.
Regional Clus e ’s de elopmen , base on esea ch and inno a ion
Gab iel Vladu , IPA
Resea ch Ins i u e o Au oma ion Sys ems, 12, S e an cel Ma e s ee ,
C aio a, 200130, Romania, o ice@ipac . o
ABSTRACT
The Eu opean Commission aims o ensu e cohe ence be ween en i onmen al, clima e,
ene gy and indus ial policy o c ea e op imal business en i onmen s o sus ainable g ow h
and inno a ions, in a way ha enhances he compe i i eness o Eu opean indus y, while
mo ing owa ds a mo e esou ce e icien , ci cula economy. Sus ainabili y needs o be
mains eamed in o all a eas o indus ial policy o help Eu opean businesses o unlock i s
mo e ad an age and gain a compe i i e edge.
The Do o hy p ojec is inspi ed by he con en s o he “Flagship Ini ia i e o a esou ce-
e icien Eu ope unde he Eu ope 2020 s a egy”.
The Do o hy P ojec is a ge ed o de elop he po en ial o inno a ion and esea ch in he
ou Regions composing he Conso ium in he ield o U ban Logis ics, which ep esen he
speci ic applica ion opic o he p oposal, and is one o he main ocuses o a en ion o he
Flagship Ini ia i e. The indus ial en i onnen is he main ac o on he esea ch and
inno a ion egional d i en Clus e s
The Do o hy p ojec has achie ed he esul o se ing up h ee Regional Inno a ion Clus e s
in: Valencia – Spain, Lisbon – Po ugal and C aio a – Romania, unde he men o ing ac ion
o he al eady exis ing Tuscany Clus e in Fi enze. They ope a e in he ield o U ban
Logis ics.
Among he o he ac i i ies ca ied ou by he p ojec , a Memo andum o Unde s anding
(MoU) ha e been de ined and signed among he ou Clus e s in o m o a mul ila e al and
mu ual ag eemen among hem.
This pape explain he con en s and he impo ance in he JAP – Join Ac ion Plan, o he
hema ic a ea 3 abou egional clus e s de elopmen , he a ge o he o e all Thema ic A ea,
why has been chosen as a Thema ic A ea, sho ly emind he ac ions ha a e con ained in
he Thema ic A ea. The ac ion ields and ela ed ac ions a e o ganized unde 6 a eas:
1. Inno a i e ICT solu ions o suppo ad anced UL egula ion schemes
2. Open da a a chi ec u es o suppo u ban logis ics
3. P oximi y deli e y a eas
4. Coope a ion ag eemen among he Do o hy Clus e s
5. Re e se logis ics
6. Coope a ion wi h o he exis ing Clus e s and ne wo ks.
U ban Logis ics amewo k
In o de o main ain in e na ional compe i i eness o Eu opean indus ies while sa egua ding
s ic en i onmen al s anda ds, i is impo an o wo k on he in e na ional le el owa ds a
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mo e le el playing ield h ough in e na ional policy coope a ion.
These coope a ion and dialogues aim o sha e Eu opean sus ainable and low ca bon solu ions
wi h o he coun ies and p o ide an oppo uni y o p omo e Eu opean echnologies on
impo an expo ma ke s.
The heme o U ban Logis ics ep esen s, in his amewo k, an impo an aspec o he
e icien use o esou ces in Eu ope.
In ac , being he o e all supply chain o he mo emen o goods one o he poli ical
p io i ies o he Eu opean agenda, he p oblem o he “las mile”, di ec ly ela ed in i s
majo i y o u ban logis ics, is one o he mos ele an o he o e all supply o ganiza ion.
The DOROTHY p ojec has he mission o p omo e U ban Logis ics solu ions o imp o e
he dis ibu ion p ocess o u ban goods by enhancing en i onmen al s anda ds; he p ojec
aims o imp o e he egional compe i i eness in he speci ic ield and he quali y o li e in
Eu opean ci ies.
By using he app oach o clus e ing a ound inno a ion, DOROTHY p ojec seeks o de elop
he po en ial o inno a ion and esea ch in u ban logis ics, ac oss he Eu opean egions o
Tuscany (I aly), Valencia (Spain), Lisbon & Tagus Valley (Po ugal) and Ol enia (Romania).
