ClusterXchange tool: the new Airbnb / Meetic / Erasmus program for SMEs and scaling-up organisations

What is ClusterXchange about? ClusterXchange is a new pilot scheme to support short-term exchanges to better connect Europe’s industrial ecosystems. It facilitates transnational cooperation, peer learning, networking and innovation uptake between actors of different industrial clusters across Europe. It is implemented with support from cluster organisations that have teamed up in European Strategic Cluster Partnerships for Excellence (ESCP-4x). An exchange constitutes a stay abroad performed by a visiting organisation from an eligible country at a host organisation in another eligible country. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, virtual exchanges are possible under certain conditions. Exchanges can be used to:

Learn from actors in another cluster and/or other country
Explore growth opportunities in new markets
Foster the adoption of new technologies, digitalisation and green low-carbon solutions
Invest in strategic interregional collaboration

An exchange can last from three working days (excluding travel days) to one month. The stay is partly financed by the European Commission through a lump sum paid to the visitors for travel and accommodation expenses. The lump sum must not exceed the threshold defined per host country. The nature of each exchange exercise may follow different specific objectives within a broader approach aiming at the consolidation and/or the creation of new value chains across Europe. The types of activities visiting and host organisations may carry out during an exchange are:

Individual or grouped capacity building
Sharing of knowledge, experience and information in specific areas
Project development, innovation and research and development
Market research
Networking, identifying new partners and creating business opportunities

Who can participate? Participants (visiting and host organisations) of a transnational exchange can be representatives of:

Cluster organisations and business network organisations
Scaling-up support organisations (such as tech centers, research institutes, digital innovation hubs, fab labs, creative hubs, resource-efficiency service providers, incubators, accelerators) that are cluster members
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are cluster members

All participant organisations must be from countries participating in the COSME programme. These countries include all European Union Member States and other third countries, as listed here. To participate in the programme, the representatives of eligible organisations must:

Be a minimum of 18 years old
Be a national of a participating country or must have spent at least 183 days in a participating country with a residence permit or equivalent document, in case of non-nationals

Why participate? Benefits for visitors Up to one month abroad with a selected host in another participating country will allow you to:

Broaden your sector- and non-sector specific skills and knowledge through capacity building
Gain insights into the operation and techniques used by your host organisation
Expand your network of contacts and develop new cross-border partnerships
Find innovative solutions to upgrade your business, products and services
Create new business opportunities and get involved in new innovative projects
Gain knowledge about foreign markets and cultures
Get financial assistance for your exchange
Participate in a ClusterXchange alumni network

Benefits for hosts Hosting exchanges will allow you to receive the short visits of foreign organisations that are active in business areas relevant to your organisation. Being a host organisation will allow you to:

Increase the visibility of your organisation, services and products in relevant communities (this exposure can be increased if you host multiple exchanges)
Share your knowledge, experience and information in specific areas
Learn new skills and knowledge from your visitors
Expand your network of contacts and develop new cross-border partnerships
Gain knowledge on visitors´ foreign markets and develop business and collaborations with them
Participate in a ClusterXchange alumni network

  Discover this new Tool !   and choose the Mobility Area during your registration with the RECiPE4Mobility Project !