Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ICI) was established in 1952 by law, to which membership is compulsory for every industrial company in Istanbul. Some of the Chamber’s activities assigned by law are the issuance of investment incentive certificates for SMEs, capacity reports and other expertise reports for the companies in the Istanbul province. In addition to these, most of ICI’s services are driven with the purpose of increasing the competitiveness of Turkish companies.

ICI is the largest industrial chamber in Turkey with its member base of more than 20 000 companies accounting for 40% of the value-added produced by industry and 35% of Turkish exports. 22,8% of its members are active in textile and ready wear sectors, 16,9% of its members in machinery and equipment sector, 12,7% of the members are active in chemicals and plastics sector and 10,6% of them are in textiles sector. Other important sectors are metal (7%), electronics (7%) and food (6%).

As a non-profit organisation, ICI acts as a bridge between industry and government by contributing to the legislation process, providing feedback on draft decrees and regulations on behalf of the industry. ICI has close relationship with and strong access to the regional administration and municipalities in Istanbul as well as to other business organisations. It’s 55 Sectorial Committees composed of elected company representatives from different sectors provide access to all sectors of manufacturing.

Bwcon GmbH (Bwcon) has been founded in 2014 and is the commercial branch of bwcon e.V. bwcon GmbH is ajoint venture with Steinbeis Foundation. Today bwcon is Baden-Württemberg’s leading facilitator for innovation in the technology sector. Being more precise, bwcon coordinates the technology transfer from research to industry by starting with early stage concepts at universities such as the Opportunity Recognition Workshops for PhD candidates and researchers from the ICT sector.

Bwcon also organizes summer academies, hackathons and idea factory workshops for students with various modules relevant for sensitization on entrepreneurship such as design thinking, effectuation, business modelling, prototyping or the lean startup method. On behalf of the federal government bwcon screens 250 business ideas in the high-tech sector per year and creates roughly 50 start-ups in the ICT and high-tech area through its screening process. The start-ups involved in the screening attract investment capital of roughly 10-15 m € per year.

AECIM is an association in the metal sector in Madrid Region. Nowadays, advising and supporting the associated companies in different areas: international trade and cooperation, business cooperation, innovation, technology transfer, environment and quality, energy and energy efficiency, digital transformation, industry 4.0, innovation, tax, law, professional training, employment services, etc., joining and boosting the common interests of the metal sector in Madrid. AECIM is also considered as a Metal Cluster. The majority of these companies are SMEs, 95% out of them have less than 100 employees. The organization was established in 1977 with the aim of representing and defending the business development of this group and its growth since then has been very significant, representing today more than 8,000 companies and almost 600,000 workers in the Community of Madrid.

Regarding the automotive sector, as an important metal sub-sector in Madrid, AECIM is also carrying out activities in cooperation with MCA (Madrid Cluster de Automoción), with a nominated AECIM operations manager. MCA is a non-profit association/cluster that is created with the purpose of energizing, stimulating and consolidating the activity of the sector, supporting companies, associations, technology centers, organizations and institutions that focus their activity in the Community of Madrid. MCA is having 3 main local automotive manufacturers (Peugeot, IVECO and John Deere).

Madrid Cluster de Automoción (MCA) was founded in April 2007 by the Ministry of Economy and Technological Innovation of the Community of Madrid, in collaboration with AECIM and other companies in the automotive sector. Nowadays, it is a full legal entity.

AECIM has a strong network of stakeholders: local/regional/country public authorities and some others related to innovation and internationalization.

AECIM is ISO 9001 certified.

The North-West Regional Development Agency (North-West RDA) is a public-utility NGO established in 1998 under the Regional Development Law. The Agency is the driving force of sustainable development in the Northern Transylvania Region, aiming at reducing local imbalances, boosting initiatives, capitalizing local and regional resources and strengthening regional and international cooperation.

North-West RDA is in charge of strategic planning of the region, elaborating in wide regional partners regional development plans and various strategies to anchor the further financing, such as the Smart Specialization Strategy of the region. North-West RDA acts as Intermediate Body of the Regional Operational Program (ROP) 2014-2020 and 2007-2013 and will act as Managing Authority for the 2021-2027 ROP for the North-West Region.

