Cluster development policy can assist in the development of Croatian regions, as well as strengthen capacities for utilizing EU funds, it was emphasized today in Opatija at the international conference on clusters “Regional Challenges and Opportunities for Cluster Development in Southeast Europe”.
The two-day conference on clusters was organized by the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Crafts, and through discussions and presentations by participants from Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, and Montenegro, issues regarding cluster organization, financing of clusters from EU funds, and the role of institutions in cluster development will be considered, with a special emphasis on regional networking of clusters.
Opening the conference, the Assistant Minister of Entrepreneurship and Crafts, Stjepan Koraj, stated that Croatian entrepreneurs are slowly but surely expanding their business towards Southeast Europe and that clusters can provide answers to how to face competition.
They are a tool that strengthens competitiveness, can eliminate the problem of fragmented production, and help create new products and brands, he said. Koraj emphasized that the ministry financially supported initiatives for the establishment of more than 46 clusters from 2005 to 2012, that a total of 520 companies are now united in clusters, and that some clusters are also part of international networks.
The Acting Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Prefect, Vidoje Vujić, noted that clusters in this county are “still in their infancy”. Of the total of six clusters in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, four are performing well, and the county will continue to support their work, he said.
Today, cluster representatives shared their experiences in organizing and managing clusters and their financing from EU funds, and tomorrow they will discuss the role of state and regional institutions in their development.
