrial and academics experts within and outside the consortium in the fields of cluster management, innovation and industry.

4. Creation of an online MOOC platform to upload and display the training course. The platform is available here (http://training.cluster4smart.eu/) and gathers all the training materials produced in phase 3.

5. Validation of the Cluster4Smart training course by stakeholders and dissemination.
The real verification survey, which was led during the COVID-crisis, only gathered 35 respondents among the sample of 101 testers, but the vast majority of them validated the training course content quality, pedagogical approach, and platform usability, and the compliance with their learning expectations.
The validation phase strongly contributed to the dissemination of the training platform, thanks to a word of mouth effect: 75 user-accounts have been created during the test phase.
Given the global context, the local multiplier events have been cancelled and replaced by a webinar disseminated at the European level, with the participation of Ulla Engelmann, Head of Unit Advanced Technologies, Clusters and Social Economy of the European Commission.

In terms of longer-term benefits:
Cluster4Smart is upskilling the current cluster managers and regional developers, and thus contributes to improve current clusters’ strategies, empowering them to provide better services fostering the European industry and smart transition. In this sense, Cluster4Smart contributes to establish clusters as key tools for regional developments. It also enhances the opportunities for academic-business cooperation, providing new opportunities among stakeholders and the exchange and transfer of knowledge and know-how. New similar projects are already being implemented on the same model.

[1]http://www.clusterplattform.at/fileadmin/user_upload/clusterbibliothek/Cluster-collaboration-and-business-support-tools.pdf

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 338592 Eur

Project Coordinator

POLE SOLUTIONS COMMUNICANTES SECURISEES & Country: FR

Project Partners

• Innovatív Klaszterek Országos Szövetsége
• UNIVERSITE DE STRASBOURG
• SOLARTECH DEL-ALFOLDI FEJLESZTO ESTERMELO NONPROFIT KFT
• ASOCIACION PARA LA GESTION DEL CENTRO EUROPEO DE EMPRESAS E INNOVACION DE BURGOS
• THE MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
• AGRUPACION EMPRESARIAL INNOVADORA DE FABRICANTES DE MUEBLES Y AFINES DE LA REGION DE MURCIA
• gnomon