The energy cluster in saxony
Cluster management organizations that are benchmarked demonstrate their interest in striving for excellence. For being benchmarked under the ESCA benchmarking approach by one of the ESCA experts cluster management organizations are awarded with the Bronze Label of the European Cluster Excellence Initiative (ECEI). ENERGY SAXONY has meanwhile been analyzed twice based on an interview of the cluster manager conducted by an impartial ESCA benchmarking expert. The interview covers 36 indicators with regard to the structure of the cluster, the cluster management and the governance of the cluster, financing of the cluster management, services provided by the cluster management, contacts and interaction within the cluster and achievements and recognition of the cluster. Results are presented by an individual report to the cluster management and include also recommendations for further improvement in line with the requirements of the cluster quality label that is currently developed by the European Cluster Excellence Initiative.
As part of the EU efforts to create more world-class clusters across the EU by strengthening cluster excellence, the Commission launched in 2009, under the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme, the European Cluster Excellence Initiative (ECEI). To continue the successful work of this pan-European initiative which involved 13 partners from nine European countries ESCA - The European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis was established by one of the partners, VDI/VDE Innovation + Technik GmbH, to offer practical advice to cluster management organizations. Today, ESCA is a network of cluster experts from more than 30 countries.
