Welcome to the November edition of our Academic Articles section. This section is developed by Dr. Federica Belfanti, with the support of Dr. Massimo Riva and Prof. Fernando G. Alberti from the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness at LIUC University in Milan.

Across Australia, regional manufacturing is being reshaped by new expectations around capability, collaboration and innovation. For the Central Coast, Central Coast Industry Connect (CCIC) — a TCI Network member — has become the backbone organisation helping industry, government and education partners work together as a coordinated ecosystem.

Rather than viewing manufacturing challenges as issues for individual firms, CCIC approaches them as systemic problems requiring collective solutions. Skills shortages, fragmented support services, limited access to modern equipment and the difficulty SMEs face in scaling are not isolated issues — they are indicators of a system needing stronger connective tissue. CCIC has ...

At the recent TCI Network Global Conference in Dublin, Dr Nicola Watts (TCI Oceania) and Yeinni Andrea Patiño Moya (Colombia / TCI Network Board) led an energising workshop exploring two questions that resonated deeply across the global cluster community:

1️⃣  Would the global cluster and ecosystem community benefit from recognised accreditation for individual practitioners — the people who convene, integrate and lead across innovation ecosystems? 2️⃣ What should its purpose and scope be  — and which capabilities should sit with one person, be distributed across the ecosystem, or be supported through digital tools?

Cluster managers, facilitators and ecosystem integrators ...

The 29th TCI Global Conference will fly to Córdoba, Argentina, bringing the global cluster community to one of Latin America’s most dynamic regions for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable development in 2026.

TCI Network is contributing its international expertise to the formulation of a new Productive Development Policy for the State of Chihuahua, a strategic initiative that brings together businesses, academia, government, and civil society to design a modern, competitive, and sustainable policy framework that strengthens innovation, industrial development, and cluster positioning in the state.

As part of this effort, TCI Network, in collaboration with DESEC Chihuahua, will lead the international benchmarking activities, introducing a global and technical perspective into the policy design process. Leveraging its extensive experience in territorial competitiveness and cluster development, TCI Network will deliver comparative analysis of successful ...

Welcome to the November edition of our Academic Articles section. This section is developed by Dr. Federica Belfanti, with the support of Dr. Massimo Riva and Prof. Fernando G. Alberti from the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness at LIUC University in Milan.

The 28th TCI Global Conference united more than 220 participants from 22 countries, creating an inspiring space for dialogue, learning, and exchange.

Jointly hosted across the Island of Ireland by InterTradeIreland, Invest Northern Ireland, and Enterprise Ireland under the Shared Island Enterprise Scheme, the event served as a living example of cross-border collaboration, showcasing how clusters can connect regions, industries, and people to shape a more sustainable and competitive global economy.

Under the theme “Building a Global Economy”, this year’s conference explored how cluster organisations ...

Photo credit: Penelope Project

Lyon, 30 October 2025

After three years of collaboration, the PENELOPE Project concluded its journey with an inspiring final online conference that gathered partners, cluster managers, policy-makers and SME representatives from across Europe. Together, they celebrated the project’s achievements in promoting gender equality and  inclusive innovation within European clusters and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

PENELOPE was born from the conviction that cluster organisations play a crucial role in shaping the skills, innovation and values of the European industrial landscape. By integrating gender mainstreaming ...