According to the latest press releases, the Balkan and Black Sea ICT Network (the network of IT&C clusters in the Balkans and Black Sea region) will enter 2016 under the coordination of Cluj IT Cluster, one of the most prominent IT clusters in Romania, having its headquarters in Cluj-Napoca.
Funded in October 2014 by Cluj IT Cluster itself, The Balkan and Black Sea ICT Network is intended to become a platform where the main IT clusters and related organizations from the Balkans and Black Sea macro-region can develop sustainable cooperation and businesses.
According to the working group’s statements, one of the main concerns of the Balkan and Black Sea ICT Network is to align the members’ knowledge and know-how in terms of market trends awareness and individual competitive advantage. It is therefore expected that the common economic performance will register a considerable growth in the region.
Currently, 17 members from 10 countries in the Balkan and Black Sea region are active in the BBS ICT network. The leading companies from Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia Herzegovina, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey are present in the cluster and direct their actions in order to foster joint R&D projects of high importance for this area.
For 2016, the entity in charge – the before mentioned Cluj IT Cluster – will follow through the necessary proceedings for the consolidation of the current structure and organization. Secondly, the 2016 mandate will try to draw effective collaborations between the clusters’ members. Thirdly, the board assumes the process of identifying and outlining the business and innovation competences of the macro region.
The rationale of Cluj IT Cluster getting involved in this wider actions in the geo-strategic region of Balkans and Black Sea countries is the pursuit of internationalization. Cluj IT Cluster has deliberately coordinated its actions to set on the global market an organization that provides a rich set of technical skills and consistent know-how.
On the 1st of December, the Balkan and Black Sea ICT Network initiated its first project implemented under the coordination of the Cluj IT Cluster: DANUBE ICT (Danube ICT Clusters’ Sustainable Cooperation for Smart and Inclusive Growth), a project financed through the Danube Region Strategy’s START programme. Its goal is to create long-term transnational strategic cooperation between IT&C clusters by drafting a joint strategy for identifying the most important development opportunities for SMEs.
Consequently, within the Balkan and Black Sea ICT Network the entities will be stimulated to share experiences and good practices, to define the strategic areas of cooperation. What’s more the network will strive to also boost competitiveness in traditional sectors through innovative ITC solutions.
