Through an agreement, the partners of ClusterCOOP confirmed their intention for further cooperation with the aim of coordination within the cluster policy of Central and Eastern European countries. At the same time, the results of the project achieved thus far were approved.

Besides seven countries – along with Hungary the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Russia and Germany -- ten partner organizations participate in the ClusterCOOP project. Within the system, Hungary is represented by MAG Ltd and the Ministry for National Economy, therefore it is of great importance that the Hungarian ministry assumed the role of leading partner for the very first time within the European Regional Development Fund project.

The key objectives of ClusterCOOP are to stimulate the development of new industrial divisions via occasional across-the-border cooperation and to establish a common knowledge base which is maintained by interactive partnership. Accordingly, expert departments have formulated common proposals which facilitate the formation of cluster cooperation through the harmonization and optimization of regulatory frameworks.

In addition, a common, standardized Central European cluster qualification system was elaborated (based partly on the Hungarian Accreditation System) which the countries and organizations within and around the region are allowed to apply – either as a whole or in parts – for the allocation of cluster-development project funding.

At the meeting, the participants formulated joint proposals for across-the-border industrial policy developments for the drafting period of 2014-2020 EU development funding.

(Ministry for National Economy)