State of Play and Sectoral Differentiation of Clusters in Visegrad Group Countries and in Germany in the Context of Increasing Competitiveness

Abstract

In accordance with the definition by the European Commission regional competitiveness means the ability of companies, sectors and transnational groupings in the region exposed to international competition to generate sustainable and relatively high income and employment levels. Following this line of thinking, strengthening the potential of local economic operators and their environment should become the priority of economic policies of the governments. One among recognised mechanisms that back up enterprise potential is the organisation and fostering of the competitiveness of clusters. They are a specific case of economic networks based on cooperation and competitiveness which usually need targeted investment in order to be efficient in their operations. Cluster policy implemented by Western European countries is most often systemic, integrated between the central and the regional levels with the material scope of investment focusing on assisting innovation in clusters. From this perspective it is interesting to see the shape the policy takes in Central European countries after their economic transformation. We selected Visegrad Group countries as the subject of our analysis knowing that clusters have been known there since at least the end of 1990s. Although more than 10 years have passed the conclusions indicate that the policy is at its initial development stage and, differently from Western economies (Germany in our case), it hardly effects the innovation of national economies and regional systems of innovation.