Baden-Wuerttemberg
The state government of Baden-Wuerttemberg systematically supports the development clusters, cluster initiatives and state-wide networks, which are visible regionally, nationally, as well as internationally. The “Regional Cluster Atlas Baden-Württemberg” and a cluster database (available on “Clusterportal BW”) promote transparency. Relevant information is provided through several events and the website website Clusterportal BW. The ClusterAgentur BW is a well-established instrument to support networking, cooperation, innovation and the further professionalization of cluster managements and cluster initiatives.
The following state-run and issue-oriented agencies/associations function as central contact and consulting centres for all matters relating to their specific emphases:
- BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH – life sciences
- e-mobil BW GmbH – state agency for new mobility solutions and automotive
- Landesagentur Leichtbau BW GmbH – state agency for lightweight construction
- MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Wuerttemberg mbH – state agency for media and movies
- Umwelttechnik BW GmbH – state agency for environmental technology and resource efficiency
The cluster database includes approximately 110 state-wide networks and regional cluster initiatives in Baden-Wuerttemberg which connect the main actors in the state and its regions, and sometimes even bundle the funding measures in respective sectors.
These especially include the following networks and clusters, which currently hold the quality label „Cluster-Exzellenz Baden-Württemberg“:
- Allianz Faserbasierte Werkstoffe Baden-Württemberg e. V.
- automotive-bw
- BioLAGO e. V. – the health network
- Cluster Elektromobilität Süd-West
- Medical Technology Cluster Mannheim
- microTEC Südwest e. V.
- Photonics BW e. V.
- TechnologyMountains e.V.
- Virtual Dimension Center Fellbach w. V.
Numerous cluster organisations have been awarded in nation-wide competitions. The continuous support and mentoring of cluster initiatives and networks in their development create the prerequisites for a successful participation of Baden-Wuerttemberg clusters in competitions of the federal government. In the leading-edge cluster competition, four of these associations were rewarded (biotechnology cluster Cell-based and Molecular Medicine Rhein-Neckar – BioRN, Forum Organic Electronics in the Metropolitan Region Rhein-Neckar, microTEC Southwest – The Cluster of Innovations in Freiburg, Elektromobilität Südwest in Stuttgart, as well as the CyberForum e.V. in Karlsruhe with the cross-state excellence cluster Software Innovations for the Digital Enterprise – Darmstadt, Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe, Saarbrücken, Walldorf).
For quite some time now, the cluster policy is more and more interlinked with the regional economy and innovation policy. It was shown that well-established cluster initiatives can be a useful instrument to pursue an active regional innovation policy. This concept is also applied in the competition “RegioWIN”, which stands for regional competitiveness through innovation and sustainability and was started in 2013. In its first phase, the development of regional strategy concepts was funded. The second phase of the competition concentrates on substantiating these strategic concepts to become regional development concepts including projects ready for implementation, in which cluster initiatives can function as actors of the regional innovation policy. For the RegioWIN competition, a total of roughly 85 million Euro of funding (ERDF and state funds) is available. The overall objective of the competition is continued in the new programme “ProRegioINNO”, which aims to activate regional innovation potential. It consists of four core elements that are supposed to strengthen the regional innovation capacity:
- Promotion of regional innovation management
- Promotion of regional innovation infrastructure in densely populated areas
- Regional business forums
- New consulting services offered by the ClusterAgentur BW
(last update: October 2018)
