Inter-Cluster Networks in Europe: Relationships between Biomedical Clusters in Italy and Germany

Abstract

The thesis investigates the relationships between Italian and German cluster and RIS actors in the biomedical industry. Both countries are main actors in the red biotechnology field, counting on two highly specialized clusters (Mirandola in Italy and Tuttlingen in Germany). Also, other innovative life sciences clusters have developed in the last decades and are at the heart of dynamic regional innovation systems. Literature on the matter is not very extensive yet, so the work attempts to give an overview of the extent of such relations. The aim is to understand what are the relationships between biomedical clusters of Italy and Germany. Based on interviews with RIS and cluster actors and experts in the field, along with publicly available data, the outcome of the research is that relationships between the cluster and RIS actors of the two countries in the biomedical field are still to be developed. Market relations and collaborations research networks exist, but knowledge transfer relations and milieu informal networks are still weak. Such outcome is due to different factors, e.g. differences in public funding for research in the field, or the costly research of partners in the other country. Such causes need further investigation, through a more structured approach and involving more cluster and RIS actors between the two countries, along with a thorough empirical research on the causes that could favor stronger research collaborations between the two countries.