WHAT IS CLUSTERXCHANGE?
ClusterXchange is a new pilot scheme to support short term exchanges to better connect Europe’s industrial ecosystems.
It facilitates transnational cooperation, peer learning, networking and innovation uptake between actors of different industrial clusters It is implemented with support from cluster organisations that have teamed up in European Cluster Partnerships Excellence projects like EPIX.
What is an exchange?
An exchange in ClusterXchange constitutes a stay abroad by a visiting organisation visitor at a host organisation host to explore collaboration and growth opportunities. An exchange can be minimum 3 working days and maximum one month executed consecutively, excluding travel time
Exchanges can be used to :
- Learn from actors in another cluster
- Explore growth opportunities in new markets
- Take up new technologies, digitalisation and green low carbon solutions
- Invest in strategic interregional collaboration
- Other B2B and C2C networking activities.
WHO CAN PARTECIPATE ?
Participants (visiting and host organisations) of a transnational exchange can be representatives of :
- Cluster organisations and business network organisations
- Scaling-up support organisations (such as tech centers, research institutes, digital innovation hubs, fab labs, creative hubs, resource-efficiency service providers, incubators, accelerators) that are cluster members
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are cluster members
- Large companies (only as Hosts)
- Public Authortities (only as Hosts)
All participant organisations must be from countries participating in the COSME programme.
EPIX FRAMEWORK
The EPIX project will take advantage of this opportunity to support its partner clusters to further reinforce their contacts with other cluster organisation of complementary sectors (smart energy and mobility; data and IoT devices; infrastructures) as well city managers and value chains in order to open new business collaboration breaks for smart cities projects.