Empowering Euromed Clusters to Promote Inclusive Innovation & Competitiveness

Euromed Clusters Forward is a pioneering initiative aimed at enhancing the Euromed region’s cluster ecosystems by improving regulatory frameworks, boosting strategic planning, and fostering alliances among EU and Southern Mediterranean clusters.

The program in brief

Unleashing the power of business clusters for a thriving Euromed region

Euromed Clusters Forward is a 4-year project funded by the European Union to foster cluster excellence, promote inclusive innovation, enhance sustainable growth, drive economic diversification, and boost employment in the Euromed region.

Creating ecosystems for clusters

Streamlining regulatory frameworks and incentivizing collaborations as per the quintuple innovation helix framework (Academia, Industry, Policies, Public, Environment)

Boosting clusters performance & impact

Empowering clusters to develop forward-looking strategies and deliver quality services to their members for improved competitiveness, innovation, and job creation

Powering SMEs & startups performance

Connecting research institutions, startups, and SMEs to exchange best practices, accelerate innovation, adopt digital transformation, and boost economic growth

Creating business opportunities

Addressing employability and skill development through targeted initiatives and collaboration

Promoting sustainable development

Encouraging economic diversification and transforming production and distribution practices for long-term prosperity

Developing regional value chains and partnerships

Incentivizing collaboration based on territorial complementarities to strengthen regional economic ties

The project in numbers

7.7 million project

co-financed at 90% by the EU's Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR)

Diverse range of stakeholder

including business clusters, SMEs, local authorities, academia, and training centers

7 European and Mediterranean countries

Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia.

4-year project

From April 2022 to October 2026

The project's partners

Euromed Clusters Forward is funded by the European Union and coordinated by Anima with three implementing partners and nine affiliates from the Euromed region.

Clusters are nowadays indispensable tools to foster the competitiveness of regional/national economies. Clusters gather stakeholders across corresponding value chains leading to increased linkages & synergies between strategic stakeholders, anticipate industries-related trends and support in adding values to the adherent businesses. ECF is a support project for clusters to reach the aforementioned roles of clusters.

Marc Bou Zeidan — QOOT Cluster Manager

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The areas of intervention

Driving change across multiple levels: policy making, clusters performance, and regional value chains

Transforming Policies for Cluster Success: Euromed Clusters Forward supports public and semi-public organizations and authorities in refining and adopting measures and policies that enable clusters to thrive. This leads to increased contributions to economic development, innovation, technology, and competitiveness within the region.

Elevating Cluster Performance: The project assists clusters in enhancing their strategic and prospective planning, guiding them towards anticipating the future of their sectors and value chains. In addition, it helps build member capacities and bolsters the green and digital transitions of clusters.

Strengthening Regional Value Chains: By developing Regional Value Chains (RVC) between Europe and the South Neighborhood, Euromed Clusters Forward addresses structural imbalances that impact country competitiveness. This is achieved through supporting joint projects, facilitating connections, fostering development, and incentivizing collaborative initiatives.