PLENARY SESSION

Session 1: Clusters

Jon Azua

Clusters and Glokalisation

Clusters are based on "cooperation and competition", a "fundamental strategy" for success in globalisation. Urban clusters incorporate "companies, universities and research centres". It was with these words that Joan Trullen, secretary general of industry of the Spanish government, introduced the presentation "Clusters and Glokalisation" given by Jon Azua, Ex Vice-president of the Basque Government and president of the ideas and strategy company e-novating lab. Following the ideas explained by Trullen, Azua described the use of clusters as a "complex process" aimed at responding to the current socioeconomic scenario and "elevating the level of development and prosperity through a competitive platform."

KEY IDEAS

• Clusters, a tool to confront globalisation
The use of clusters is a tool to confront globalisation which facilitates interactions among players, delegation of responsibility, and convergence of agendas; foments the role of the entities involved; paves the way to a new future; and makes it possible to overcome sector-specific barriers through a holistic approach.

• The new role of cities
Cities must think themselves as more than just simple "containers"; they must endeavour to become "true protagonists that can attract and retain strategic resources" -capital, companies and above all, talent-via their global connectivity and capacity to build active networks

• Territory as strategic vector
In a world which is increasingly glokal-simultaneously globalising and retaining local character-territory is becoming "a strategic vector for defining new policies for competitiveness and welfare, and not just the land on which a project is located".