Lessons to be learnt for initiatives to promote cross-border collaboration: an experience in the New Aquitaine-Euskadi-Navarre euroregion

Abstract

The aim of this report is to identify lessons for organisations that promote cross-border cooperation initiatives for innovation and for those interested in taking part in them. The study analyses how the organisations with a medium-term track record in the New Aquitaine-Euskadi-Navarre cross-border cluster grouping behave in terms of cross-border cooperation and innovation. This analysis is based on a survey carried out among the Klusteuro organisations (network of cross-border clusters in the New Aquitaine, the Basque Country and Navarre Euroregion). The study examines the importance given by these organisations to the barriers that can inhibit or facilitate cross-border cooperation (barriers to cross-border cooperation in innovation), in order to investigate how Klusteuro contributes to overcoming them. This analysis also identifies the type of innovation usually carried out by these organisations to understand the role played by the cluster in the development of different types of innovations. Finally, a series of lessons are drawn on the value that participation of a cross-border cluster or other initiatives that promote cross-border cooperation can bring to the partners involved.