Silvano Bertini ADC Project Manager, Head of economic development Unit of Emilia-Romagna Region ADC project MECHATRONICS SECTORAL WORKING GROUP Mechatronics in Emilia-Romagna

 Significant sectoral concentrations of firms ;  Strong intersectoral technological, productive and organizational complementarity;  strong relationship of cooperation and exchange.  Regional competitiveness increasingly based on the innovative development of firms within networks, productive and technology sectors and districts, with a strong vocation to internationalization. Productive regional context of Emilia-Romagna

 Almost 50% of manufacturing employment  55% of total exports  Connection with other clusters in terms of technology relationships (especially with agrofood, construction, and wood clusters)  Strong demand of research and advanced services  Industrial research laboratories and innovaton centres on engineering, materials, microelectronics, nanotechnologies Mechanic cluster in Emilia-Romagna

traditional products; complementary products (especially producing intermediate goods such as chemicals, etc); technology and engineering productions ; Basic services; Knowledge services. LIMITS of the CLUSTER analysis difficult to identify the direct relationship with some cross value activities (eg transport and/or computer services in an area with strong sectorial vocation that are targeted mainly to that specific area, but it is not said by the data); difficult to identify second-level relationships (firms in network with other companies, but identified by general-code activities); difficult to identify cases of multiple-product companies that belong to different sectors Cluster definition obtained collecting criteria on:

MECHATRONICS cluster - Economic sectors Industrial machinery and equipment Automation, robotics Electronic components for automotive, agricultural machines, other vehicles, etc. Electric and electronic machinery and appliance components Precision engineering and control systems Medical equipment Telecomunication Office equipment Software R&D Engineering

MECHATRONICS cluster development In the mechatronic clusters, more than in other clusters it is crucial the role of knowledge creation and accumulation, competencies, learning. This means that a competitive mechatronic clusters cannot be created in one day, but it is a long term objective.

MECHATRONICS cluster – knowledge and competence accumulation How can be generated knowledge and technical competencies? Split of large pre-existing plants Foreign investment and cooperation Technical education How can it be implemented? Reinforcing and modernising firms Networking firms Training for existing and emerging figures Creating centres of competencies

MECHATRONICS cluster Critical factors for co-operation To stimulate co-operation in the mechatronic transnational cluster it is needed Prroduct or process complementarities Common language Trust