In the context of developing collaborative partnerships to promote value chain innovation our EU Advisor, Poppy Kalesi, took part in the 5th EU Cluster Matchmaking Conference on 21-22 September in Stuttgart. 175 European clusters took part in the two-day conference which this year focused on networking and new tools for cluster internationalisation.

Bilde 1 Cluster to cluster collaboration is one of the top priorities of the EU’s strategy to promote market creating innovation through connecting industries that had never previously connected. In this context NCE Seafood discussed possible collaboration on:

innovative packaging, smart production and consumption with Waitrose, the supplier partnership group of the innovative food retailer from the UK;

smart textiles with the French cluster Techtera and sustainable textile materials using salmon leather with the Norwegian Fashion Hub;

digital business models with the German Zentrum Digitalisering Bayern cluster and the French Cap Digital cluster.

Should these discussions further develop into value creating project proposals the next steps will include joint EU project proposals under the H2020 programme in the course of 2018 and 2019.     Bilde 2