23 May 2018
Competiti’v eko was created three years ago to strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs. This initiative is based on trans-frontier collaboration and the engagement of clusters, technology centres and economic develpment agencies in the Spanish and French Basque Country, Aquitaine and Navarre. Orkestra has been one of the key agents contributing to this project since its implementation. It has assisted with analyses, diagnoses and methodology while appying its knowledge to serve the needs and challenges that have been raised.
Henar Alcalde and Usue Lorenz are the project leaders at Orkestra. They have given us detailed information on the project that is becoming a benchmark for collaboration in Europe.
Interview with Henar Alcalde and Usue Lorenz
How did the idea for the project begin?
We had been working on another project that was interclustering with the New Aquitaine-Basque Country-Navarre Euroregion and the need to move forward and delve into trans-frontier collaboration arose. Although at first sight, it might seem perfectly logical for neighbours to work together, the truth is that on frontiers there is a big knowledge gap about what is on the other side and how to take advantage of strengths and create synergies.
How is collaboration taking place through this initiative?
RIS3 was the starting point for the project because we saw that we needed to begin from territorial strategy. A joint reflection period then began with three regional governments (New Aquitaine, Navarre and the Basque Country), the main regional development agencies (Sodena, ADI Nouvelle-Aquitaine and SPRI); the trans-frontier business worlds and the project partners. This led to defining a series of priorities: Big Data, additive manufacturing, health with medical devices and agro-food. The final aim of the project is to create two consortia or cooperation poles or meta clusters.
What are these two consortia expected to contribute?
This will mainly depend on the needs of the firms in the working groups. We are going to promote this trans-frontier collaboration and they will gradually define the precise content of the consortia. Whether they are going to: be used to search for European tenders, be a brand, take the form of a cluster or be specific interaction and collaboration spaces.
How many firms are currently involved?
Some 200 firms. 20 in Big Data; 90 in health; 50 in additive manufacturing and 40 in the agro-food industry. By territories, there is a very balanced number of firms involved. We were pleasantly surprised by the way the project was received in our business fabric.
What learning have you gained from the project a priori?
As per priorities concerning business collaboration, we have found that firms' needs are very different from the ones we thought were obvious. They tend to be simpler, smaller things like getting to know each other first. They also appreciate spaces where they can present their projects and gain visibility and available institutions that can provide them with tools and facilities to generate collaboration.
This project has been quite well received in Europe. What is the reason for this?
There are several reasons. On the one hand, there are barely any trans-frontier projects. On the other, because we have linked the project with RIS3 thus helping to boost and organise smart specialisation strategy. Lastly, this is a project that has received the support of the Euroregion and the three regional governments at all times. All of this, linked to the fact that these are firms that define their priorities and needs, has made Competitiv’eko a case study at the European level. Competitiv’eko is expected to hold its own event in Brussels in the last quarter, jointly with the three regions' delegations there.