On 5th of March, 2013 SECPhO achieved a Cluster Management Excellence Label in Bronze. SECPhO is one of 13 out of 40 photonics clusters in Europe that were awarded with this label which is issued by the European Cluster Excellence Initiative (www.cllusterexcellence.eu).

The main approach of this initiative is “to create an independent, voluntary proof of cluster management excellence which is accepted and recognised all over Europe”.

Besides different national labels and certificates Cluster Management Excellence Label indicates the quality of management in European level which opens new opportunities and services for clusters and their members. Currently, approx. 350 European clusters from all sectors are labeled with a Bronze label and 9 with Gold.

A common database and interaction channel was created which includes all information on labeled clusters (www.clustercollaboration.eu) as well as European cluster statistics platform (www.clusteranalysis.eu). All these tools opened new cluster driven services like different cluster managers’ trainings, cluster missions to other, non-European countries and calls for European Strategic Cluster Partnerships (ESCP). SECPhO has submitted the proposal for the ESCP call together with 4 partners from Spain, France and Germany. The aim of the project is generation of innovation workshops in food packaging in European level where photonic companies would serve as key solution providers. This initiative will generate new opportunities of development of innovative products and solutions to certain, currently existing problems in food packaging that major manufacturers of packaging systems will use. This will result in new costumers, incomes and European recognition for SECPhO members. Keep following the news from SECPhO to know the recent updates on the initiative!

To conclude, Cluster Management Excellence Label offers various opportunities and services to European clusters as well as shows the quality of cluster management recognised and promoted by the European Commission. This already resulted in new SECPhO initiatives and future international opportunities for cluster members. SECPhO will work on generating new actions through Cluster Management Excellence initiative and seek for the Golden label in near future to be able to offer best service to it’s members.