The first 44 networks of Kompetenznetze Deutschland were awarded with the BRONZE-label of the European Cluster Excellence Initiative

Initiated by the Danish Ministry of Development, Technology and Innovation and supported by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi), a benchmarking of 148 European Innovation Clusters took place just recently (“NGPExcellence – Cluster Excellence in the Nordic Countries, Germany and Poland”). As there had already been a functioning benchmarking system available by the BMWi, its coordinating office was selected by the Danish Ministry to be responsible for the project. Since, within the initiative it has been applied that: Only out of the “comparison with the best” the network managers are able to draw valuable conclusions on the enhancement of their own work. For that reason the coordinating office of the Initiative Kompetenznetze Deutschland has been operating on the development of a methodology on “Cluster Benchmarking” since 2008.

Out of 148 participating clusters 44 were Kompetenznetze (members of the Initiative Kompetenznetze Deutschland). They, as well, faced the fundamentally revised benchmarking that focussed on the work of the cluster management – implementation of cooperations, strategies, activities and effects.

The participation has been doubly rewarding:

Firstly: Every competence network was able to compare itself to the most highly productive clusters in Europe and gain valuable hints for its own activities.

Secondly: Every competence network is now officially granted the BRONZE-Label for the first time. The “European Cluster Excellence Initiative” pursues the objective of providing cluster organisations with methodologies and tools for the enhancement of work and documentation of the quality of the cluster management. The BRONZE-Label stands the beginning of an improvement process of cluster management. Other more highly valued quality labels are currently in preparation and are going to provide cluster organisations an opportunity to document and reveal the absolute quality and excellence of their work according to a set of criteria widely reconciled throughout Europe.

Even after completion of the project NGPExcellence, the coordinating office of Kompetenznetze Deutschland offers the service of benchmarking. This service is free of charge for member networks of the Initiative Kompetenznetze Deutschland. This benchmarking consists of a structured three hour interview which is performed by a qualified Cluster Benchmarking Expert at the premises of the cluster organisation. Out of the data acquired an individual and strictly confidential benchmarking report is elaborated for the cluster organisation that, on the one hand, compares its own portfolio to the one of other, similar clusters and, on the other hand, contains customised recommendations for improvements of the cluster management.