Clusters Meet Regions – Saxony, Germany

The Clusters Meet Regions (CmR) event in Saxony (Dresden) will bring together clusters, policymakers, innovation actors, industry representatives and SMEs from across Europe to explore how cluster ecosystems can translate regional strengths into industrial cooperation, cross-border collaboration and European value chains.

Saxony is widely recognised as one of Europe’s leading microelectronics hubs, with a strong concentration of industrial players, research organisations and innovation intermediaries. In addition, the Free State is home to a significant number of Innovation Clusters and Cooperation Networks in areas such as Life Sciences and Biotech, Hydrogen and Cleantech, Infrastructure and Mobility or Digital and AI. This makes it a relevant setting to discuss how clusters can contribute to technological sovereignty, industrial resilience and innovation-driven growth.

Building on this foundation, the CmR event adopts a broader perspective (“microelectronics and beyond”), exploring how cluster organisations can foster cross-sector collaboration and industrial transformation across related domains such as advanced manufacturing, digital technologies and emerging deep-tech areas.

A particular emphasis will be placed on cross-border and inter-regional collaboration, especially with Czech and Polish partners, reflecting shared industrial priorities and complementary regional ecosystems.

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🗓️ Final Agenda

👥 Participant's Booklet 
 

Objectives

The event aims to:

• Position Saxony as a European hub for microelectronics and related strategic ecosystems, and a driver of cross-border industrial cooperation;
• Strengthen the role of clusters as facilitators of industrial partnerships and value-chain integration, in line with EU technological sovereignty priorities;
• Leverage Saxony’s membership in the Vanguard Initiative and identify concrete cooperation opportunities and value-chain complementarities, particularly across the Saxony, Czech and Polish industrial ecosystems;
• Create a structured cooperation pipeline, from ecosystem pitching and marketplace sessions to matchmaking;
• Facilitate direct interaction between clusters, SMEs, industry and policymakers, linking strategy to implementation;
• Support peer learning and exchange between European regions addressing similar industrial transformation challenges;
• Generate actionable follow-up pathways, including partnership ideas and project opportunities.

Expected Outcomes

The event is expected to deliver:

• New cooperation and partnership opportunities, particularly in strategic technologies and cross-border value chains;
• Identified cooperation pipelines between Saxony and partner regions (notably Czech and Polish ecosystems);
• Improved coordination among ecosystem actors, including clusters, policymakers and industry;
• Increased visibility of Saxony’s innovation and industrial ecosystem at European level;
• Identified follow-up actions, including potential projects, partnerships or participation in EU instruments.

Target Groups

The event will bring together a mix of stakeholders, including:

• Regional, national and EU policymakers (including managing authorities);
• Cluster organisations and cluster intermediaries;
• Industry representatives (large companies, SMEs, start-ups, scale-ups);
• Research and technology organisations;
• Innovation support actors (e.g. EDIHs, EEN, incubators, accelerators);
• Cluster and innovation ecosystem representatives from Saxony, the Czech Republic and Poland;
• European Commission, ECCP and other EU-level stakeholders.

Main Themes

• Microelectronics and semiconductor ecosystems as a driver of European technological sovereignty
• Industrial transformation across related sectors, including advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, clean technologies and bioeconomy
• Cross-border and inter-regional cooperation, with a focus on the Saxony–Czech Republic–Poland innovation space
• Cluster collaboration as a mechanism to connect ecosystems, strengthen value chains and support industrial partnerships
• SME integration into European value chains and access to growth and scale-up opportunities
  

Registration

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