Clusterplast - Inter-Cluster initiative to target the future challenges for the European polymer converting industry

The Clusterplast project is a European inter-cluster initiative –gathering clusters of the plastic processing industry value chain from France, Portugal, Austria, Spain, Italy and Czech Republic– and which, via the definition of a Joint Action Plan and co-promotion of inter-clusters initiatives, aims to promote a basis for furthering the clusters’ development and, in last analysis, towards sustainability, as a response to the Industry’s future challenges.

The Joint Action Plan will be one of the main deliverables of project and, towards the defined ends, it will foresee actions promoting:

(a)the leveraging of installed R&D capacities and reduction of associated R&D costs, via collaborations and shared access to infrastructures;
(b)the mobility of researchers, engineers and technicians, furthering the development of competences, the valorisation of the use of R&D infrastructures and the generation of qualified human resources, in response to SMEs needs;
(c)knowledge and technology transfer;
(d)the definition of joint training actions;
(e)the launch of inter-clusters R&D projects;
(f)f) the dissemination of best practices, inter-cluster learning processes and launch of benchmarking actions;
(g)entrepreneurship, fostering the launch of new companies and the growth of the current SME base, and at the same time promoting their involvement in R&D projects;
(h)and additionally, it also foresees the definition of a financial plan that shall support the implementation of the Joint Action Plan, by taking advantage of the available funding programmes and instruments.

Started in January 2009 and with a foreseen duration of 18 months, the project also includes the development of disseminations events and fora with the Industry’s stakeholders, towards the establishment of joint initiatives, projects and actions and the definition of a strategic agenda for the sector.

Consortium:

Cluster – FRANCE
RRA - Région Rhône-Alpes (Coordinator)
Plastipolis (Pôle de Compétitivité Plasturgie)
Cluster - PORTUGAL
CENTIMFE
CEFAMOL
OPEN
IST
Município da Marinha Grande
Cluster – CZECH REPUBLIC
Technologické Inovační Centrum [TICZLIN]
Plastikárský klastr [PLASTR]
Cluster - AUSTRIA
CLUSTERLAND GmbH
Cluster - ITÁLIA
PROPLAST - consorzio per la promozione della cultura plastica
Cluster - ESPANHA
IMPIVA - Instituto de la Mediana y Pequeña Industria Valenciana-Generalitat Valenciana
Universidade de Alicante
AVEP - Asociación Valenciana de empresarios de Plástico
Consulting Company
ALMA Consulting Group (FRANÇA)

Regarding the Engineering and Tooling national [Portugal] cluster, the participating entities in the consortium are: CENTIMFE, CEFAMOL, the incubator OPEN, the IST and the Municipality of Marinha Grande.

Clusterplast is a project funded by the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013), within the “Regions of Knowledge” initiative of the Capacities programme (under the grant agreement nr. 230019).