DOROTHY p ojec is helping o boos up he compe i i eness o all he clus e s hemsel es
and s eng hen hei ocus on ad anced echnological a eas, wi h a high po en ial o
inno a ion in he U ban Logis ics ield.
Enhancemen o he clus e s’ esea ch and de elopmen (R&D) capaci ies will con ibu e o
he egional de elopmen o sma specializa ion s a egies (RIS3) o he de elopmen e and
use o esou ce-e icien echnologies, acco ding o he la es Eu opean Union/Commission
guidelines. [1]
The clus e s ocus on new de elopmen s and on he po en ial c ea ion o specializa ion
niches.
Fo pu suing i s objec i es, he DOROTHY p ojec has de ined a Join Ac ion Plan (JAP)
con aining a se o coo dina ed ac ions ha will be implemen ed g adually a e he p ojec
e mina ion, ha ing as main playe s he egional Clus e s.
The MoU is he basic ool o achie e he o e all goal, and he me hod o speci y he o ms
o collabo a ion among pa ne s / pa ies. In ac he MoU commi s all he ou clus e s
pa icipa ing o Do o hy p ojec s o de elop he ac ions o eseen by he Join Ac ion Plan
and o analyse o he u u e o ms o coope a ion.
Objec i es
A speci ic Thema ic A ea de o ed o Regional Clus e ’s de elopmen has been included in
he Join Ac ion Plan o some impo an easons:
 Clus e s a e key d i e s o job g ow h, wage g ow h, new business o ma ion, and
inno a ion.
 The Regional Clus e ’s de elopmen wi hin ci ies is a undamen al aspec o he
b oade heme o u ban mobili y, which no only ep esen s a compe i i eness ac o
o ci ies, bu has also a ele an impac on he quali y o he u ban en i onmen and
on anspo e iciency and, consequen ly, cos s.
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 All u ban logis ics ope a o s a e subjec o clus e ing, compe i i eness, inno a ion,
job g ow h and his s ongly a ec s hei ope a ion, hei e iciency and cos s.
 The Clus e s was se -up in di e en modali ies, acco ding he na ional/ egional ules,
legisla ion and in e es s / expe ience in na ional / in e na ional pa ne ships dedica ed
o he Clus e ’s.
 The en i ies in ol ed he coope a ion be ween Clus e s and be ween membe s o he
Clus e s a e pa icula ly seen as he key esou ce o eac ing o he Pa ies needs.
The p ojec has he mission o p omo e U ban Logis ics solu ions o imp o e he dis ibu ion
p ocess o u ban goods by enhancing en i onmen al s anda ds; he p ojec aims o imp o e
he quali y o li e in Eu opean ci ies.
By using he app oach o clus e ing a ound inno a ion, DOROTHY p ojec seeks o de elop
he po en ial o inno a ion and esea ch in u ban logis ics, ac oss he Eu opean egions o
Tuscany (I aly), Valencia (Spain), Lisbon & Tagus Valley (Po ugal) and Ol enia (Romania).
The en i ies ha assu ed he model o Do o hy Clus e s a e:
 Business companies and ope a o s (Including ICT, Elec onics / Business consul ing
and Agencies)
 Local / Regional / Na ional Adminis a ion
 Uni e si y / Resea ch-De elopmen and Inno a ion en i ies
 Associa ions / NOGs
A Join Ac ion Plan should
 analyze he de elopmen needs and objec i es jus i ying he join ac ion plan,
 in o ma ion on he geog aphic co e age and a ge g oups o he join ac ion plan
 iden i y he pa ne s, ac i i ies (wha o do) esponsibili ies (who does wha ) and
schedule o ans-na ional and c oss- egional coope a ion.
 p esen he amewo k desc ibing he ela ionship be ween he gene al and speci ic
objec i es o he join ac ion plan, he miles ones and he a ge s o ou pu s and
esul s, and he p ojec s o ypes o p ojec s en isaged
 se ou a business plan, de ining how o inance he Join Ac ion Plan by using
possibili ies a ailable a na ional/local le el, including om he p i a e sec o , o a
Communi y le el
 he expec ed implemen a ion pe iod o he join ac ion plan
 make clea he complemen a i ies be ween he p oposed ac ions and he EC egional
policy p og ams o he egion(s) conce ned.
