AEI Tèxtils visited several European Clusters on two learning visits over the past month with the aim of strengthening the cluster competencies and networks to develop new and improved services for its members in the advanced textile materials’ sector in Catalonia.
The first learning visit was to Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (France) on May 16th to 18th, to visit the French textile ecosystem with visits to two French clusters: Techtera, focusing on technical textiles, and Polymeris, focusing on polymers and raw materials for textile production, with whom the cluster management team had the opportunity to exchange good practices and insights for cluster management.
This insight exchange was focused particularly on advanced textile materials cluster management and sharing insights for joint opportunities for collaboration, including the facilitation of B2B meetings among members of the different delegations.
The second learning visit targeted Norway with visits to 5 clusters including: Smart Care Cluster, NES – Norwegian Energy Solution Clusters and Offshore Wind Cluster in Stavanger, and the clusters NCE Seafood Innovation and GCE Ocean Technology in Bergen. These learning visits were framed within the European Cluster Strategic Partnerships for Excellence project, CLAMTEX – Cluster management towards excellence in Advanced Manufacturing and Textile Industry, which is coordinated by the cluster.
As part of CLAMTEX learning visit to Norway, 6 staff members of the partnership, including the responsible of cluster’s project from AEI Tèxtils, participated in this learning visits in Norway on June 7th and 8th.
The different clusters in Norway had different key strengths and shared their insights, flagship initiatives and funding models for the different services to drive the ecosystem from oil-based country to innovation driven transformation towards renewable energies.
Learning from different sectors is key for the cluster in developing and upgrading services based on good practices transferable across different domains supporting innovation. All CLAMTEX members also shared the overview of their cluster in order to seek synergies with the Norwegian innovation ecosystem, particularly to foster the green and digital transition, leveraging advanced technologies and digital technologies to be used in the textile sector.
The experience exchange was really fruitful for all participants and each cluster will shortly identify potential synergic actions to strengthen and endure the cluster collaboration across Europe to improve their services.
