Unlocking Inclusive Growth: New UNIDO’s Online Training on Cluster Development Released
UNIDO launches a new self-paced online training enabling project beneficiaries, stakeholders and partners to delve into the UNIDO cluster development approach and understand the pivotal role of private sector-led inclusive growth in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Clusters and business networks have become keywords in the policy debate in industrialized and developing countries. They are regarded as tools to promote poverty reduction and the development of competitive industries. However, several bottlenecks may hamper their performance.
In its projects, UNIDO supports cluster development as a strategic approach to economic growth and competitiveness, aiming to achieve inclusive and sustainable industrial development globally by fostering collaboration among businesses, research institutions, and other stakeholders within a specific geographic area or industry sector.
During the training, learners will explore the methodology designed by UNIDO for the formulation and implementation of cluster development projects, which encompasses the following key steps:
Cluster selection, which entails the identification of the cluster(s) to be assisted;
Cluster diagnostics, an action-oriented analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the cluster(s);
Vision building and action planning, which refers to the formulation of a vision and a corresponding development strategy shared by the entire cluster;
Implementation, i.e. the management and coordination of the activities outlined in the action plan, including the establishment of horizontal and vertical networks;
Cluster governance, the institutional arrangements that allow cluster stakeholders, who may have different and possibly conflicting priorities, to organize and engage in joint actions;
Monitoring & evaluation (M&E) of the qualitative and quantitative outcomes of the project.
The training material is available for project partners and other institutions/associations/experts willing to develop or already involved in a cluster project.
It can be accessed on the UNIDO Knowledge Hub : https://hub.unido.org/node/12291
For beneficiaries of UNIDO projects, the training is a preliminary session before the actual commencement of onsite coaching and guidance by UNIDO experts.
Download the brochure to learn more about UNIDO’s cluster development experience.
For more information contact Ebe Muschialli, industrial development expert, E.MUSCHIALLI [at] unido.org
