On May 6, 2026, as part of the Clusters4Regions initiative of the UCORD project, a webinar titled “Cluster Policy in Practice: The Role of Regional Development Agencies in Cluster Development.” The event brought together representatives from regional development agencies, government bodies, the business community, and the expert community to discuss modern tools for supporting clusters and the role of regional development agencies in developing cluster policy in Ukraine.

During the webinar, the experiences of Upper Austria, Germany, Catalonia, and Poland were presented—regions and countries where cluster policy has been part of the economic strategy for many years.

The speakers at the event were Werner Pamminger (Business Upper Austria, Austria), Dr. Gerd Mayer zu Keck (VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH, Germany), Emma Wendrell (ACCIÓ, Catalonia), and Monika Antonowicz (PARP, Poland). The discussion focused primarily on support tools that enable clusters to serve as a mechanism for fostering innovation, cross-sectoral cooperation, and regional competitiveness.

Upper Austria Region: Innovation through Cooperation

Cluster policy in the Upper Austria region has been integrated into the regional business and entrepreneurship support program for over 25 years. It is implemented by the regional agency Business Upper Austria, which acts as an intermediary between business, science, and government.

The region’s guiding principle is “Innovation through Cooperation.” Therefore, support is directed not toward maintaining cluster structures, but toward launching joint innovation projects.

Key support tools include:

• project management and support for innovative initiatives;
• partner matching and consortium formation;
• development of thematic platforms for collaboration between business, academia, and government;
• support for inter-cluster cooperation;
• consulting on European funding programs.

At the same time, the key driver of cluster development in Upper Austria is not considered to be financial resources, but rather a culture of cooperation and trust that enables companies to work together on long-term innovative solutions.

Germany (Baden-Württemberg region): From funding structures to funding results

At the heart of the German approach lies not the mere existence of a cluster, but its practical value for participants. That is why support is increasingly focused on results: innovation, industrial modernization, workforce development, and international cooperation.

Key support tools include:

• consulting on grants, funding, and startups;
• European projects;
• educational and mentoring programs;
• research, evaluation, and analytics;
• thematic expert groups and working platforms;
• support for joint product and technology development.

Particular attention is paid to professionalizing cluster management. Large clusters employ teams of 8–15 specialists who focus on developing partnerships, international cooperation, project management, and promoting the region.

The German model demonstrates a gradual transition from basic funding of cluster structures to support for projects and services that create added value for the region’s economy.

Catalonia: Systematic Support for Clusters

Catalonia’s cluster policy is implemented through the ACCIÓ agency under the Catalan Ministry of Enterprise and Labor. The region has been developing its cluster policy for over 30 years, and the support system itself is based on a long-term and consistent approach.

Under Catalonia’s Cluster Program, clusters receive:

• co-financing for innovative and inter-cluster projects;
• support for international cooperation;
• consulting on European programs;
• strategic coaching;
• training for cluster managers;
• support for ESCA certification;
• evaluation of cluster activities and the work of the cluster manager.

The main financial instrument of the Cluster Program is the Initiative to Strengthen Competitiveness (IRC), which provides co-financing for projects as well as activities included in the clusters’ annual action plans. It covers three main areas:

• Revitalization of cluster activities. Support for specific activities outlined in the clusters’ annual action plans. Such activities must align with the cluster’s strategic goals and not duplicate its core operational activities.
• Competitiveness-enhancing projects. Support for initiatives that strengthen the competitive positions of companies and clusters. This includes innovative projects (technological and non-technological), inter-cluster initiatives, international cooperation, startup development, new business models, strategic transformations, and talent development.
• Innovation projects. Co-financing of projects based on the use of 20 priority technological trends identified by regional innovation policy.

An important feature of the Catalan model is the regular evaluation of cluster effectiveness and a focus on practical results.

The key principles of Catalonia’s policy are:

• Consistency – policy coherence;
• Continuity – sustained support;
• Creativity – fostering innovation and new forms of collaboration.

This approach is complemented by the principle of “learning by doing” – the development of clusters through the implementation of practical projects and the gradual improvement of support tools.

