Kristaps Ročāns

Project Manager

Vidzeme Planning Region

Rīga, 13.11.2013.

HIGH ADDED VALUE AND HEALTHY FOOD

CLUSTER IN VIDZEME – NETWORKING IN THE

BALTIC SEA REGION

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PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

• INTRODUCTION

• CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT MILESTONES

• CLUSTER COOPERTION PRIORITIES

• CLUSTER ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

• CLUSTER PARTICIPANTS

• CLUSTER INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS

• MAIN ACTIVITES IN CLUSTER

• CLUSTER ADDED VALUE

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FOR THE INTRODUCTION EU MEMBERSTATE’S INNOVATION PERFORMANCE

European Commission: Innovation Union Scoreboard 2013

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INDICATOR: INNOVATIVE SME’S COLLABORATING WITH

OTHERS

• EU27

HIGHEST GROWTH PERFORMANCE

+7.9%

• LATVIA

SECOND LOWEST PERFORMANCE

- 6.9%

European Commission: Innovation Union Scoreboard 2013

THERE IS A CLEAR NEED FOR CLUSTER

DEVELOPMENT TO BOOST ECONOMIC

COMPETITIVENESS AND INNOVATION

PERFORMANCE

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“The most valuable clusters are those that

represent a special regional strenght. Clusters

are economic system and strategy for

competitive advantage.”

Dr.Stuart Rosenfeld, North Carolina, USA

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Ifor Ffowcs-Williams

«LEARING BY DOING

NOT PARALYSIS BY ANALYSIS! »

► Business in the Lead

► Public Agencies in Support

► Academic Underpinning

CEO at Cluster Navigators Ltd

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WHAT IS VIDZEME FOOD CLUSTER?

• Geographically concentrated, organized and open

cooperation network, where food sector and related SME’s,

public and R&D sector organizations cooperate to develop

competitiveness, develop innovations and foster exports

• The goal of the cluster is to promote cooperation and

knowledge transfer among SME’s, R&D and public organizations, in order to develop production and market for

safe, healthy and high value added food, and to develop

economic growth in Vidzeme region

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FUNCTIONAL REGION OF THE CLUSTER

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CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT MILESTONES

2010 Cluster initiated

2011 Cooperation with BSR food clusters started

2012 Cluster joined the «BSR FOOD» Network

2013 Development of new BSR projects started

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COOPERATION PRIORITIES

• Collaboration between cluster’s participants

• High added value, healthy and safe food production

• New product development

• Development of technologies for food safety and

food research

• Collaboration with clusters in BSR

• Collaboration with other clusters in Latvia

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CLUSTER ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE • Cooperation agreement between cluster participants

• Cluster coordinator - Vidzeme Planning Region (VPR)

• Cluster participant meetings/ working groups

Discussions on forming a membership association started

• Current financing model:

• Cluster coordination ensured by VPR

• Attraction of project financing

• Private co-financing for activities in which companies participate

(trade fairs, project co-financing)

CLUSTER COMPANIES

• Aloja Starkelsen Ltd. (potato starch)

• Konso Ltd. (project development)

• Valmiermuižas alus Ltd. (beer) • Felici Ltd. (muesli)

• Valmiermuižas pils Ltd. (gourmet tourism)

• Veckūkuri farm (dairy products)

• Dimdiņi Ltd. (vegetable products) • Jāņakalni farm (berry products)

• Skrīveru saldumi Ltd. (sweets) • Ķelmēni farm (bread)

• Very Berry Ltd. (berry products)

• Gundegas research farm (berry products)

• Shpats and sons Ltd. (berry products)

• Valmiera Organize Ltd. (berry products)

• Perfecto Ltd. (healthy seed products)

Future and potential participants • Lat Eko Food Ltd. (food for children) • Smiltenes sidra darītava Ltd. (cider) • EkoMako Ltd. (vermicelli • NG Līnija Ltd.(honey) • E&E Ltd. (natural vinegars)

R&D AND SUPOORTING ENTITIES

R&D INSTITUTIONS: ASSOCIATIONS:

• Riga Stradins University • Latvian Nutrition and Dietetics

Association

• State Priekuli Plant Breeding Institute

• Latvian Fruit-grower Association

• Research Institute of Biotechnology and

Veterinary Medicine “Sigra”

• Association of Wildlife Animals

Breeders

• Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences

• The Institute for Environmental Solutions

CLUSTER COOPERATION PARTNERS IN BALTIC SEA

REGION

• SWEDEN

• FINLAND

• DENMARK

• ESTONIA

• LITHUANIA

• GERMANY

OVERVIEW OF CLUSTER ACTIVITIES

Meetings, workshops, company and R&D institution visits, participation in 5 events abroad (Finland, Germany, France)

Individual cooperation initiatives and mini-projects among cluster participants started in 2012

Since 2011 and 2012 cluster cooperation with partners in Sweden, Finland, Lithuania and Estonia

Since 2013 started cooperation with clusters in Denmark and «Food Regio» cluster in Germany

October 2013 drinks producers and researchers working group started in the cluster

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MAIN CLUSTER ACTIVITIES

2011

• Development of EU FP7 project:

«Health Food Net»

• Iimplementation of the project:

«Promotion of cluster cooperation for the

business development in Nordic-Baltic region»

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2012 • Development of EU FP7 project «COFOOD»

• Participation in «BSR Food Cluster Network»

• Two visits from Finland food development cluster in Latvia

• Cluster companies participated in two trade fairs in Finland

• Two Cluster development workshops conducted by international

expert in the field: Ifor Ffowcs-Williams (CEO «Cluster

Navigators»)

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2013 • First new products developed in cooperation

• Conference on health sector and healthy food

• Companies participated in «Europa Markt» in Germany

• Project: 2 week internship in France, for 4 cluster companies

• Brussels «Open Days 2013» workshop: Smart clusters for a new

industrial revolution

• Cooperation with other clusters in Latvia

• «BSR Food House» project partnership

• «Baltfood II» project partnership

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ADDED VALUE BY THE CLUSTER

• SME’s can find cooperation partners and develop new products, take part in

joint projects or activities

• Information on various project and international collaboration opportunities is

available for the participants

• Being in the cluster can help company branding

• Cluster provides a platform where small and new companies can meet larger

and more experiences ones and share information, contacts and knowledge

• International cooperation provides an opportunity to gain new knowledge,

enter into new markets and grow export shares

• Joint projects and joint activities – lower costs if companies work together

• Opportunity to share services, materials and infrastructure among companies

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SUMMARY • Cluster has reached a certain growth point

• Cluster has a participant network with strong competences

and is open for new participants

• Cluster is growing in terms of activities and participants

• BSR cooperation projects: «BSR Food House» and «Baltfood II»

can be the next development milestones

• Cooperation in the BSR is one of the key success factors

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HOW TO CONTACT US:

Cluster coordinator:

Vidzeme planning region Jāņa Poruka street 8. 108.cab., Cesis, Latvia, LV 4100

Tel: +371 64116006

Fax: +371 64116012

E-mail: vidzeme@vidzeme.lv

Contact person:

Kristaps Ročāns Tel.+371 29753011, e-mail: kristaps.rocans@vidzeme.lv