Implementing cluster strategy

There are no hard rules when implementing a cluster strategy.  Europe's biocommunities are enormously diverse, and cluster strategies differ significantly, responding to local factors including existing science base, regional industry strengths, focus for a future biotechnology cluster, existing biotechnology and pharma business, geographical strengths or weaknesses.

The meeting in Munich focussed on the common ground between regions in cluster strategy implementation - clusters including Munich, Cambridge, London, Piemonte, Alsace, Wallonia, Stockholm and Turku shared the key factors that they found valuable when turning strategy into practise.

• HAVE A STRATEGY: This sounds obvious, but many regions do not have a fully researched or agreed strategy.  In challenging times for the commercialisation of biotechnology, any region that has not developed and validated a strategy before leaping into action, is unlikely to see a successful and sustainable cluster.
• HAVE AN ACTION PLAN DERIVED FROM A STRATEGY: As with above, it sounds obvious but a formal, professional business plan for strategy implementation is vital for effective delivery of biotechnology business.
• DEVELOP THE STRATEGY WITH ALL KEY ACTORS (those that will contribute)
• HAVE DEMAND ORIENTED SERVICES AT THE CENTRE OF THE STRATEGY: Publicly funded cluster support should not replace existing services, it should taregt market failures
• HAVE A STEERING GROUP: Include industry players (SMEs, big pharma), funding partners etc.
• GATHER ANNUAL FEEDBACK: Talk to a wider audience to ensure that activities resulting from strategy implementation are impacting target players
• PROJECTS ARE A PLATFORM TO BUILD TRUST: New projects are a tool to maintain dialogue with cluster actors
• PLAN FOR PHYSICAL PROXIMITY OF CLUSTER ACTORS: The closer your actors are, the greater the clustering effect and cross over of skills and business
• CREATE AN ANNUAL FORUM: A platform for local actors to talk once per year at least (see the biocat forum example)
• SELECT YOUR STEERING COMMITTEE AFTER THE STRATEGY HAS BEEN DEVELOPED:
  • Complete your SWOT analysis
  • Decide the direction of the cluster
  • Collect all feedback from actors
  • Design your strategy
  • THEN engage your Steering Committee
• DEMONSTRATE CLUSTER SUCCESS: Ensure that you find, publish and promote success stories - demonstrating cluster strategy success engages all actors, reinforces clear goals and provides qualitative and quantitative proof of success
• KEEP THE PEOPLE FACTOR AT THE HEART OF YOUR STRATEGY: Keep a certain informality - your cluster is a family, not a corporate brand
• CREATE A VISION THAT IS BIGGER THAN THE STRATEGY: The strategy is a tool to deliver the vision and should be flexible in response to environmental changes
• FORESEE FUTURE CLUSTER NEEDS: The needs of a cluster change as it matures and strategy must adapt to suit (just as the life cycle of an SME)
• GET STRATEGY BUY IN FROM ALL ACTORS: Make the time to work with all personalities in the cluster - they all need to stay engaged in cluster development
• UNDERSTAND AND PLAN SERVICE DEVELOPMENT: What services should you provide; which should be free and which should carry a charge?
• DO NOT DISTORT THE MARKET WITH PUBLICLY FUNDED CLUSTER SERVICES: Do not damage local commercial services - these are also an integral part of cluster identify and growth
• LEARN FROM OTHERS: Talk to people internationally and learn from their experiences - try to avoid paths which lead to a predictable and negative result.
• FIND REGIONAL COMPETENCES: Work with local strengths to build strength and critical mass.