Over 30 European projects boosting SMEs competitiveness, research & innovation and regional priority sectors, were implemented in partnership with local and European stakeholders, funded from Horizon 2020, FP7, FP6, CIP and COSME, Interreg Europe, Interreg Danube, South-East Interreg and other programes. The Agency also acted as partner in two previous INNOSUP-01 projects, delivering acceleration programmes to innovative SMEs in the field of blue growth and circular economy. For the past 13 years, the Agency has been a member of the Enterprise Europe Network, the biggest business and innovation support network for SMEs. Also, the agency has contributed to the establishment of several clusters in the region, in the fields of furniture, ITC, creative industries, tourism, energy, water, being currently member in 7 clusters in the region, an active partner in the business support ecosystem.

With more than 350 members, Silicon Saxony e. V. is the largest high-tech network in Saxony and one of the largest microelectronics and IT clusters in Germany and Europe. Since its foundation in 2000, Silicon Saxony has been a self-financed association linking manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, universities, research institutes, public institutions as well as industry-relevant start-ups in Saxony and beyond.

The thematic focus of the cluster is on the technological trends of the present and future – e.g. artificial intelligence, robotics, automation, Internet of Things, sensor technology, energy efficiency, neuromorphes and edge computing. As a close cooperation partner of the Dresden Smart Systems Hub and the Leipzig Smart Infrastructure Hub, Silicon Saxony also offers direct access to the topics, projects and locations of the Digital Hub Initiative of the Federal Ministry of Economics.

Established in 1960 as a research- design institute for automation, IPA SA has kept until now its main profile: research & development, design, production, assembling, service and consultancy of automation and IT equipment and installations, in industry (chemistry and oil processing, metallurgy, building materials, energy, machines building), environmental protection(emission/imission control, toxic emissions, meteo-hydro parameters monitoring), services for citizen ( public information system, lighting up control of landing/ take-off runways, seismic parameters monitoring, barrages survey, security and fire alarm systems). After 1990, IPA has become a trading company on shares, maintaining its profile. Since 1997, IPA has a flexible structure, becoming more efficient and more profitable. At the present time, IPA is an integrally private company, which has implemented and maintains a quality system according with the SR-EN-ISO 9001:2015, SR-EN-ISO 14001:2015, and OHSAS18001:2007 standards. Through its subsidiaries situated in the main cities of Romania (Cluj, Craiova, Galati), IPA SA successfully covers the Romanian territory in its field of activity. IPA SA deals mainly in R & D activities, in Romanian (PNCDI) programs and internationally (FP6, FP7, TTQM-PHARE, EUREKA, Leonardo da Vinci, ERASMUS PLUS etc.) financed projects. IPA SA has initiated and organizes international conferences/symposiums, such as: E -COMM- LINE(Bucharest, annually, the 13th edition in 2011), AQTR 2010 (THETA 18) (Cluj- Napoca, one in 2 years, the 18th edition in 2012), SINTES 2011(once in 2 years, the 14th edition in 2011); H2_FUEL_CELLS_MILLENIUM CONVERGENCE (Bucharest, annually, the 5th edition in 2012), Open Forum for Innovation and Technological Transfer(Bucharest, annualy) and participates at fairs and exhibitions : TIB, HANNOVER, MESSE EUREKA-BRUSSELS, etc.

MESAP – Smart Products and Manufacturing is an Italian Regional Innovation Cluster operating in the Smart Systems Integration and Industry 4.0 domains with public (universities, research centres) and private (start-ups, SMEs, large enterprises) members. The main target sectors, typical of the Piedmontese region, are: manufacturing plants and machines, robotics, automotive, aerospace, energy, railways, biomedicine, household machines, agrifood, printers, textile, chemical, waterborne. The KETS represented are: products and production processes (digital manufacturing), components and automation systems, HMI, micro/nanotechnology applications, photonics and manufacturing processes (additive manufacturing included). This means mechanics, electronics, photonics, ICT, control science and advanced mechanics located in all phases of the supply chain.

The Piedmontese manufacturing is the most important and developed in Italy (together with Lombardia and Emilia Romagna), thanks to the localisation in the region of several international leaders (e.g. General Electric-Avio, FCA, Comau, Magneti Marelli, Thales Alenia Space, Bitron, Consoft, Prima Industrie, Pirelli, SKF, Alstom), and to the presence of a large number of mid-caps and SMEs specialised in “high tech” manufacturing, including some clusters of firms specialised in advanced manufacturing equipment such as robotics and laser-based technologies.

