{"id":35741,"date":"2026-05-28T12:29:45","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T09:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/?p=35741"},"modified":"2026-06-04T14:26:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T11:26:37","slug":"report-of-the-ukrainian-delegation-mission-to-stuttgart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/en\/blog-about-clusters\/report-of-the-ukrainian-delegation-mission-to-stuttgart\/","title":{"rendered":"Report on the mission of the Ukrainian Delegation in Stuttgart"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Clusterbridge Mission, Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg, May 18-22, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From <strong>18 to 22 May 2026, <\/strong>a Ukrainian delegation consisting of Ukrainian Cluster Alliance (UCA)&nbsp; representatives from the Khmelnytskyi and Vinnytsia regions, including Regional Military Admin istrations, Regional Development Agencies, and clusters, conducted a working visit to Stuttgart,&nbsp; Germany.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mission took place within the framework of the <strong>ClusterBridges <\/strong>project, implemented by the&nbsp; German partner <strong>VDE\/VDI Innovation + Technik GmbH <\/strong>with the support of the Ministry of Eco nomic Affairs, Labour and Tourism of Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg. The initiative is also integrated into the&nbsp; activities of <strong>Priority Area 8 (Competitiveness of Enterprises) <\/strong>of the EU Strategy for the Danube&nbsp; Region (EUSDR).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The visit pursued several important objectives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>to understand how strong regional innovation ecosystems in the EU function;\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>to observe practical mechanisms for supporting clusters and SMEs;\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>to explore the role of regional institutions in the development of industrial ecosystems;\u00a0 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>to adapt European experience to the objectives of Ukrainian regional cluster programmes;\u00a0 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>to establish new partnerships and project ideas for the next stage of Clusters4Regions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mission was a natural progression and reinforcement of the Clusters4Regions initiative, which\u00a0 aimed to implement regional cluster support programmes in six regions of Ukraine. The primary\u00a0 goal of Clusters4Regions is to promote regional economic development through clustering and SME\u00a0 development, as well as enhancing the role of Regional Development Agencies. In this context, the\u00a0 visit to Germany was important for shifting from a theoretical understanding of cluster policy to direct\u00a0 observation and exchange. This exchange focused on how developed regional innovation ecosystems function, the role cluster organisations and other network structures play within them, and the\u00a0 mechanisms and instruments of support provided by public institutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mission has factually served to validate certain aspects of the regional cluster development and&nbsp; support programmes that have already been developed within Clusters4Regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-35732\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Insights into the Innovation Ecosystem and\u00a0 Cluster Support in Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Clusters as Advanced Institutions for Innovation Ecosystem\u00a0 Development<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clusters in Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg are viewed as long-term institutions for economic and innovation&nbsp; development.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their functions extend far beyond traditional networking. We saw numerous examples of clusters&nbsp; playing a role in the development of innovations, supporting the transfer of technology, integrating&nbsp; SMEs into global value chains, launching innovation projects and enabling digital and green transi tions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdc-fellbach.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">VDC Fellbach<\/a> (Virtual Dimension Center), for example, is a cluster network uniting around\u00a0 1,000 companies in the XR sector (VR\/AR\/MR and 3D simulation). It is a prime example of how a\u00a0 cluster can accelerate the development <strong>of specific technological segments <\/strong>by facilitating joint\u00a0 projects, technology transfer and the industrial implementation of innovations. In practice, it is a\u00a0 technological ecosystem in which participants gain access to research programmes, demonstration\u00a0 centres, matchmaking and events that accelerate the implementation of digital solutions in manufacturing and engineering. The VDC\u2019s role as an ecosystem broker is particularly notable, as it con nects technology providers, engineering companies, researchers and users around shared values\u00a0 and new market opportunities. Such clusters help to develop an <strong>entire technological ecosystem <\/strong>comprising standards, competencies, joint R&amp;D projects, demonstration platforms and channels for\u00a0 international cooperation. The result is faster growth and scaling of technological segments, giving\u00a0 the region a competitive advantage in industrial digital transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"617\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-18-at-17.02.11-1-1024x617.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-35734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-18-at-17.02.11-1-1024x617.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-18-at-17.02.11-1-300x181.