Contribution of cluster strategies and inter-cluster cooperation for the competitive progress of the EU and LAC

The evolution of exchange and collaboration between the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) economies during the last 20 years is marked by significant growth in trade and investment, and by the increasing number of links between private companies and the public sector. In this context, the trend in recent years to strengthen cluster and RIS3 strategies in Europe and LAC poses the challenge of the possibilities of collaboration and convergence between both experiences in a common dynamic, that enhances learning, innovation and competition, while contributing to improved integration of value chains between both regions. This report addresses the real possibilities of transatlantic collaboration, based on the specific experience of the Competitiveness Clusters (Polos) Project, of the EU-LAC Foundation, by analysing the results of the completed first phase, while proposing a new framework for the second phase focusing on two areas of common interest for both blocks: the integration of clusters and smart specialisation strategies, as well as the formation of global EU-LAC value chains, within said integration.