At a conference in Brussels, the Basque Government’s Minister for Economic Development and Competitiveness, Arantza Tapia, recently analysed the value of clusters.

Clusters bring together companies from the same sector to achieve objectives that could not be achieved individually: visibility, strengthening of relations with management, participation in complex projects... They are competing companies, but they can make huge profits through the culture of co-petition (cooperation+competitiveness).

Clusters have been working in the CAPV for years and have become “factual powers” in different sectors of the economy. In recent years, proliferation has created problems. The fact that there is a great deal can lead in part to the dispersal of forces, but the fact that it is little can lead to policies that are contrary to the flexibility that the economy needs. It is difficult, indeed, to find a balance!