INTERVIEW WITH BEN BUTTERS, DIRECTOR OF EUROPEAN AFFAIRS AT EUROCHAMBRES : 'A PERFECT ROAD MAP FOR EU CLUSTERS DOES NOT EXIST'.

"Clusters would fail without businesses," says Ben Butters, Eurochambres' director of European affairs, while explaining his association's five-point proposal (see separate article).aClusters are geographic concentrations of interconnected companies or institutions that are active in a particular field and are present in a nation or region. Some clusters are more traditional than others, with one cluster focusing more on innovation and another more on the aerospace sector, as is the case of a cluster in Toulouse.

Why is the success of a cluster dependent on businesses?

Innovation, growth of jobs - all this is generated by businesses. That's why they should be central in any policy that is made on EU clusters.

How do you suggest getting SMEs "at the heart of the clusters"?

First of all by getting them more involved in clusters, by creating the possibility for them to innovate and grow. For now, this remains problematic given the economic downturn: two-thirds of our members are already faced with big problems while trying to get access to finance. This has its direct impact on SMEs investments and innovation programmes. The Commission should furthermore look for ways to make it easier for SMEs to network and cooperate with their colleagues in other countries throughout the EU. There are a lot of possibilities to work across borders for SMEs.

What makes it so difficult for SMEs to participate in clusters?

Basically, I think it is a combination of lack of knowledge, lack of contacts, lack of language skills and lack of market experience. On top of all this, there are a lot of legislative barriers and there is a lack of coherent systems, for example regarding patents. So, there are numerous reasons.

How can Eurochambres help SMEs to overcome these problems?

For some SMEs, it will never be possible to participate in a cluster because they are too small or focus only on the local market. We can't change that and we don't aim to change that. On the other hand, there is a big potential. Today, some 8% of the SMEs in the Union participate in clusters. Chambers of commerce can furthermore identify potential contacts for...