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-18-at-17.02.11-1-18x12.jpeg 18w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-18-at-17.02.11-1.jpeg 1599w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><em>\u201cThis is an excellent example of technological and innovative leadership. I especially appreciated\u00a0 the focus on standards, knowledge libraries, and use cases \u2014 it is a great and exact example of\u00a0 what our technological segments are lacking. Ukrainian high-tech clusters should follow the exam ple of such clusters.\u201d<\/em><\/em> &#8211; comments CEO UCA, <strong>Yurchak Alexander<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Focus on Regional Economic Transformation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The decline of the German automotive industry is the result of mistakes made by politicians and&nbsp; businesses in the past. In fact, it\u2019s not just Germany \u2014 the whole of the Western world has invested&nbsp; in China for years, not just in production but also in technology, as a sales market. Today, many Eu ropean industries are losing both market share and the technological race in China at a rapid rate.&nbsp; Experts from the host side frequently mention this example of strategic mistakes when explaining&nbsp; policymakers\u2019 focus on transformation processes \u2014 not only in the automotive industry.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Currently, the government is allocating significant resources to industrial transformation, with de velopment agencies playing a pivotal role. We found the meeting with e-mobil BW particularly il lustrative. e-mobil BW is <strong>a specialised public agency that supports the mobility sector<\/strong>. Acting&nbsp; as the central innovation agent in Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg\u2019s mobility sector, it brings together all key&nbsp; stakeholders and does not simply \u201cpromote\u201d electromobility, but manages transformation across the&nbsp; entire value chain \u2014 from research and technologies to applications, infrastructure, workforce de velopment and support instruments \u2014 creating new value chains in the process. At the same time,&nbsp; it is reshaping the industry framework itself. The automotive industry has <strong>evolved into numerous&nbsp; new sectors<\/strong>, including smart mobility, electric vehicles (EVs), hydrogen, new logistics, autonomous&nbsp; systems, artificial intelligence (AI), charging infrastructure, urban mobility and data platforms. etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"582\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-1024x582.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-35735\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-1024x582.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image.png 1091w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another example of a systematic regional development approach was the meeting with Stuttgart\u2019s&nbsp; municipal development agency. This agency employs only five people and has a budget similar to&nbsp; those of Ukrainian agencies. Nevertheless, it acts as a true orchestrator of innovation development,&nbsp; skilfully combining event networking, crowdfunding, attraction of private capital, and social entre&nbsp;preneurship tools. Similar to e-mobil BW, it demonstrates <strong>a new perspective on sector potential&nbsp; and boundaries, alongside a systemic development approach<\/strong>. For instance, within the creative&nbsp; industries, the agency has identified 11 sub-segments and is supporting their development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"583\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-3-1024x583.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-35736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-3-1024x583.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-3-300x171.png 300w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-3-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-3.png 1190w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Takeaway: The state can develop new economic sectors systematically and with focus, not only\u00a0 through specialised institutions (e.g. E-Mobil), but also through local development agencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;The visit to Stuttgart has encouraged us to reconsider our approach to planning and developing\u00a0 sectors of the regional economy. We have practically no remaining questions about the need to\u00a0 integrate cluster approaches, and we are already doing so. However, this mission also provided us\u00a0 with a wealth of useful information and knowledge regarding economic development instruments,\u00a0 innovation, and international cooperation.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>&#8211; says <strong>Roman Uzhva, <\/strong>Deputy Head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Military Administration<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Cooperation above all<\/strong> (?)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the Ukrainian delegation, the visit to the regional innovation prototyping centre <a href=\"https:\/\/arena2036.de\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ARENA2036<\/a>\u00a0 was one of the most memorable experiences. This centre is also one of Germany\u2019s leading national\u00a0 instruments for accelerating innovation in mobility and manufacturing. It is, on the one hand, a tradi tional prototyping centre involving large companies, start-ups and universities in innovation projects\u00a0 focused on applied solutions. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that development teams from different\u00a0 companies work side-by-side in one open space.