The paper develops a framework for the evaluatio of clusters. It reflects on a four-year process of bringing together academics, policy-makers and practitioners from around the world to address the challenges of cluster evaluation. This process has resulted in a concrete evaluation framework and set of cluster evaluation principles which is presented in the document.

The study contributes to the upcoming discussion how to provide better support schemes for cluster management organisations (and their staff) striving for excellence. The report provides the findings from interviews with implementing authorities as well as cluster managers and identifies a list of good practices.

The paper identifies Critical Success Factors of cluster initiatives management. The study was based on interviews conducted among European cluster managers representing 19 cluster initiatives located in 10 countries. The results of this study support more effective management and better organization of cluster development processes. They are specifically tailored for entrepreneurs, willing to initiate or establishing cluster initiatives, as well as managers .

Cluster policy has proved to be an extremely resilient feature of the regional competitiveness policy landscape over thirty years. To examine why cluster policies have become so widespread, this paper makes a clear conceptual distinction between clusters themselves, cluster policies, and cluster policy instruments. This distinction helps to disentangle the cross-over with other policies and provides the

This paper is a part of the dissertation research and is determined to outline and deliver key triggers of a successful regional cluster policy. After reflecitng on the theory of cluster and cluster policy concepts it elaborates an analytical scheme for policy analysis.

The presentation provides an overview of the efforts of the European Commission to support clusters.

The presentation sets out the European cluster policy and explains how clusters can support value chain innovation and industrial transformation.

The article starts with the observation that while numerous studies have sought to examine their characteristics, their performance and how they may be supported, particularly in regard of those clusters that occur "naturally", little evidence is available on the nature and the impact of policies that have been implemented with the goal of fostering clusters. Thus, policy learning in this area is sparse.

This publication explores the success of major innovation and entrepreneurship clusters in OECD countries, the challenges they now face in sustaining their positions and the lessons for other places seeking to build successful clusters. For each cluster, it looks at the factors that have contributed to its growth, the impact of the cluster on local entrepreneurship performance, and the challenges faced for further expansion. It also puts forward a set of policy recommendations geared to the broader context of cluster development.

This document presents a study of cluster initiatives: what they do, how they operate, how they perform. The document provides a comprehensive overview of cluster iniatives across a large set of countries. It is an update of a previous version of the report developed 10 years ago. The analysis is based on data from 356 cluster organizations in 50 countries world-wide, primarily in OECD countries. The data for the analysis was collected through the Global Cluster Initiative Survey (GCIS) in 2012.