Industrial Clusters: The Ideal Approach to Competitiveness
Forum on International Experiences in Industrial Cluster Development
1 June 2008
Doha, Qatar
The Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC), in its role to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and to enhance the individual and organizational capacities for industrial development in the GCC member States, is joining efforts with the Ministry of Energy and Industry in Qatar to organize a ”Forum on International Experiences in Industrial Cluster Development”. This Forum will bring together experts and practitioners to share their experience of best practices in international Cluster development with the aim of developing clusters in the GCC. This intensive one day event is also intended to facilitate networking, spread awareness and link up industries to boost their competitiveness and enhance their productivity.
Background
• In both industrialized and developing countries, there is increasing evidence that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can boost their competitiveness through networking and that this process is easier and more sustainable if the firms are situated and work very closely with one another in “clusters”.
• The United Nations Industrial Development Organization, UNIDO defines cluster as “a sectoral and geographical concentration of SMEs, faced with common opportunities and threats which:-
- Gives rise to external economies such as specialized suppliers of raw materials, components and machinery or the availability of workers with sector specific skills;
- Favors the emergence of specialized infrastructures and services;
- Enables cooperation among public and private local institutions to promote local production, innovation and collective learning. |
• Clusters enhance productivity, competitiveness and local and international market penetration of small and medium enterprises.
• An industrial cluster is a set of industries related through buyer-supplier and supplier-buyer relationships, or by common technologies, common buyers or distribution channels, or common labor pools.
Aims and Objectives
• To present policy makers and industrialists in GCC with the opportunity to learn from experiences of other countries in cluster development.
• To provide the necessary background and understanding on cluster development issues to interested individuals and institutions.
• To promote developing industrial clusters in the GCC.
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Workshop Outline
A one-day program which reflects on several and variable worldwide experiences, ranging from developing nations to developed economies with emphasis on the following:
• Polices and approaches on developing clusters - Turkey
• Role of Clusters on boosting International Competitiveness - Finland
• Innovation through Clusters - Austria
• Connecting to Global Markets – India
- GCC Examples: United Arab Emirates & Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Expected Forum Outcome
• Participants will gain essential and conceptual knowledge on the importance of cluster development.
Participants will benefit from the international experiences of other countries and interactions with other GCC participants.
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Speakers
• Five handpicked speakers with extensive experience in conducting cluster development in different parts of the world will be presenting their experiences accumulated from:
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o India
o Finland
o Austria
o Turkey
o GCC |
• Specially invited guests working as international consultants in other countries than the ones mentioned above, will also be sharing their experience on cluster development (and propose a working document on how to proceed forward for a successful cluster development in Qatar).
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Participants
Who should attend?
The program is suitable for organizations/ institutions that desire to develop/ link up with clusters. Policy makers, senior officials/ Project Managers from the following would be the ideally suited to attend the program.
• National/ Regional governments
• Public Institutions
• Industry Associations/Chambers of Commerce.
• Development /commercial banks.
• Private/ Public enterprises.
• Large firms interested in SME development for subcontracting and outsourcing.
• Sign up and join the Forum!
• Participation to the Forum is free of charge, however due to the high number of participants foreseen and the limited seating availability, please complete the Participant Registration Form and send it back to the address below before May 16, 2008.
For more information about the Forum:
Contact the Ms. Maha El Sayed, project manager on +974 488762 or Faeka Kut Kut, project coordinator on +974 4858858.
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About the Organizers:
| Ministry of Energy and Industry (MEI), State of Qatar |
|  Under the wise leadership of H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, record achievements have been made in industrial development, as it plays a key role in adoption and assimilation of modern technologies and achievement of economic prosperity. Those achievements were the fruit of the carefully prepared and successfully executed ambitious plans that accelerated the pace of industrial development. Oil revenues have been optimally employed in laying out of solid foundations and modern infrastructures capable of servicing present national industries and future challenges.
The State of Qatar continued in implementing its strategic choices represented in the promotion and development of basic manufacturing industries dependent on the utilization of hydrocarbon resources such as Oil and Gas as fuel. Also efforts have been exerted to achieve sectoral interdependence by means of promoting downstream feeding industries as well as upstream industries dependent on their major and secondary products.
To realize those ambitious objectives, the State of Qatar issued legislations to improve the industrial investment environment. Aware of the vital contribution of the private sector to industrial development, it was encouraged through provision of incentives and facilities so as to increase the competitiveness of the Qatari industries.
This development has been led by the Ministry of Energy and Industry represented in Qatar Petroleum, Department of Industrial Development, and Department of Industrial Estates. Besides the above, it took it upon itself to establish many huge industrial projects in the fields of oil and gas, chemicals and petrochemicals, iron and steel, cement and others. Further to Small and Medium Scale Industries as well as many qualified industrial areas.
To find out more about the Ministry , please visit : www.mei.gov.qa
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The Gulf Organisation for Industrial
Consulting (GOIC) |
|  GOIC Is a knowledge-hub and industrial investment promotion catalyst conceptualized and founded by the GCC
member states in 1976. The purpose of GOIC’s activities is industrial diversification and development within the GCC region. GOIC collects industrial information and
provides professional consultancy services and training on industrial development opportunities in the GCC.
To find out more about GOIC, please visit us at: www.goic.org.qa
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Sponsorship
A set of nine Sponsorship Packages are available for this Forum. The full set of benefits are listed on the Sponsorship Registration Form. The price for the all inclusive Platinum Sponsorship is US$ 50,000 (including an introductory address during the opening session), but also packages of US$ 35,000 and US $ 20,000 are still available. Please see the Sponsorship Registration Form for a complete picture of the benefits in each package. To sign up, please complete the Sponsorship Registration form and send it back to the address indicated on it no later than May 16, 2008.
Would you need further information about the possibility to sponsor this Clusters Development Forum, please feel free to contact Ms. Kristina Csiki + 974 485 8757.
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Downloadable Forms
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Forum on International Experiences in Industrial Cluster Development
Brochure
English Brochure
Arabic Brochure
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Forum on International Experiences in Industrial Cluster Development
Sponsorship Info & Registration
Preview in pdf format
Preview in word format 
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Forum on International Experiences in Industrial Cluster Development
Participant Registration Form
Preview in pdf format
Preview in word format
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Forum on International Experiences in Industrial Cluster Development
Program
Preview |
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Sponsored By
Platinum Sponsor
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Media Partner
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Business Information Partner
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