The third Barcelona Clusters Summer School (BCSS 2009) is organized by the International Centre for Competitiveness of the IESE Business School, from the 6th to the 17th of July 2009. As in the past two editions, the program has been designed and coordinated by Emiliano Duch, one of the pioneers in cluster competitiveness management.

BCSS 2009 offers a program of two weeks of courses that cover from the conceptual framework to best practice examples on Cluster Competitiveness Management. Rigorous theoretical courses conducted by well-known academics are combined with leading practitioners’ experiences from across the world in different economic settings.
The courses are designed for professionals working in the management of cluster based competitiveness and innovation programs, at cluster and regional level.
The schedule of the BCSS has been designed to allow students to participate in both weeks offered, or only in one of them. However, the students that attend both weeks’ courses will be awarded a certificate on Cluster Competitiveness Management.

1.    Cluster Competitiveness Week: July 6th-10th

A deep understanding of clusters and cluster initiatives, and their application in economic development policies is key for any modern policymaker. The first week of the Summer School is addressed particularly to those policymakers and economists in governmental bodies, be it at supranational, national or regional levels, in charge of designing and shaping development, innovation and competitiveness policies.
This week's courses are also important for practitioners working with clusters, to understand the general policy framework where the cluster programs and actions are coming from.

2.    Cluster Management Week: July 13th-17th

Working with clusters, their companies and institutions to define common strategies and manage their joint actions, is moving from an artisan stage, based on accumulated personal experiences, to a body of codified methodologies and frameworks, already proven worldwide. The second week of the Summer School focuses on introducing those concepts, and is of particular interest for practitioners in direct relation with clusters, development agency staff, cluster managers, cluster project managers, consultants, and definitively cluster agents as well (companies or institutions).