Driving Innovation in Management in the Basque Country |
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The Knowledge Cluster is a not-for-profit association created in 1996 to promote, stimulate and support knowledge in management. The final aim of this innovative initiative in Europe is to improve competitiveness among the business and institutional community in the Basque Country through improvement and innovation in management.  The
Knowledge Cluster• Our Vision: The vision of the Knowledge Cluster is to be an active, attractive and leading node in the construction of the Knowledge Society in the Basque Country, with particular dedication to its members in the area of business management. • General Objective: The general objective of the Knowledge Cluster is to build a space which encourages, enables and facilitates the development of new concepts, ideas and practices with which to face the significant challenges facing cluster members and which result from the globalised economy.
• Forums for reflection and exchange of knowledge. More than 30 forums organized and over 400 people taking part over last 10 years • Conferences, congresses, workshops and seminars for excellence in business management. • Books, advanced management study cases and publications on management and innovation topics
InternationalizationAs an international player, the Knowledge Cluster closely monitors international trends for their subsequent dissemination among the agents of innovation in the Basque Country. • Advanced international management trends • Internationalization of Basque management agents • Transferring Basque knowledge overseas The Knowledge Cluster is a member of SoL (Society for Organizational Learning).
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• Indicators
| Area | 7.235 sq km |
| Population | 2.116.240 |
| Official languages | Basque and Spanish |
| Regional capitals | Bilbao Vitoria-Gasteiz Donostia-S. Sebastián |
| Airports | 3 |
| Main ports | Bilbao and Pasaia |
| Technology parks | 3 |
| GDP per habitant | 23.788 e |
| R&D | 1.44% of GDP |
• Economy
A dense network of small and medium-sized companies form a highly diversified industrial base.
Internationalization, innovation and renovation, technological specialization, energy efficiency, quality and training are just some of the factors that have helped Basque companies to achieve high levels of competitiveness in European and international markets.
Business growth has been underpinned by the creation of technology parks, business and innovation centres and business clusters.
• Business Clusters
In the 1990s, following the pioneering work of Michael E. Porter (Harvard Business School) and within the framework of the industrial policy of the Basque Government and its programme for competitiveness, the first clusters were founded.
These clusters, associations of local companies capable of driving the business competitiveness of the local area, now number 12, covering the aeronautical, audiovisual, automotive, knowledge and advanced business services, household appliances, energy, machine-tool, environmental, paper and telecommunications sectors in addition to the clusters of the Basque Maritime Forum and Port of Bilbao.
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