 conside he use o inancial ins umen s such as he Ho izon 2020, he
Compe i i eness and Inno a ion P og amme, he S uc u al Funds, as well as
na ional and egional esou ces and inancing om he p i a e sec o , o implemen
he Ac ion Plans.
 an analysis o he e ec s o he join ac ion plan on he p omo ion o sus ainable
de elopmen , whe e app op ia e
The analysis o he Regional Sma Specialisa ion S a egies (S3) has been a conce n in he
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p ocess o de ining sui able ac ions o he JAP, complian no only wi h he indus ial
oca ion o he p oduc i e issue, he ision and demand o inno a ion exp essed by he
egions, bu also o he s a egic de elopmen lines de ined by he egional go e nmen s in
he amewo k o he S3 Eu opean amewo k.
The ou pu s and esul s o he JAP shall be ag eed be ween he Regional/Local
Adminis a ion and he S akeholde s (Clus e s) and shall con ibu e o speci ic objec i es o
he ope a ional p og ammes and o m he basis o suppo om he Funds.
Ac ion ields and ela ed ac ions:
Inno a i e ICT solu ions o suppo ad anced UL egula ion schemes
S a ing om he huge in e es ed shown in his ac ion by se e al Companies o di e en
Clus e s, he objec i e o his ac ion is o de ine in e egional coope a ion in his speci ic
ield; o iden i y a possible class o p oduc s o be de eloped a he bene i o he Clus e s'
companies; o push egions o include his speci ic subjec in UL planning; o push egions
o launching speci ic ende s o he implemen a ion o his kind o ini ia i es; o iden i y
o he possible unding sou ces;
Open da a a chi ec u es o suppo UL
To be e de ine Clus e s in e es s wi hin his ield, o s a in e egional coope a ion in his
speci ic ield; o iden i y a possible class o p oduc s o be de eloped a he bene i o he
Clus e s' companies; o push Regions o include his speci ic subjec in hei planning; o
iden i y o he possible unding sou ces;
P oximi y deli e y a eas
To de ine Clus e in e es s in his kind o ac ion se ing up, in e egional coope a ion; o
iden i y a possible class o p oduc s o be de eloped a he bene i o he Clus e s' companies;
o iden i y possible unding sou ces, including he use o UE o Regional unds; [2]
A he momen he e is an indus ial in e es jus om he Tuscany Clus e . The in e es o
he Clus e s in he ield is no clea and has o be de ined.
Coope a ion ag eemen among he Clus e s
De ini ion and signa u e o a coope a ion ag eemen among he Clus e s o JAP
implemen a ion and o de ine u he collabo a ions a e DOROTHY end.
The coope a ion ag eemen con ains some speci ic heme and some is o m o coope a ion
en isaged.
Re e se logis ics
The imp o emen o e e se logis ics could be iden i ied as a ield o specialisa ion o he
Regional Clus e s. The speci ic objec i e is wo old:
 To de elop some speci ic p oduc and/o skill in he Clus e s ha could go on he
ma ke as speci ic specialisa ion
 To de ine some measu e o de elop he weigh o e e se logis ics in he egions
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Bo h objec i es could be pu sued, as well as a single one o none o hem.
Coope a ion wi h o he Clus e s and ne wo ks
The aim is o iden i y al eady exis ing Clus e s and Eu opean o in e na ional ne wo ks o
pla o ms o connec wi h. This a he pu pose o easing u u e se up o esea ch conso ia
o R&D unding o o he ini ia i es. [3]
This ac ion would ha e a s ong ela ion wi h he one abou UL obse a o y.
The ou Clus e s signed he Memo andum o Unde s anding (MoU), on 28 h Oc obe 2015,
in Valencia. Scope o he MoU is o commi all he ou clus e s pa icipa ing o Do o hy
p ojec s o de elop he ac ions p o ided by he JAP. In he nex s ep, he pa ne s in end:
 To collabo a e as Clus e s and as membe s o he Clus e s
 To pa icipa e in join esea ch and inno a ion p ojec s on u ban logis ics o be sel
inanced o o which unding sou ces/p og ams will ha e o be sough
 To suppo membe s o he Clus e s o pa icipa e in join p ojec s o esea ch –
inno a ion and S uc u al Funds o de elopmen , g ow h and compe i i eness unde
he U ban Logis ics opic.
