New media clusters in the making
The field of digital media is rapidly growing and represents an important pillar of the European economy. Most companies in ICT are small, counting on national and EU policies and initiatives, such as the establishment of regional ICT clusters, to flourish. In this context, the EU-funded project 'Regional economic development by ICT/new media clusters' (REDICT) aimed to advance the emergence of such clusters. The project looked at how to improve the innovation potential of the regions in relation to ICT and digital media. It designed strategies to reinforce the region's competitiveness with particular emphasis on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In parallel, REDICT evaluated existing mechanisms used to boost innovation and knowledge flow to SMEs in different regions. An important project achievement involved the creation of a framework to identify the conditions that make clusters successful. In addition, team members worked on articulating customised strategies and joint action plans to strengthen research and development in the ICT field. To achieve its aims, the team studied the dynamics of cluster development, focusing on the three stages of incubation, launching and growth. It also looked at why abundant knowledge transfer didn't translate into new products and services. Other key areas examined include manpower planning, business support for SMEs and effective stimulation of knowledge transfer. Another key part of the project focused on preparing a SWOT analysis of the digital media sector in different regions. It documented strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in detail, highlighting overall conclusions and emphasising best practices that could be emulated in other regions. Participation in several conferences and the organisation of workshops helped ensure that these valuable findings were disseminated to stakeholders. REDICT workshops were organised in several EU cities, paving the way to enhanced ICT and media clusters that stand to strengthen Europe's knowledge economy considerably. The project's recommendations will help further this ambitious vision.
