INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVENESS: A HIGH-TECH CLUSTER APPROACH

This paper aims to focus on the role of a regional high-tech cluster in innovation and regional competitiveness, through the implementation of a collective efficiency strategy. The study was carried out in the Portuguese Engineering and Tooling (E&T) cluster focusing on the outlooks innovation and international competitiveness. A quantitative and qualitative research is adopted in order to gather information to measure the impact of innovative and entrepreneurial dynamics into the technological cluster. Entities' managers of the E&T cluster located in Centro region of Portugal (Pool- Net - Portuguese Tooling Association and Centimfe - Technological centre of the mould industry, special tooling and plastic) were interviewed in focus groups and semi-structure face-to-face sessions, to deepen the knowledge about the performance, marketing and operation of the cluster, national and international networks. The study also was focused on the analysis of collaborative R&D and Innovation projects. The results show a strong dynamics of cluster in terms of R&D and Innovation projects implementation, aiming at the development of new materials, products and processes. Furthermore, an important commitment in the field of industrial property and national and international networks was evidenced increasing the cluster's notoriety and competitiveness. The findings shed light on the importance of collective efficiency strategies, with a focus on innovation, from a universe of SMEs that operate in an international market for high-tech and highly competitive. There are lessons to be learned at national and international levels about innovation and networking on regional and high-tech clusters to promote new standards of competitiveness. This study is a step towards a new insights to contribute for analyse the innovative and competitiveness dynamics of regional clusters and it will allow developing further research in order to extend this framework to other clusters in European context.