Collaboration already starting after Intra-European Cluster Matchmaking Event hosts 230 meetings

Submitted by Lee Gibson on 16 November 2020

The European Union-funded European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP) organised an Intra-European Cluster Matchmaking Event within the context of the 7th edition of the European Cluster Conference 2020.

The matchmaking event was held as a European Cluster Conference post-event on the 11 and 12 November and was the ECCP’s first virtual matchmaking event.

Some 112 cluster organisations and business networks took part in the event from 21 countries eligible for participating in the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (COSME) programme – Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland,  Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.

The clusters represented different sectors as there was no sector restriction for attending this event.

During the two days, the participants conducted around 230 one-on-one matchmaking meetings, with first impressions and feedback received indicating that several potential cooperation activities are underway as a result of the initial contacts established.

“This virtual event was a great possibility to meet and discuss collaboration opportunities and developments in Europe’s cluster landscape with other clusters all over Europe," said Dr Angelika Murr, Project Manager Internationalisation of Photonics Hub GmbH. "It’s good to keep up the networking in unusal times as cooperation is still an important aspect for our ecosystems.”

“The meetings I had were quite positive and allowed the Cluster Habitat Sustentável, that I manage in Portugal, to establish a cooperation protocol with two of the contacts made, already with some established joint actions to make effective this cooperation," added Victor Ferreira, President of Cluster Habitat Sustentável.

"These cooperation actions will bring together not only the clusters but, mainly, our members (companies or R&D centres) with the hope to initiate projects or business opportunities together.

"This is one of the major advantages of this European event, that we hope happens again together with the European Cluster Conference.”

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