Clusterförderung wirkt - vor allem bei kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen
Cluster approaches are frequently used to promote not only innovation and the growth of individual companies, but also regional economic development. One of the largest cluster policy funding schemes in Germany is the Leading-Edge Clusters Competition. This report analyses, for the first time, the impact of cluster funding on companies of different sizes. It shows that, for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), fixed assets and expenditure on employment in particular increase, and that the quality-weighted number of patent applications rises moderately. In contrast, for large companies, it is primarily expenditure on staff that increases. The results suggest that cluster programmes can support SMEs in particular with regard to investment, growth and innovation activities. When designing future programmes, greater account should therefore be taken of the differing financial and organisational circumstances of the companies.
Poghosyan, K., M. Kalthaus, N. Riedel and M. Rothgang (2026), Clusterförderung wirkt - vor allem bei kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen. DIW Wochenbericht, 93, 37, 571-577