MESAP is the tool of the Piedmont Region to actuate the S3 Strategy and promotes and supports knowledge development and transfer among companies, universities and research centres to strengthen the technological and industrial chains. The cluster offers to its associates guidance and support through a portfolio of services designed to meet their needs, especially to SMEs, that represent 90% of the 263 members. Since 2009, it is collaborating with excellent European and international private and public stakeholders to engage leading companies, incorporate technological and market mega-trends, influence decision makers.

EVIC was registered on 25.11.2009g. Sofia City Court, as an organization of cluster type. Electric Vehicle Industrial Cluster was founded by seven Bulgarian companies and is the first organization in Bulgaria Industrial Association for electric mobility.

By decision of the General Assembly of the organization in March 2014. EVIC is a national sector organization for electric mobility. It brings together its members for industrial, technological and business development, strategic developments, legislative changes, higher and vocational education and training, standardization connection with central and local authorities, and others.

In the organization actively participate and representatives of the scientific and educational community. Honorary member of the organization is the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

The management center of the cluster is the town. Sofia – address яши. “Ivan Denkoglu” 1, office 13.

Profesional organization of companies and organizations from various engineering, industrial and non-industrial sectors and branches across the country, including:

• Joining forces to create a national charging infrastructure for EVs – BULCHARGE

• Create community and environment models for the electric conversion (converting from ICV in electric) in Bulgaria.

• Creating new industries in order to increase the competitiveness of this industry according to the requirements and pressure from European and world markets;

• Cooperate with all authorities to establish rules, norms and standards in this new industry.

• Achieving technological synergy effect through mutual exchange of materials, raw materials, technology and production of accompanying products and services;

• Achieving significant performance solar, renewable, hydrogen generation and energy sources in the economy and consumers in the country;

• Cooperate with each other and with all relevant administrative manuals on the topic of improving the educational infrastructure in the country;

• Use common opportunities to improve human resources for scientific and applied research, advertising and promotion of products and services and attracting investment;

Istanbul Development Agency (IDA) was established by the Cabinet enactment numbered 2008/14306 dated 10.11.2008 based on the Law no 5449 (changed Presidential decree no:4) with a view to “expediting the regional development in harmony with the principles and policies set out in the national development plan and programs, providing sustainability and closing the interregional and intraregional gaps by improving collaborations among the public & private industry and non-governmental organizations, fostering opportune and efficient use of resources and galvanizing the local potential”. By the assignment of the Secretary General in August 2009 and the employment of the staff in December IDA started to operate. Since then, IDA has been conducting studies to support regional development in areas such as innovation, creative industries, entrepreneurship and social development. Financial support programs have been implemented for public institutions, universities, SMEs and non-governmental organizations in the mentioned areas

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd is a state owned and controlled non-profit limited liability company established by law and operating under the ownership steering of the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy.

VTT is an RTO whose activities are focused on three areas: Carbon neutral solutions, Digital technologies, and Sustainable products and materials. VTT is impact-driven and takes advantage from its wide multitechnological knowledge base to strengthen Finnish and European industrial competitiveness. VTT can combine different technologies, produce information, upgrade technology knowledge, and create business intelligence and value added for its stakeholders.

VTT was established in 1942, and in the end of 2020 had a staff of 2129. The turnover in 2020 was 149M€ and other operational incomes were 95M€ with 45% of the turnover originating from abroad. Over the years, VTT has gained vast experience from participation and coordination of numerous European projects including R&D Framework Programme projects and other thematic frameworks and programmes. VTT is ranked among the leading European RTOs. In December 2017, VTT has been recognised with the “HR Excellence in Research” award by the European Commission.

F6S is a European based entity that has become the largest Startup/SME community globally with over 1.5 million Startups/SMEs and 2.0 million entrepreneurs. F6S delivers more than €2 billions every year to Startups and SMEs with leading CRM for deal flow, corporate challenges, structured programs, startup services, corporate partnering, recruiting, government grants and free startup resources.

F6S is the leading platform for application management for commercial, corporate, government, university and other accelerator programs, helping more than 17.000 such initiatives worldwide. Every year F6S processes more than 700,000 applications and delivers about €2 billion to startups/SMEs per year! F6S is best experienced in creating an effective recruitment campaign, targeting the right SMEs/Startups, disseminating the open call far and wide and managing the selection process of the applicants.