S akeholde s and bene icia ies o he ac ion
The s akeholde s o he ac ion a e he Clus e s hemsel es and he main bene icia ies will be
he single en i ies belonging o he Clus e s ha will be in he u u e he main playe s o he
ini ia i es ca ied ou wi hin he amewo k o he coope a ion ag eemen .
JAP’s cha ac e is ics
The JAP mus be composed o a se o ac ions:
 Exhaus i e: capable o in ol ing all he s akeholde s and add essing all he elemen s
o he men ioned scheme
 In eg a ed and complemen a y: o maximize he e ec s
 Complian wi h he s uc u e and he in e es s o he Clus e
 In line wi h he sma specialisa ion o he Region
 E ec i e: capable o signi ican ly imp o e he s a e o UL long i s whole chain.
Objec i es o he Do o hy’s JAP
Fo Do o hy P ojec , he objec i e is o de ine he echnological pa o a JAP o inno a ion
and esea ch in he Regions.
The a ge is o iden i y he echnological de elopmen lines o R&TI in he speci ic
applica ion a ea in he ou Regions, aking in o accoun di e en ac o s such as he local
specializa ions, he speci ic ma ke demand e c. bu de ining an in eg a ed JAP.
In ac ano he ele an and speci ic objec i e is o de ine possible echnological and esea ch
a eas o co-ope a ion among he P ojec Clus e s o speci ic pa ne s o he Clus e s.
The Do o hy JAP is an open s uc u e and a “wo k in p og ess” ha mus ecei e
con ibu ion by all he pa ne s and mus be upda ed acco ding o he e olu ion o he
Clus e s’ needs, si ua ions and in e es s.
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Clus e s mus expand including new playe s. A e Do o hy he JAP will be he planning
ins umen s o he Clus e s o hei de elopmen .
Do o hy is open om now un il he end o he p ojec o ecei e all he sugges ions by he
Local Clus e s o upda ing and enla ging he scope and he ac ions o he JAP and apa i ,
he suppo o he Clus e s o gi ing hem a long las ing and s able s uc u e.
S a ing om he de ailed analysis ca ied ou om he s a ing o he p ojec , all he speci ic
inno a ion and esea ch (R&TI) a eas po en ially in e es ing o he Clus e s was de ined.
The analysis ocused on:
 he local specialisa ion o each Clus e and i s po en iali ies
 he local condi ions and he local po en ial demand o inno a ion
 he possibili y o exploi he inno a ion ou side he e i o ial en i onmen , a
na ional/in e na ional le el
F om he echnological poin o iew, he main sec o s which will be in es iga ed was he
ones ela ed o:
 ICT sys ems o suppo u ban logis ics, bo h om he side o he logis ics ope a o s
suppo sys ems and om he side o he ci ies, in suppo ing he implemen a ion o
access egula ion and con ol schemes
 new dis ibu ion sys ems and concep s using inno a i e ehicles (wi h a special
a en ion o elec ical ehicles) and loading/unloading equipmen s, and small
wa ehousing sys ems
 new dis ibu ion schems o be applied in he u ban en i onmen and he eal ed
suppo sys ems.
The analyse de ine ed addi ional elemen s which was conside ed in de ining he R&TI lines
and a eas:
 economic, social, en i onmen al and u ban bene i s expec ed by he exploi a ion o
he R&TI ac ions
 amewo k condi ions o be implemen ed o exploi a bes he analysed R&TI
ac ions.
The de ini ion o he ac ions o be included in in he JAPs and hei p io i ies ca ied ou
aking conside ing all hese elemen s a he pu pose o selec ing ac ions which will ha e no
only a good scien i ic in e es , bu also a high po en ial impac on he economic local
s uc u e and on he le el o local se ices.
