The question of what clusters are, how they differ from other organizations, and – most importantly – how to create and develop clusters is one of the most popular topics within the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance community.

Accordingly, as part of the UCA Cluster Management School (UCA CMS), the Executive Board, in collaboration with UCA experts, has prepared a cluster model playbook titled “How to Create Economic Value in Clusters.” This is a practical tool that describes how modern clusters create economic value through effective collaboration between business, education, government, and other stakeholders. The operational model described in the Playbook – the foundation of the CMS training course – is precisely what school participants use to analyze “the entire mechanics” of the cluster machine, both in theory and in practice. Unlike descriptive or conceptual approaches, the Playbook focuses on the operational logic of a cluster – that is, on exactly how a cluster functions as a holistic system and how it transitions from individual activities to measurable economic outcomes and systemic impact.

Playbook Structure

The document is structured around four key sections that together form a comprehensive model of a cluster organization:

1. Role and Value of the Cluster (Core): defines why the cluster exists and what function it serves within the ecosystem. The cluster is viewed as a facilitator, broker, operator, architect, or orchestrator (the highest level) – depending on the task and stage of development.
2. Interaction Architecture: describes how the cluster operates in practice through interaction mechanisms (networking, coordination, joint actions, asset creation) and their specific implementations – the mechanics.
   It is this component that explains how collective action is organized and how it transforms into shared value.
3. Capabilities Architecture: defines what enables the cluster to operate. It covers four dimensions: human resources, institutional and partnership ties, the financial model, and scaling tools. Particular emphasis is placed on functional capabilities – the ability to implement cooperation mechanisms (facilitation, project management, matchmaking, coordination, and strategy development).
4. Results and Impact: explains the changes the cluster brings about and how to measure them. It distinguishes between outputs, outcomes, and systemic impact, emphasizing that the true value of a cluster lies in sustainable changes in the behavior of participants, value chains, and institutional practices.

The Value of the Playbook

The Playbook serves as the foundation for aligning and synchronizing Ukrainian clusters and all stakeholders in cluster development. It establishes a unified framework for understanding clusters as a tool for economic development and enables:

• a shift from “activities” to economic logic – focusing on increasing the competitiveness of SMEs, improving their productivity, creating shared assets, and developing new market segments;
• structure cluster activities through a clear operational model and set of mechanisms;
• link resources to results – showing how capabilities are transformed into effective mechanisms
• avoid common mistakes: excessive reliance on grants, a focus on events and activities rather than results, premature or misguided priorities regarding services and large-scale projects (for which there is no capacity), etc. – these mistakes are still very common among clusters;
• scale up practices through standardization and replication of working solutions; here, references to best practices from existing UCA clusters are particularly useful;
• ensure a common language among clusters, the government, donors, and partners.

The Playbook will be particularly useful for cluster managers of young clusters and emerging cluster initiatives, as it enables them to build the right organizational model from the outset. The second target group includes regional coordinators of cluster development (within frameworks such as Clusters4Regions and similar), public authorities, and regional development agencies that assume the role of cluster development facilitators. The third group comprises donor and international organizations that fund the cluster movement – understanding the “authenticity” of clusters and their development trajectories is equally important for them.

Thus, the Playbook serves both as a practical tool for the day-to-day operations of a cluster and as a framework for shaping policies and evaluating the effectiveness of cluster initiatives.