A trip focused on innovation, training and international networking

Represented by its Project Manager, Carla Vélez, Leather Cluster Barcelona took part this month, together with 16 Catalan clusters, in the Strategic Training for Project Managers organised by ACCIÓ within the Catalonia Clusters Programme.

Over two intensive days of work, the Catalan clusters were able to gain first-hand knowledge of the Swedish cluster ecosystem, in order to learn and create synergies in fields such as innovation, digitalisation, sustainability and business competitiveness, and to explore ways of working together on future projects.

Organised by Invest in Skåne, the agenda for the visit included presentations of Swedish cluster initiatives such as Regional Skåne's Business Development Work, Foodtech Innovation Network and IUC Syd (Advanced Manufacturing & Materials), participatory workshops and visits to leading centres of innovation, research and science, such as The Loop – Science Village (Lund University), the MAX IV Laboratory and Medicon Village.

It was a trip to delve into one of the most innovative and competitive regions in northern Europe and to discover Sweden's cluster policy and the connections it builds between business, government and universities.

Hours of learning with new ideas and knowledge that have served as inspiration to continue driving Leather Cluster Barcelona forward and supporting its members.

In Catalonia, cluster policy is articulated through the Catalonia Clusters programme, which the Generalitat has been promoting through ACCIÓ for more than 30 years. At present, 27 Catalan clusters, among them Leather Cluster Barcelona, form part of the programme and bring together 3,000 companies and stakeholders, with a combined turnover of more than 80 billion euros.

Leather Cluster Barcelona is an environment of competitive cooperation for promoting cross-cutting, transformative strategic projects with the aim of driving forward the ecosystem of the Catalan leather sector within the framework of Shared Value policies. The cluster is an accredited entity within the Catalonia Clusters programme and has the support of Acció.