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked what the key advantage is, and why large companies pay to participate when they\u00a0 already have their own R&amp;D centres, the head of the centre replied that companies pay precisely\u00a0 for the new collaboration opportunities \u2014 on such a scale and in such forms they only exist there.\u00a0 ARENA2036 also hosts Startup Autobahn, one of the world\u2019s largest startup incubators, what is at\u00a0tracting venture funding.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In summary, the most valuable aspect of ARENA2036 is the collaboration between different compa nies and institutions on one open platform \u2014 a concept that does not really exist elsewhere on this&nbsp; scale, even in other German regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-1-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-35737\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-1-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-1.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>&#8220;The parallels for Ukraine and the cluster environment are obvious. Unfortunately, closedness and\u00a0 harsh competition among SMEs dominate Ukrainian culture, making it difficult for our clusters to es tablish a culture of cooperation during the early stages of growth. ARENA2036 provides an inspiring\u00a0 example and new ideas about the possibilities of collaboration.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>&#8211; comments <strong>Nadiia Karpliuk<\/strong>, UCA cluster development expert, commented<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, things in Germany are not entirely simple either \u2014 many business networks\u00a0 compete with each other, duplicating roles and functions, which according to our partners reflects\u00a0 imperfect public policies.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>Development Agencies as Coordination Platforms<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A visit to the Heilbronn Development Agency, located in a city of 120,000 people 40 km from Stutt gart, also left a strong impression and prompted much reflection. The agency creates and develops&nbsp; its own local innovation ecosystem comprising three clusters. The agency management presented&nbsp; their transformative project to the Ukrainian delegation. The project focuses on industrial transfor mation in the automotive and related industries, and the agency\u2019s role as a local catalyst and change&nbsp; leader is clearly visible.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is based on systematic, often individualised, work involving numerous workshops on topics such&nbsp; as production efficiency, AI, automation, ESG, carbon footprint, mobility, HR, employer branding, up skilling, data, VR\/AR and business strategy. Importantly, the concept of transformation is not merely&nbsp; reduced to changing industrial or technological focus; broader aspects such as business model&nbsp; changes, workforce competencies, and attempts at foresight are also considered. In summary, the&nbsp; strongest feature of TRANSFORMOTIVE \u2014 and the agency itself \u2014 is its ecosystem perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-2-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-35738\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-2-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-2.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u2018What we are doing within the #Clusters4Regions project with regional administrations and clusters\u00a0 is a very strong case. Rather than relying on a few support tools due to a lack of resources, we\u00a0 are immediately laying the foundations for integrated <\/em><strong><em>transformation platforms <\/em><\/strong><em>where local agen cies, clusters, universities, chambers and other business associations operate as one \u201cmachine of\u00a0 change\u201d. After all, our context is very similar \u2014 <\/em><strong><em>all Ukrainian industries require deep transforma tion<\/em><\/strong><em>.\u2019\u00a0<\/em><br> &#8211; says <strong>Khrystyna Solovei<\/strong>, Deputy Director of the Vinnytsia Regional Development Agency<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>German Regions Are Closer Than They Seem<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The visit to the headquarters of Steinbeis Europa Zentrum revealed the largest number of points of&nbsp; contact with the Ukrainian delegation \u2014 somewhat surprisingly. Similar to other networks, including&nbsp; cluster networks, Steinbeis is also about connecting innovation ecosystem actors. However, there is&nbsp; a clear and very strong focus on technology transfer, applied projects, and international cooperation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 100-person Steinbeis team provides around 500 client consultations per year and implements&nbsp; 90 European projects annually. At the same time, it is not \u201cjust another consulting organization\u201d but&nbsp; rather a large-scale network capable of transforming knowledge into funding, partnerships, and&nbsp; practical projects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It turned out that we had a lot in common with the Zentrum. Firstly, the Steinbeis Europa Zentrum is\u00a0 already implementing a project on partnerships between Ukrainian and German companies in the\u00a0 dual-use and defence sectors. Secondly, Steinbeis representatives are active in Ukraine and there\u00a0 are already potential projects. Thirdly, they also serve as a local contact point in Stuttgart for the\u00a0 Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), making them a key partner for UCA, which is part of the EEN\u00a0 Ukraine network. Furthermore, a shared focus on resilience was identified, where work is already\u00a0 ongoing within the EEN platform. This makes projects under the Interreg Danube programme another potential area for cooperation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meetings with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism of Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg and the&nbsp; municipal development agency provided valuable information on additional opportunities and points&nbsp; of contact, particularly with regard to exchanges with other Ukrainian regions and cities, as well as&nbsp; future cooperation opportunities. The Ukrainian delegation\u2019s inclusion of heads and deputy heads of&nbsp; Regional Military Administrations and Regional Development Agencies sent an important signal to&nbsp; German partners regarding Ukraine\u2019s commitment to maintaining partnerships.