All countries of the Visegrad Group are characterized by a relatively low level of innovation compared to the EU average. One of the reasons behind this fact are weak linkages between research institutions and enterprises. However, there is evidence that clusters are an important factor that can foster research-business cooperation. As V4 countries are in need of effective policy tools that can assist their efforts aimed at development, the research project will help V4 countries to learn from each other and identify the best and transferable patterns of B2R/R2B collaboration to boost V4 innovation leadership.
The project focuses on clusters and cooperation between business and research in 4helix within the Central European territorial ecosystems for R&I. According to cluster’s theoretical model, such cooperation should exist in each cluster as one of the foundations of its existence. As part of the project, the consortium partners will provide evidence that both companies and research institutions benefit from cooperation and stakeholder engagement for smart governance in B2R/R2B.
Until now, no comprehensive research has been conducted on how cluster companies build links with universities and scientific institutions (B2R) and vice versa (R2B). Therefore, the objective of the project is to identify models of cooperation between business and research within clusters and analyze the possibilities of their transfer to wider economic practice.
The project outcome and case studies presenting the benefits of B2R and R2B collaboration will help to promote business-research relations and raise awareness of smart governance towards viable and sustainable territorial R&I ecosystems. The identified models of cooperation will be presented to policy makers and will be a valuable input to design future policy instruments.