Partnership

The partnership includes a well balanced distribution of 6 partners from 4 EU Atlantic Area countries. Partners share the interests on the project issues, but they have different levels of experiences, allowing a mutual enrichment through the exchange of experience. ATCLUSTERS partnership is composed by three out of the four North-western Regional Development Agencies in Spain (Asturias, Galicia, Cantabria).

The partnership is also integrated by the Regional Development Agency such as ADRAVE, the RDA in Val do Ave in Portugal. Besides, the South West region in Ireland is represented by the South West Regional Authority in Ireland. Finally, the French partner is Bretagne Innovation, an association created by the Conseil Région de Bretagne in order to coordinate innovation actors in the region, and specially dedicated to SMEs.  

Transnational features

The two main axis the Project is structured have got a clear transnational focus: evaluate and benchmark regional cluster situation and policies; and encourage effective cooperation between regional clusters, identifying and promoting Atlantic Area meta-clusters.

To develop the activities, partners shall cooperate to analyze the situation of regional clusters and the different regional policies and approaches to cluster identification, development and promotion.

Partners shall also cooperate to promote cluster and individual business links and transnational projects. 

This project has a clear transnational core objective: improve cluster policy making and encourage transnational cluster cooperation. It has also a clear focus on improving business innovation through cooperation, grouping enterprises in clusters and clusters in meta-clusters (clusters of clusters).

Cluster is mainly about business cooperation. In that sense, the project final goal is to promote transnational cooperation between companies, as real sources of growth and job creation.  The main aim is help companies to realize that collaboration can create synergies, and that co-operation is not only possible at regional or national level, but also transnationally. Cooperation is not only a need but an obligation for enterprises. The project intends to help companies to see the advantages of a wider spectrum for cooperation.