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-3-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-35739\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Frame-90-3-18x10.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong>Conclusions and Action Directions for Ukrainian\u00a0 Stakeholders<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Ukrainian delegation gained a wealth of new knowledge, impressions and contacts during their\u00a0 five days in Stuttgart. The following should be highlighted when summarising the conclusions and\u00a0 action directions for Clusters4Regions participants and other cluster movement stakeholders:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The study tour significantly strengthened relationships between Ukrainian and German part ners, as well as within the Ukrainian delegation itself. This trust is a key success factor for the\u00a0 further implementation of regional cluster development and support programmes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The ClusterBridges study tour complemented and reinforced our Clusters4Regions project\u00a0 perfectly \u2014 in terms of timing, location, and environment. It was not only about confirming the\u00a0 direction of regional programmes or our strategies, but also about gaining new knowledge,\u00a0 ideas and contacts to improve existing programmes at regional and UCA community levels.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The strongest insights are likely to influence the further development of regional stakeholders\u00a0 and their programmes.\u00a0\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Focusing on target sectors is necessary, but the boundaries of these sectors must be re considered and transformed. Ukraine should not wait until the war ends, but should begin\u00a0 revising these approaches now \u2014 especially since Ukraine\u2019s own defence industry has\u00a0 already demonstrated examples of this approach.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The high level of development and achievements of Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg\u2019s regional in novation ecosystem is the result of a successful combination of policies, strategies and\u00a0 strong institutions (agencies, business networks and clusters), which are usually or chestrated by public authorities. A question requiring discussion in every region is how\u00a0 Ukrainian regions and cities can establish similar sustainable approaches under current\u00a0 conditions of weak institutions and limited resources.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Germany has a large number of network structures with similar functions. Although these\u00a0 structures cooperate and differentiate roles, our VDE\/VDI Innovation partners do not nec essarily recommend imitating this model. Ukraine has significantly fewer resources and\u00a0faces much more difficult circumstances; <strong>therefore, proper strategies and clear role\u00a0 distribution among institutions are critically important<\/strong>. In particular, clusters should\u00a0 be given the role of driving and catalysing digital and green transitions in regional econo mies \u2014 but only those clusters that can demonstrate real capacity in these areas should\u00a0 be selected.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A discussion of the visit results among the wider Clusters4Regions community, including details of&nbsp; the following steps, is planned online on 2 June.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Participants of the Ukrainian delegation sincerely thank the German partners from VDE\/VDI Innova tion + Technik GmbH and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism of Baden-W\u00fcrttem berg for this mission.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report was prepared by the Executive Directorate of the UCA (Ukrainian Cluster Alliance).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Clusterbridges project is funded by the State Ministry Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg and is part of PA 8&nbsp; of the EUSDR (Priority Area 8 of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>The report was prepared by the UCA Executive Directorate.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><em>The present version is a machine-generated translation with internal software by VDI\/VDE-IT.<\/em><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Clusterbridge Mission, Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg, May 18-22, 2026 From 18 to 22 May 2026, a Ukrainian delegation consisting of Ukrainian Cluster Alliance (UCA)&nbsp; representatives from the Khmelnytskyi and Vinnytsia regions, including Regional [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":35731,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[48,374],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-about-clusters","category-news-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35741","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35741"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35741\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35794,"href":"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35741\/revisions\/35794"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clusters.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}