EPROCA Strenghten its Training Activities

EPROCA (European ProClusters Association) has signed a contract with FLF education cluster to be a part of worldwide training activities. Contract enables EPROCA to open totally new markets in all five continents and tens of new countries. FLF offers a unique educational solutions from Finland, and being a contracted member, EPROCA participates this venture. 

For further information, please click here.

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Enter to the world of vivid cluster practitioners!

Clusters are already well-known as tools to improve coordination and competitiveness of regional economic development actions.

Today, management of the variety of networks has become essential in forming secure social synthesis between the key public and private stakeholders. Thus, the scope of clustering efforts needs to be shifted from cluster initiatives' process methodologies into an enhanced multi-layer model through a stereoscopic approach, strengthening the capacities to anticipate the future.

Clustering process is not only the knowledge itself. Clusters need a secure and balance environment and solid foundation to nourish. EPROCA is focusing to build up a solid foundation through different workshops and seminars and spreading the information and knowledge, how to build up  a successful networks and what type of people should be involved in these networks. EPROCA offers also a strong research behind the knowledge. We stand behind our quality statement.

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Ameliorating social capital in clustering

Social Network Analysis make your cluster/networks more efficient 

Social network analysis is focused on uncovering the patterning of people's interaction. It can help you understand the structure of your cluster/networks today, identify structural changes which could strengthen your cluster/network, and develop strategies to make those changes.

Clusters are networks.  Individual members are the nodes, and relationships between them are the links.  The success of a cluster depends on the strengths of its members (human capital).  Success also depends on the relationships between its members (social capital). 

Strategic management requires prioritizing limited resources (time, money.) SNA allows cluster managers/facilitators to be strategic in their approach.

This workshop will enhance your ability to manage/facilitate your cluster by focusing on how developing the social capital of cluster members can lead to collective efficiencies and a higher level of competitiveness.

Participants will come to understand how network structure effects network performance, and how individual network members’ position in the network can be managed to the benefit the cluster as a whole. SNA is and excellent tool for Cluster Managers/Facilitators and Executives in order to improve the efficiency of their networks and clusters. 

Next training in Europe:             TBA soon

Place: Helsinki, Finland

Preliminary program available here. 

Registration form. 

Trainers: The workshop will be led by Dr. Neil Reid and Ms. Paula Ross of the University of Toledo (USA). Since 2007, Dr. Reid and Ms. Ross have used Social Network Analysis as a key component of the strategic management of the northwest Oho greenhouse cluster.  Additionally, Dr. Reid and Ms. Ross have conducted Social Network Analyses of a variety of organizations including county government, northwest Ohio economic development practitioners, and local food policy councils throughout the state of Ohio. The results of some of these analyses have been published in the journals Economic Development Quarterly and Economic Development Journal and have been presented around the world at a number of conferences.

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Ameliorating knowledge capital in clustering

Cluster training workshops increasing the overall competitiveness

Today we provide two types of cluster training days and programs; ClusterCompetitiveness or PROCluster training.

Cluster Competitiveness is a 1-1,5 days short introductions to clustering world from a specific perspctive or tailored to certain cluster giving an overall picture of clustering process. Please, take a glance at one of the recent examples of ClusterCompetitiveness training day held in May 2011 in Helsinki.

PROCluster training is our train-to-trainers program! This 3-day training gives to the participants a credential certification and right in the future to be a trainer and an expert in different EPROCA's training programs and projects round the world! We, 125 certified ProCluster facilitators globally, encourage you to challenge our renewed workshop content and instructors - and welcome you to join us!

Continuously developed workshop package

Because the best performing clusters benefit from holistic governance, which allows to establish broad collaboration leading into positive and far-reaching results, EPROCA’s workshops combine the main considerations when setting up and managing people and networks in regional competitiveness programmes based on clusters.

