The project “Ukrainian Renewable Energy Clusters as an effective tool for the development and cooperation between Ukrainian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises” was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland (Polish Aid Program, 201/2016) and aimed to demonstrate the basic principles of the functioning of the cluster economy and transfer the Polish clustering experience.
Representatives of 8 cities of Ukraine: Ivano-Frankivsk, Lutsk, Rivne, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, Poltava, Dnipro, Odessa participated in the project. They, together with project experts, worked on the creation and strengthening of the clusters of Renewable Energy Sources in these 8 cities, establishing the principles of informing the clusters created and the principles for inviting necessary organizations to participate in their work.
During the project, the invited participants visited Lublin (Poland) to get acquainted with the activities of the Eastern Cluster ICT and participated in trainings on writing strategies for the development of Ukrainian clusters, which were presented at the end of the project on the international form Energetics. The purpose of the visit was to familiarize participants with the idea of clustering implemented in Poland and demonstration of best practices. The participants met with the member organizations of the Eastern Cluster ICT, which represent various specialties of RES (solar farms, solar collectors, small hydroelectric power plants, biogas plants, etc.), and learned about the benefits of belonging to clusters, as well as with representatives local administration, in particular the Department of Economic Development, directly responsible for attracting investors or collaborating with academia and business circles. In addition, meetings for acquintance with business development strategy using innovative tools (including startups, enterprise incubators, technology parks), in particular in Lublin Scientific and Technological Park, were important.
Upon arrival, three-day training sessions for cluster members and interested organizations took place in the area of developing strategies for the development of individual clusters: developing a business model for their functioning, discussing important organizational and managerial issues that determine the effectiveness of the cluster’s functioning and the possibilities of obtaining future sources of funding for its activities. Particular emphasis was put on the possibilities of business cooperation with Polish and European clusters and their institutions, since clusters can act as a service center for investor, importer and exporter.
Work program of trainings:
- Repository cluster: organizational and business model, benefits for members
- Creation of a cluster development strategy: strategic training with participation of participants (potential analysis, diagnostics of initial status, vision and mission, definition of development priorities, general and detailed goals with action plans).
- Definition of document consultation system.
- Determination of the principles of business cooperation between actors that create clusters in Ukraine and Polish partners.
Leaders of the project:
Robert Szlęzak, president of the Eastern Cluster ICT, chairman of the Cooperative Association of Lublin Clusters, initiator and member of the Polish Coordinating Council of the REE, initiator of the Center for Eastern Competence.
Pavel Prokop, founder and chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Management Initiatives, chief of the Expert Group at the Center for Eastern Competences, Emaus vice-chairman, Open Culture Foundation Board chairman.
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