By Kaspar Nielsen, Netmatch, Enterprise Europe Network, presented at the 16th TCI Global Conference, Kolding 2013.

1. Fast-tracking Cluster Internationalisation Using
Innovation Express and Enterprise Europe
Network Services
Kaspar Nielsen
Cluster Lab: Fast-tracking transnational cluster collaboration
4 September 2013

2. Fast-tracking Cluster
Internationalisation Using Innovation
Express and Enterprise Europe Network
Services
By Kaspar Nielsen, Netmatch

3. Innovation Express: a common European
approach of transnational interclustering
• Background: clusters are considered as a good vehicle to
prepare international cooperation for the benefit of companies
and specially SMEs
• IE is funded by national/regional funding
agencies/authorities to initiate or reinforce technology based
intercluster cooperation activities leaning on cluster
organisations to built the proposals for their SMEs members.
• Small scale financing: 10.000 – 80.000 € per cluster
• Cluster organisations need to prepare and submit the
proposals
• Criteria as flexible as possible: each partner maintains its
own regulations and procedures at National/Regional level
• Projects within: all sectors.
Photo: Nikolaj Bock – norden.org

4. Innovation Express 2013
• BSR Innovation Express: Transnational Call for Proposals
for the Internationalisation of SMEs through Clusters
• Funding partners from 6 countries (DK, FI, IS , LT, NO, SE)
• 10‐60.000 € per project
• The call attracted 47 applications from cluster organisations
and business networks in the six funding partner countries.
• Of these, 40 have been approved – directly engaging 923
SMEs in international innovation collaboration activities.
• Cluster-to-Cluster matchmaking event: 170 participants
from 15 countries, 70 different clusters having 225 meetings in
just 3 hours
•

5. Accelerating internationalisation via
Enterprise Europe Network
• More than 600 offices in 55
countries
• Ready to support clusters and their
SME members
• Cluster Contact Points
• Company missions
• Tools for C2C and B2B
matchmaking