Open Project Forum
What's going on within the TCI network?
Here a summary of most of the activity within our network throughout the year. Through a different scope of activities, our members build up strengths and expertise on successful cluster development in an open and flexible context. Contact us if you have ideas or want to actively engage in some of them.
REGIONAL INITIATIVES
TCI encourages the development of regional/local initiatives that serve the needs and interests of cluster practitioners and regional agencies throughout the world. This is consistent with TCI's mission to promote the cluster concept, improve methodologies and raise professional standards in this field, and improve living standards and the local competitiveness of regions throughout the world. These initiatives allow TCI to expand its base of members from a concrete region, deepen their knowledge of interests and particular needs.
The TCI Latin American Chapter
aims to generate synergies and joint actions among cluster practitioners and organizations in Latin America. An active regional committee is currently working on: professional training to manage cluster initiatives in Latin America; systematization of Latin American cluster experiences; evaluation and monitoring of cluster programs; collaboration with European clusters
The chapter gives support also to the annual TCI Latin American Cluster Conference.
has the objective to support the professional development and excellence of cluster management in Europe. The ECG provides a platform for members of EU programs and foresees to provide additional services to the EU cluster community.
is a local hub for the German speaking community. Some of the areas of interest include: internationalisation of clusters, research community and training on cluster management.
aims at linking the community of cluster practitioners and pursues the promotion of the cluster approach in the Caspian region.
Other regional initiatives in which TCI collaborates:
PACF - Pan African Competitiveness Forum
NEW ACTIVITIES
Emerging economies initiative
We are identifying countries that are developing a cluster-based strategy towards economic development and that are interested in tapping into the expertise of the TCI Network by hosting a delegation of international experienced practitioners from our network, to discuss the opportunities of cluster-based competitiveness upgrading efforts. This practitioners-to-practitioners discussion can be specially helpful in situations where countries have either general questions about the potential of cluster-driven development or have already more specific questions about the way to implement such a policy.
If interested in hosting an delegation of TCI to you country, contact us at info@tci-network.org
Webinars series
TCI is planning to organize webinar series on topics related to competitiveness, clusters, and innovation. These webinars aim to serve as a platform for exchanging ideas and networking with colleagues across borders on issues of common interest related to competitiveness, clusters, and innovation. Increasing dialogue at regional, national and international levels is expected to generate new ideas for applied research and consulting projects to be conducted jointly with national and international partners.
Suggestions on topic ideas and speakers are welcome, contact us at info@tci-network.org
Mapping the capabilities/expertise within our network
TCI is mapping the capabilities/expertise within the network to facilitate the identification and access to the competences of our members. The idea is to create a database that makes it easy to find who in the network has a required specific skill or experience.
Under development in collaboration with the Financial & Private Sector Development (FPD) Network of the World Bank Group. You might soon be reached and asked about your competences to capture this information.
Promoting more global clusters
TCI continuously encourages further internationalization of clusters and their companies as a way to gain competitiveness.
Conversations between the Latin American Chapter and the European Cluster Collaboration Platform are in place for establishing cluster to cluster collaboration projects among clusters from the two continents in specific areas of interest. Clusters for potential collaboration projects are being identified.
If interested in participating in this kind of initiatives, contact us at info@tci-network.org
Mapping of cluster initiatives in Latin America
By the end of 2012, a proposal leaded by CAF to start a mapping effort in some LA countries, is being studied by the regional committee of the TCI Latin American Chapter. The main objective of this mapping would be to provide a quantitative basis to set up local agendas of regional productive development. The study would consist of four phases, from a descriptive mapping (where the clusters are located) to a more analytic view of value chains and export data of Latin American cluster initiatives. Members of the TCI/LA regional committee are committed to participate in this exercise and encouraging other actors in their own regions.
Professional training to develop and manage Cluster Initiatives in Latin America
Within the TCI Latin American Chapter, an agreement between universities and chambers of commerce from Colombia, Mexico and Chile has been established with the aim of developing training programs on cluster development and management. Medellin was the scenario of the first event on human talent as part of the project in November 2012, and similar events will follow.
Systematizing cluster experiences in Latin America
We closely track efforts done to capture and document cluster related experiences in Latin America, with the aim of collecting perceptions, common experiences, specificities and critical points of cluster experiences, and which allow establishing early warning, contribute to decision-making and enable a better managing of accumulated learning and knowledge. I.e. Medellin Cluster Experience will be published in early 2013 as part of the official launching of the Cluster Studies Center led by Esumer University and the Medellin Chamber of Commerce.
Tightening bridges between practitioners and the academic community
As a new effort within TCI, that we hope will soon see the limelight, we are trying to develop tighter bridges between the practitioners in our network and the academic community working on clusters. As a first small step, we will regularly post listings of new academic articles on clusters and competitiveness on our website.
New TCI speakers' database
TCI is developing a systematic database of speakers from our conferences in order to capture the quality of presentations given by speakers in the network. Here you can find out the best rated speakers so far. Contact us if you are interested in recommendations of speakers in our network. This is a service we offer to the TCI members.
Willing to organize a conference in collaboration with TCI?
TCI invites interested members willing to host a next meeting of the TCI Network in your city and region to send us a proposal anytime during the year. We will be glad to evaluate it. TCI is always eager to collaborate with hosts with creative capabilities to bring forward unique and interesting proposals for our next conferences.
Interested in being a speaker at our conferences?
Our conference programs present multiple sessions to facilitate an open exchange of experiences, results and methodologies by experts from around the world. A call for proposals for the program is open for each of the conferences. Hot topics in our conferences include competitiveness analysis, cluster policy, cluster management, programs for innovation support, mapping of clusters, evaluation of cluster programs, new strategies in clustering, among others. Keep posted on our next conferences if interested in submitting a proposal and show your current work to the global cluster community.
More information about TCI activities
Benchmarking cluster initiatives
We permanently collect information and data on cluster initiatives developed worldwide. This information makes part of our Cluster Initiative Database, with basic information, key indicators and contact references available for our members. Our members consider this tool very useful in their benchmarking exercises. Anyone can contribute to our CI database and search basic information. Contact references are only available for members.
