TCI 2015 From The Blind Angle to Strategical Internationalisation in Clusters

From The Blind Angle to Strategical Internationalisation

in Clusters

Merete Daniel Nielsen, Cluster Excellence Denmark

Parallel Session 3.4: Successful Internationalization Strategies – Part 2

Session Title: Successful Internationalization Strategies

Take-off for Danish lessons on cluster internationalisation

Six years ago the international activities in the Danish Clusters weren’t an integrated part of the activities nor part of the political strategies for clusters (not nationally nor regionally)

Why: Clusters are seen more as mechanisms for local, regional or national

development. Clusters are set up with the aim of business development, innovation

and/or knowledge sharing. And other stakeholders engage in international activities.

But Danish cluster had international activities… And we didn’t really know…


Take-off for Danish lessons on cluster internationalisation

Cluster Excellence Denmark is a national support function for the significant clusters and networks working on competence development, professionalisation and internationalisation for the 50 mayor clusters.

Over the last six years has internationalisation been in focus. 21 clusters co-organising international matchmaking events 14 clusters co-organising market visits Helping all clusters do find partners for international collaboration. In total engaging at least 1000 companies, organisations and researchers.

But – are resources used in the right strategic way? How do clusters work with internationalisation? What are the right activities?


The facts for Danish cluster internationalisation

Normally just 5 pct. of the Danish SME’s have activities with an international profile (University of Aarhus, 2014)

In clusters 14 pct. of the dedicated companies have engaged in international activities (DASTI 2015)

Survey on cluster internationalisation in January 2015: On strategy, services, collaboration partners and collection of cases with best practise: – 65 pct. have a strategy for internationalisation. 40 pct. update annually. – Services: Partner search, study tours and innovation projects. – Collaboration partners: Foreign clusters, Innovations Centres – and us. – Funding: Basis funding, project funding and EU funding. – Effects: Access to new knowledge, new markets and collaboration partners.


3 large Cluster Matchmaking Conferences:• 771 participants• 230 unique clusters• 1202 cluster-to-cluster meetings• 90 cluster collaboration projects • 100 pct. would participate again


Advantages for clusters on SME internationalisation:

Access to new markets - better understanding of new markets and new players - leading to strengthened presence and visibility in new markets or increased sales, aswell as engagement with new stakeholders abroad.

Access to new knowledge, knowledge sharing and inspiration - leading to new innovative collaboration across clusters and borders where companies can share their unique knowledge on products.

Initiation of longer-term partnerships – developing and testing prototypes or new innovative business models, or pursuing larger/longer-term research and innovation activities (through e.g. aH2020 programs).

(Nordic Council of Ministers, 2015)


First draft of a new model for cluster internationalisation

Get ready for internationalisation: • Addressing the why for internationalisation together with the members• Develop strategy for internationalisation according to the why and by using market analysis and analysis of value chain. • Assessing the internal readiness for the cluster (members and secretariat)

Make action plan with milestones

Understand culture and

language

Overview over funding for inter-nationalisation

International activity

Overview over collaboration

partners

Organisational learning: On milestones and evaluation of members satisfaction

Areas for further improvement for

cluster organisations

Support needing for

cluster organisations

THE FOUR FASES FOR INTERNATIONALISATION① Understand your cluster

• Engage the members.• Know the market options. • Is the cluster secretariat ready?• Finansing• Partners

② Strategical take off• Make strategy – development

and process • Make action plan • Take a chance

③ Implementation• Development of trust• Development of projects• Implementation of projects• Measure succes• Tell it

④ Long term collaboration• Maintain the network• Services that last• Building global network


Fase 1: Engaging the members

Direct calling the members: Uncovering and mapping the specific needs for specific services.

Visits at members: Every year all members are visited and new services are debated including international services. Case: Innonet Lifestyle – more tomorrow.

Using the board and/or steering group: More clusters and networks use these institutions for input on international activities.


Fase 1: Know your market(s)

Market analysis (experts): Colleting and analysis data for the cluster (about existing and new markets). On countries and/or branches. Insights into possibilities and challenges in the markets. Might be ex-pensive. Find out what is already analysed.

Market analysis (students): Cheaper and opportunity to include the new knowledge in the cluster.

Attaching to general trends: “Creative”. “Green”. “New technologies”. Find the specific niche and de-velop this.

Collaborate with branch organisations: Many branch organisations have international activities. Often they have done markets analysis and have partners. Use this.

Analyse the stakeholders: Use the stakeholders and their position.


Fase 1: Is the cluster secretariat ready?

The cluster team has a key role: Make the strategy, implement and handle all the small stuff. They must love it!

Profile of the international employee: It requires blood, sweat and tears to do it. So them these people. International background and/or experience. International education. Good language skills – English will help you a lot! Learn by your peers.


Fase 1: Money and partners! • Costs:

• Mix of basic funding, regional funding and/or EU funding. Some has part time employee working with funding. We have too…

• Clusters gets invited to many projects – use the strategy to select.

• Partners: • Have a variety of partners ready for collaboration. • Many use other clusters since they understand other clusters. But

sometimes not…• Work with clusters supplementing the cluster. • Work with people you like







Godkendelse

Medlemskampagne

Medarbejder strategi

Bestyrelses strategidiskussi

on

Opdatering af strategi

Annual Cycle for Welfare Tech

Business Plan

BudgetStrategy

AccountsAugust

April

January Novem

ber

Strategy up-date

Employee strat-egy seminar

Member campaign

Adjusting services and business plan in terms

of strategy

Board discus-sion of strategy

General meeting ap-proval









Fase 3:Case Innonet Lifestyle – KSF on internationalisation• Identify 10 top relevant clusters and start collaboration for the benefit of the

actors in the cluster.

• Meetings and planning of relevant activities between the cluster secretariat and visits to Denmark and/or abroad

• Participate in 3 international development activities of relevance for the cluster.

• Participate in 2 international activities launched together with branch organisations.


• Offshoreenegy.dk has Norway as a target country in their strategy.

• Offshoreenergy discussed with Cluster Excellence Denmark – Enterprise Europe Network the possibilities to penetrate the market and agreed on a three-step action plan over a period of three years. (2011-2013)

• As a result 35 company members participated in the three cluster missions.

• Preparation Phase in Denmark: three information seminars and a speech at their annual confer-ence.

• Implementation Phase in Norway: Tailor-made program with the aim to acquire a better market knowledge, to network and to establish contacts to new potential Norwegian co-operation partners. The action plan followed the three steps:• Action 1: Cluster mission to Stavanger (fact finding) • Action 2: Cluster mission to Bergen – Visit to Offshore Technology Days• Action 3: Cluster mission to Stavanger – Visit to ONS NORWAY

• DST’s Norwegian oil adventure: By participating “closed” doors were open, and the Danish com-pany made special contact with a global offshore cooperation. After a re-visit to Norway, DST se-cured a considerable order and after a visit to Denmark by thenew client, another substantial or-der was secured for almost 400.000 Euro.

THE FOUR FASES FOR INTERNATIONALISATION① Understand your cluster The members – engage them! Most

important resource! The the markets – analysis, trends etc.

Know the options. The cluster secretariat – are they ready? Finansing

② Strategical take off• Make strategy – developmen

andprocess • Make action plan • Take a chance


④ Long term collaboration Organise, sustain and formalise

the network Building global network


Fase 4: Long term collaborationMany clusters organise, sustain and formalise their international network: • ICN: Network of international clean tech clusters

doing EU projects together. • ECLA: Network of Light clusters – both lobbying and

doing projects together.

Economy & Finance

TCI 2015 From The Blind Angle to Strategical Internationalisation in Clusters