ROHEALTH has received the GOLD Label Certification for “Excel in Cluster Excellence”

16-12-2021 By RoHealth 0 Comments

The ECEI GOLD Label “Excel in Cluster Excellence" has been awarded to ROHEALTH by ESCA for its high level of professionalism and sophisticated cluster management, and its commitment to continuous improvement and high performance. The organization has met 31 quality indicators for "levels of excellence" in terms of structure, governance and cooperation, financing, strategy, services, achievements and recognition, grouped in 31 quality indicators, in order to qualify.

The certificate is granted by the European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis (ESCA), the on-stop shop for promoting Cluster Management Excellence through benchmarking and quality labelling of cluster management organizations worldwide.

Since 2009, the European Union has developed a cluster benchmarking methodology, the “Excel in Cluster Excellence" Initiative (ECEI), to improve cluster organizations’ management processes and the quality of services for their members. This resulted in the European cluster excellence labels (gold, silver, and bronze).

ROHEALTH – Cluster for Healthcare and Bioeconomy has obtained the certifications for all three labels: bronze in 2017, silver in 2019, and gold in 2021.

Today, more than 1226 cluster organizations from 47 countries have been benchmarked and awarded a BRONZE label, 158 from 24 countries a SILVER label, and 125 organizations from 18 countries got a GOLD label. Today, cluster managers and policy-makers alike recognize this “cluster management quality” system.

There are only nine ECEI GOLD Label clusters active in the Healthcare and Medical Science field, coming from four countries: Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Romania (i).

From the six ECEI GOLD Label clusters from Romania, ROHEALTH is the only cluster in the field of Healthcare and Medical Science (ii).

About ROHEALTH – Healthcare and Bioeconomy Cluster

ROHEALTH is a Romanian cluster active in the field of Research, Development, and Innovation generating and sustaining initiatives and activities related to health, improvement of health and bioeconomy. Its goals are to develop competitiveness and innovation at the national level, to promote and encourage cooperation between companies, organizations, universities and public entities resulting in the growth of economic competitiveness in the fields of Health and Bioeconomy.

ROHEALTH is the largest cluster by membership of the healthcare and life sciences industry in Romania. At the end of 2021, the cluster includes 84 organizations: small and medium-sized enterprises (46), start-ups / spin-offs (5), universities (11) and research institutes (7), hospitals (6), authorities public (3), NGOs (7), private persons (3).

The members are cooperating in 7 working groups: Translational Medicine, E-health and Education, Materials for Health, Medical Equipment & Instruments, Bioeconomy for Health, Social Responsibility for Health, Public Policies for Health.

The main management and support activities provided by ROHEALTH for the clusters’ members are:

- Supporting innovation by spreading information about funding programs, by organizing working groups, events, establishing campaigns roadmaps in the area of interest;

- Encouraging and promoting entrepreneurship through consulting and mentorship for start-ups/spin-offs, support to access funding, organizing start-up contests;

- Improving the regulatory framework applicable to the field of Healthcare and Bioeconomy through involvement in public policy, by attending consultation events organized by the EU and at national level, and being involved in the consultations for new laws governing the fields of activity of the cluster and its members;

- Promoting the cluster and its members through various communication channels and events, annually organizing the unique brokerage event for Healthcare in Romania, attending matchmaking events organized by third parties.

Why clusters initiatives are important

Europe is home to some 2 500 strong clusters that achieve above-average performance for employees, firms, and regions.

Clusters are complex and dynamic structures that are subject to continuous change and they “work” like networking engines facilitating the interaction between their own members, but having also a growing need to network themselves with peers. Whether at the regional, national, international, or sectoral level, such exchanges bring in new knowledge, useful contacts, and many opportunities for the members of each cluster.

Strong clusters can promote economic growth through leveraging the innovation and business potential of a region or a sector of activity. New employment opportunities, new products and services, new companies, new R&D activities, and new patents can be the result of activities within a cluster.

Professional cluster management can contribute to such development through projects and services that tap into the cluster's potential.

Sources:

(i) - https://www.cluster-analysis.org/gold-label-new/clusterlisting

(ii) https://www.cluster-analysis.org/gold-label-new/?country=8611e53f75604657bb9b5c230a101a21

https://www.cluster-analysis.org/cluster-management-excellence

https://www.cluster-analysis.org/downloads/smart-guide-to-cluster-policy