The Czech cluster organisation model and its viability

Abstract

The article focuses on the institutionalized level of cluster initiative, i.e. the cluster organization, as the most influential tool for the capitalization of the industrial cluster-generated assets and regional competitive advantage. The cluster evolvement process within the Czech cluster policy is explained from cluster identification through cluster initiative facilitating the active players towards a managed collaboration in a cluster organization. The Czech model of a cluster organization and already more than ten years working concept is presented based on its viability assessment carried out by the National Cluster Association of the Czech Republic in 2012. The better exploitation of the cluster organization's potential by the public sector stakeholders is recommended with the help of the certified methodologies for the regional and national cluster policies. The methodologies elaborated as a research grant output by the Faculty of Management and Economics, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, are designed as a tool for professional cluster policy implementation by regional and national governments. Tailor-made training is considered an effective tool to stimulate the adoption of the methodologies in practice and thus enhance the cluster governance, particularly on the regional level.