ABOUT NCA
National Cluster Association (NCA) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation which brings together organisations and individuals to coordinate the sustainable development of cluster initiatives and develop cluster policy in the Czech Republic based on the concentration of knowledge, experience and expertise to strengthen the competitiveness of the CR.
The National Cluster Association exists to create a competent long-term platform for developing cluster initiatives in the Czech Republic and a functional interface for internationalisation.
Benefits of the NCA:
- strengthening the role of clusters in innovation processes and development strategies within the Czech Republic
- boosting dynamic development in key sectors and emerging technology-based clusters
- providing institutional support for cluster organizations and initiatives
- helping to raise efficiency and quality in cluster management
- harnessing the potential offered by social capital and innovation based on shared knowledge
- promoting effective, proven solutions on an international scale.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
Press releases
09/2019 Den klastrů v Olomouckém kraji
10/2018 Den klastrů v Plzeňském kraji
05/2018 Den klastrů v Moravskoslezském kraji
PEOPLE IN NCA
President
Vice Presidents
Members of the Board of Directors
Members of the Supervisory Board
Adriana Knapkova
Members Team
PROJECTS
The DIH Northeast consortium is mainly made up of entities from the Liberec and Hradec Králové regions, under the leadership of ARR, the Regional Development Agency. We work with partners in Germany and Poland, our common goal being to build a European digital innovation hub in the region. Success in the the European Commission means that we are close. The last step awaits us - national call announced by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Start of the project: 1 September 2022
End of the project: 31 August 2024
Project is co-funded by the European Union.
Project aims at development of professional education and skills of the cluster and its member employees in order to increase their work competencies and innovation potential
CLUSTER POLICY
Clusters act as a motor of development, helping to unlock development potential, boost local and national economies, create jobs and attract new investors. Thanks to the clear benefits generated by cluster initiatives, their numbers have grown rapidly in recent years, and they have become an important development tool for both national and regional government bodies. Some countries have incorporated cluster policy into their national development strategies, while others apply more regionally-based development models.
The European Commission offers a range of programmes supporting research, development and innovation. If these processes are to be effective, they must involve the business sector from the very outset. To achieve this goal, the EU has launched several new initiatives helping national and regional governments to support clusters and harness the synergic potential of cooperation between the private sector, public bodies and research institutions.
Cluster policy can be divided into four levels:
- Regional cluster policy
- National cluster policy (see below)
- European cluster policy: Smart Guide to Cluster Policy, European Cluster Trend Repor 2015, Cluster Policy, European Cluster Policy Forum
- Initiatives of the European Commission: European cluster observatory, European cluster collaboration platform
- Global cluster policy
More information on European Cluster Policy is in the presentation of Eva Maria Revill, Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission. Available here.
National cluster policy
All the cluster activities and initiatives in different areas are based on crucial national strategic document approved by the Czech government Czech national cluster strategy 2005 - 2008 (in Czech language)
Certified methodology for regional and national cluster policy was created by the Tomas Bata University in Zlin and funded by the Technological Agency of the Czech Republic : “Cluster policy in the Czech Republic and its regions aimed at global competitiveness and sustainable development” (document available in the Czech language).
Certified methods to download:
- Innovation potential of clusters in the Czech Republic (specialized map)
- National cluster policy - certified methodology
- Regional cluster policy – certified methodology
You can find more information about clusters and their benefits for the companies in the publication:
PAVELKOVÁ, Drahomíra, a kolektiv. Klastry a jejich vliv na výkonnost firem. Praha: GRADA Publishing, a.s., 2009. ISBN 978-80-247-6378-8. Available here. (in the Czech language)
What is a cluster?
Professor Michael E. Porter defines (1998, p. 213)1 a cluster as 'a geographic concentration of interconnected companies, specialized suppliers, service providers, firms in related industries, and associated institutions (for example, universities, standards agencies, and trade associations) in particular fields that compete but also cooperate.'
Clusters are defined as groups of firms, related economic actors, and institutions that are located near each other and have reached a sufficient scale to develop specialised expertise, services, resources, suppliers and skills. Clusters are referred to both as a concept and a real economic phenomenon, such as the Silicon Valley, the effects of which, such as employment concentration, can be measured – as is done by the cluster mapping of the European Cluster Observatory. Clusters cannot be understood as fitting into the narrow sectoral view that most industrial policies have, but should be considered as regional ecosystems of related industries and competences featuring a broad array of inter-industry interdependencies (Smart Guide to Cluster Policy, European Union 2016, p.11).
1. Cluster initiatives are organised efforts to support the competitiveness of a cluster and thus consist of practical actions related to the capacity of these clusters to self-organise and increasingly to pro-actively shape the future of the cluster. They usually follow a bottom-up approach, are implemented through a competitive process, and are often managed by specialised SME intermediaries, such as cluster organisations.
2. Cluster organisations are the legal entities that support the strengthening of collaboration, networking and learning in innovation clusters and act as innovation support providers by providing or channelling specialised and customised business support services to stimulate innovation activities, especially in SMEs.6 They are usually the actors that facilitate strategic partnering across clusters (Smart Guide to Cluster Policy, European Union 2016, p.12).