Cluster Finance Working Group

In its inception phase, the Cluster Finance Working Group will be addressing topics that are very relevant to cluster development in a global economic environment presaging tighter access to finance and more limited economic growth. The topics that will proactively be addressed by the Cluster Finance Working Group are:

1. Cluster Enterprise Access to Finance: Tangible solutions and approaches for cluster managers to assist cluster enterprises in securing access to debt and equity funds.

2. Cluster Entity Finance: identification of forward looking services to enhance the financial resources of a cluster entity through increased membership and the development of marketable products and services.

3. Access to Government Funds: An identification of international, regional and local government funds invested in clusters and analysis of how best to use and limit the dependency on government funds.

The Cluster Finance Working group ambitions to develop recommendations and papers presenting usable solutions in the field that will be distributed through TCI and presented during TCI Annual Global Conferences. The recommendations will assist cluster managers in their strategic and partnership decisions as well as daily operations and relationship with their main clients: the enterprises with the understanding that there is no cookie cutter solution in cluster development and that each approach will have to be adapted to local realities and conditions.

Material produced by the group
Cluster Finance: The Missing Cluster Competitiveness Discipline by Samy Nadifi

The Cluster Finance Working group includes members from: Australia, Chile, Germany, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Uganda, Tanzania, UAE, South Africa, Switzerland, and USA. Participation of cluster community members is welcomed and is not restricted to cluster and finance experts. Common sense and open mind required.

Contact:
Samy Nadifi
Nadifi@aol.com