JIC joins international project NetBioClue

The South Moravian Centre for Innovation (JIC) is the sole Czech organisation to join the international project NetBioClue, who’ s aim is to improve the functioning of a biotechnological cluster in the EU. The project, which will last two and a half years, is part of the 6th EU framework proramme and from a budget of 1.003 million Euros , 42.5 thousand Euros (1.3 million Czech crowns) is allocated to activities in the Czech Republic. The aim of the project is mainly to identify factors affecting the success of biotechnology clusters, exchange of experience between project partners and analysis of existing biotechnology clusters. The starting point should be studies and recommendations, for example proposed joint programmes and pilot projects or laying the foundations for an international “megacluster”. As well as JIC other partners in the project are, for example, Milan Polytechnic and the organisation Bioindustry Park in Italy, the East Region Biotech Initiative-Cambridge, Great Britain, Heidelburg Technology Park and Munich Gruender Regio in Germany and Biotech Valley, Sweden. JIC was invited to join the project mainly because it was the initiator and founder of the first cluster in the Czech Republic concerned with biotechnology. The Water Treatment Alliance cluster brings together mainly companies involved in biotechnological methods of purifying waste water, contaminated soil and suchlike. Among the clusters current membership are 14firms and two universities. Clusters are an effective means of developing cooperation between companies, universities and regional institutions. A successful cluster should include all the aforementioned subjects, which bring about a variety of contributions and effects. Source: Zpravodaj JIC, "www.jic.cz":[ http://www.jic.cz].

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