In 2012, we put even more emphasis on, how to build favourable environment for innovation and positive cluster executive culture to flourish. Not only focusing to the smooth cluster process itself, we give you tools for build up a consistent culture in clusters with a strong social capital based on trust and flexibility.

All trainers are certified Proclusters, coming from private, public and academia sectors and earned the Procluster title. Print the brochure here. 

Next training in December 2011 in Helsinki.   

Intensive workshops for You who lead complex regional projects

Cluster Training Workshop participant should alternatively have an executive or strategic function in the public sector (local government or parliament), in an enterprise, in a training organization – or have achieved seniority as business consultant, economic advisor or in a similar function.

Ideally, participants are in the middle of a launched clustering venture that requires extensive collaboration.

Interested?

• For subscriptions: Use this online form or the contact information at the bottom of this page.
• To see our current training agenda: Please click here.

Further note:

• A systematic ProCluster facilitator training program and workshops were initiated by a small private Finnish consultancy company in 2005 - first in Europe. Today many of the trained and certified professionals are the members of the Association, and contribute actively to its strong internationalisation aims.

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Ameliorating emotional capital in clustering

Are you a wise cluster executive?

It is important to build new clusters, however at the same time we need to recognize different cultures and values within already existing clusters. It’s all about people and better communication. We need clusters to grow and flourish.  To help them grow, leadership skills are needed. In many companies coaching skills are seen as a key element of executive culture and there are numerous development programs taking place to create  coaching cultures in different kind of organizations. 

Through different type of executive profiles and research, we can offer you an information what type of cluster executive you are, what level of trust you have among your stakeholders in your cluster/network and do you have flexibility enough to cooperate with different types of cluster practitioners. Print the latest presentation at EPROCA Training Day on May 26 in Helsinki here.

Next training in Europe: TBA

Place: Helsinki, Finland

Trainer: Doctoral Student Raija Salomaa, ProCluster facilitator

Raija is a certified Coach by International Coach Federation and have a lot of experience in the field of Sales and Marketing, Business Coaching and Organizational Development. She has a MA-degree from the University of Turku and I have studied Change Management at the Technical University of Helsinki. Raija is a board member of International Coach Federation's Finnish chapter and a deputy member of EPROCA ExCom. She has gratuated from Evidence Based Coaching Certificate program of the Fielding Graduate University. She is fluent in German, English, Swedish and Finnish and have been working in executive positions before her career as a Business Coach.

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Ameliorating place attractiveness in clustering

Ravishing Regions in Europe - yours one of them?

There are over 500 regions and 105,000 single communities in Europe competing for the scarce resource of investment, capital, talented people, visitors and residents. Over 300 regions in the world have over one million inhabitants. While the “place-war” has already existed over decades, the “people-war” has also begun on a global scale.

 “Cityalliances” are a new tool to survive. Numerous capital cities are building, with the surrounding towns or municipalities, a region for marketing purposes ,while the famous name of the central city acts as the “umbrella brand”. Strategic alliances with other places can decisively increase the joint value of the place partners. Various functional networks and regions ignore administrative or geographical borders. Print the latest presentation at EPROCA Training Day on May 26 in Helsinki here.

Next training in Europe: TBA

Place: Helsinki, Finland

Trainer: Dr. Seppo Rainisto

Dr. Seppo Rainisto is recognized as a leading specialist in the field. He has produced several publications and scientific papers, e.g. the first doctoral dissertation in the field (2003): ‘Success Factors of Place Marketing'. His newest book is "How to Brand Nations, Cities and Destinations - A Planning Book for Place Branding" (Palgrave Macmillan 2009).

Dr. Rainisto´s marketing management background originates from famous corporations like Amer, Leaf, Huhtamäki, Asko, Pepsi Cola e.g. in USA, Mexico, Brazil and in many EU countries.

Dr. Rainisto is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Place Branding and Public Diplomacy (Palgrave Macmillan, London) and a member of the Advisory Board of the the same named association (Berlin). He works currently as an advisor to many places and marketing projects.