For more details on the features of Catalonia’s cluster policy, please visit the UCA website at the link

Poland: From a Top-Down to a Bottom-Up Approach

The year 2013 marked an important milestone in the development of Poland’s cluster policy, as it was then that systematic instruments for state support of clusters were established. The policy was developed with the active participation of experts, which allowed it to be tailored to the needs of businesses and regions.

While a top-down approach prevailed in the initial stage, Polish cluster policy subsequently became more bottom-up, with the clusters themselves increasingly taking the lead in proposing directions for support and development.

A key instrument was investment in cluster coordinators, who facilitated the building of trust among participants, the development of partnerships, and the organization of joint projects.

Key support tools include:

• developing the management capacity of clusters;
• supporting international cooperation and exports;
• funding innovative and inter-cluster projects;
• developing services for SMEs;
• support for digital and “green” transformation;
• knowledge dissemination and exchange of experience among clusters.

The Polish model is based on a differentiated approach – support tools vary depending on the cluster’s maturity level: from local initiatives to national key clusters.

Polish experts identify the following as priority steps for developing cluster policy:

• analyzing the region’s economic potential;
• identifying development priorities (the region’s smart specialization);
• identifying leaders in cluster development;
• building trust among participants;
• supporting the exchange of knowledge and experience;
• regular evaluation of cluster effectiveness.

Ukrainian Realities: The Role of the ARR in the Development of Cluster Policy

The second part of the webinar focused on the Ukrainian context and the role of regional development agencies in supporting clusters.

Cluster policy in Ukraine, as well as the tools for supporting clusters, are still in the early stages of development. Among the main challenges are limited financial resources, insufficient practical experience, and the need to professionalize the work of regional development agencies in the field of cluster development.

Despite this, RDA representatives emphasized that clusters could become one of the key tools for Ukraine’s economic recovery, the development of innovation, and the strengthening of regional competitiveness.

Among the support tools already being implemented or considered by Ukrainian regional development agencies:

• voucher-based support;
• consulting and expert guidance;
• the establishment of cluster councils and project offices;
• grant programs;
• support for internationalization;
• the organization of knowledge-sharing and training events.

What European experience with cluster policy shows

In most regions, it was the regional authorities that initiated and played a key role in shaping cluster policy and developing support instruments.

Key principles of effective cluster policy:

• long-term and consistent cluster policy;
• strong and professional cluster management;
• a combination of public and private funding;
• a focus on innovative, inter-cluster, and international projects;
• regular evaluation of cluster effectiveness;
• a gradual transition from funding cluster structures themselves to supporting specific projects, services, and outcomes;
• an increasing emphasis on trust, cooperation, and a bottom-up approach, where businesses and clusters themselves define the need for support and directions for development.

The key challenge for Ukraine is institutional capacity

The discussion during the webinar revealed that the key challenge for Ukraine remains the institutional capacity of regional support institutions.

Furthermore, the Ukrainian context differs significantly from the conditions under which cluster policy was developed in most European countries. European regions had decades to gradually develop cluster ecosystems, and support is now primarily focused on innovation and competitiveness.

Ukraine today is forced to act much more quickly, amid war, economic transformation, and the need for rapid recovery of the regional economy. This is precisely why it is important to adapt the European experience already accumulated to our own realities. Most Ukrainian clusters are currently in the development stage, so the issue of professionalizing cluster management and forming a service model remains particularly relevant. However, this does not mean that support should be limited solely to the organizational development of clusters.

On the contrary, Ukraine’s cluster policy must develop simultaneously in two directions: on the one hand, by supporting the development of professional cluster management, and on the other, by promoting innovative and cross-sectoral projects as the foundation for regional economic transformation.

At the same time, the implementation of modern cluster support tools requires not only political decisions but also the presence of professional teams, stable funding, and institutional capacity at the regional level. For many Ukrainian regional development agencies (RDAs), personnel and financial constraints remain one of the main barriers to systematic work with clusters. Therefore, strengthening the capacity of regional development agencies is a key prerequisite for the development of clusters as one of the tools for economic recovery and innovative regional development.

Additionally: you can learn more about Hungary’s cluster policy, which is implemented at the national level, on the UCA website at the link

Prepared by Yulia Ryzhkova, an expert with the Clusters4Region initiative of the UCORD project