Memo andum o Unde s anding
The main objec i e o he MoU is o de ine a coope a ion amewo k among he ou egional
Inno a ion Clus e s coming om he Do o hy P ojec , no only as a s a egic pe spec i e,
bu also o exploi ing sho and medium e m coope a ion oppo uni ies based on
complemen a i ies o common in e es on he exis ing inno a ion ini ia i es. [4]
The main pu pose o he MoU is o engage he ou Clus e s and he pa icipa ing en i ies in
coope a ing on common a eas o in e es o :
 inding and exploi ing unding oppo uni ies by Eu opean and/o Na ional R&TI
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P og ammes ocused on speci ic p ojec s o common in e es
 os e ing he coope a ion no only among he Clus e s hemsel es bu also among
he companies membe s o he Clus e s in he ou Regions, o achie ing
ag eemen s on speci ic indus ial plans
 launching join esea ch and inno a ion p ojec s on u ban logis ics o be sel inanced
o o which unding sou ces/p og ams will ha e o be sough
 coo dina ing he e o s o he Regions and o he membe s o he Clus e s o using
inno a ion and S uc u al Funds o he de elopmen , g ow h and compe i i eness o
he U ban Logis ics in he egions
 a ou ing he exchange o knowledge and in o ma ion among he Clus e ’s and hei
membe s
 c ea ing a common unde s anding o he p oblems o U ban Logis ics and o he
possible ac ions o imp o e i s s a e.
The MoU ep esen s an ag eemen among he Pa ies in coope a ing o he implemen a ion
o he Do o hy Join Ac ion Plan (JAP) and o p omo e o he u u e common ac ions coming
om he join analysis and wo k in he ield o U ban Logis ics. [5]
The JAP con ains no only he plans o he u u e R&TI ac ions o be unded by he Regional
Go e nmen s and Agencies, bu he indica ions o conc e e ac ions o coo dina ion,
exchange and common de elopmen among he di e en Clus e s.
The MoU speci ies, he ela ionship among he Pa ies, in pa icula conce ning he
o ganisa ion o he wo k be ween he Pa ies, he managemen and he igh s and obliga ions
o he Pa ies conce ning in e -alia-liabili y, access igh s and dispu e esolu ion. This scope
shall be pu sued ei he in ol ing he Clus e s’ o ganisa ions o single o se e al Clus e s
pa ne s.
In he MoU wo le els o coope a ion a e o eseen:
 Among he ou DOROTHY clus e s
 En i ies o en i ies
I all o some o he pa ne s wish o ca y ou speci ic p ojec s, all e ms and condi ions
ela ing o such speci ic p ojec s shall be ag eed upon sepa a ely in indi idual w i en
ag eemen s, only be ween hose pa ne s which a e included in o he p ojec .
The MoU doesn’ imply any inancial obliga ion on ei he Pa y. Each Pa y shall bea i s
own - in e nal and ex e nal - cos s in connec ion wi h his MoU, excep i o he wise
s ipula ed be ween he pa ne s. Nei he Pa y is equi ed o obliga e unds pu suan o his
MoU. The MoU speci y in same ime, he ole o he pa ne s o :
 Modali y o implemen he MoU
 En y in o o ce, du a ion and e mina ion,
 Me hodology o in e na ional co-ope a ion on he exis ing inno a ion lines
 Roles and esponsibili ies o he pa ne s
 Managemen o In ellec ual P ope y in knowledge ans e ac i i ies
 The possibili y o hi d pa ies o subsc ibe
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Re e ences
1) UK, Depa men o Business Inno a ion & Skills, Annual Inno a ion Repo
h ps://www.go .uk/go e nmen /uploads/sys em/uploads/a achmen _da a/ ile/34805/12
-p188-annual-inno a ion- epo -2012.pd
2) The es ablishmen and ope a ion o a Regional Inno a ion Clus e
h p://www.sw a.ie/con en iles/pd s/SWRARICMOU.pd ?uid=1265646232937
3) Making sense o clus e s: egional compe i i eness & economic de elopmen
h p://www.b ookings.edu/ esea ch/ epo s/2006/03/ci ies-co igh
4) How a Memo andum o Unde s anding Wo ks
h p://people.hows u wo ks.com/memo andum-o -unde s anding.h m
MoU - Eu opean Clus e Collabo a ion Pla o m,
h p://www.clus e collabo a ion.eu/documen s/10147/254518/Sou h+Ko ea+MOU+signed
+.pd
CIT2016 – XII Cong eso de Ingenie ía del T anspo e
València, Uni e si a Poli ècnica de València, 2016.
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