By Flower E. Msuya at the 11th TCI Global Conference, Cape Town 2008

1. Role of a University in Cluster Development
Flower E. Msuya
Facilitator, Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Initiative,
Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Dar es
Salaam, P.O. Box 668, Zanzibar, Tanzania
11th Annual Global Conference on The
Competitiveness Institute, Southern Sun Cape Sun,
Cape Town, South Africa, 29 — 31 OCTOBER 2008

2. Lay out of the presentation
O Definition of a university
O Definition of clusters and clustering
O Role of universities in Cluster development
Case study: The role of the university of DarO Case study: The role of the university of Dar
es salaam in cluster development in Tanzania

3. Defining university
O The word university is derived from the
Latin universitas magistrorum et
scholarium, roughly meaning "community
of teachers and scholars”of teachers and scholars”
O Universities deal with accumulation of
knowledge, its development and
transmission across generations and its
practitioners and transmitters.

4. Defining a cluster
O According to Porter (1990) “Clusters are
geographic concentrations of interconnected
companies, specialized suppliers, service
providers, firms in related industries and
associated institutions etc in particular fieldsassociated institutions etc in particular fields
that compete but also cooperate”
O Clusters are based on common technologies
or know how, commodity or service linkages,
competitive advantages etc.

5. The role of universities in cluster development
O Clusters can develop naturally
O A university can hasten and direct the process
O Universities can provide technology, training
personnel, identify opportunities and linkages
and assess the developmental processand assess the developmental process
O Universities ( as a part of triple helix) and
clusters can work together to develop
organisational structure, assess needs, identify
problems and solutions and identifying new
areas of development

6. The case of the University of Dar es Salaam
O Vision: “to become a reputable world-class
university that is responsive to national,
regional and global development needs
through engagement in dynamic knowledge
creation and application.”
O Mission: “the unrelenting pursuit of scholarly
and strategic research, education, training and
public service directed at attainment of
equitable and sustainable socio-economic
development of Tanzania and the rest of
Africa.”

7. Contributions of the University to
clusters and Cluster Initiatives
O Education and training
O Research
O Technology
O Extension
O Financing
O Economic Role
O Other roles

8. O Provision of the right education to ensure
formation and sustainability of cluster
initiatives/clusters
O Incorporating the cluster idea curricula
••••O Education/Training
O Incorporating the cluster idea curricula
-CoET-UDSM: Innovation courses
-Diploma, Certificate, short courses,
training an extension

9. O Training of facilitators (e.g. ISCP-Tz has
done 3 trainings with more than 100 trained
facilitators
O Training of stakeholders
Education/Training
O Training of stakeholders
– how to run activities as
business (entrepreneurship), innovation,
O Pave way to changing established/ present
mind-set of people

10. O Training of researchers (within & out of
Univ.) in innovation/ Cluster development and
facilitation
-need to have batch of researchers with
Education/Training
-need to have batch of researchers with
innovation skills

11. O Training of groups of cluster members
on particular skills-Special courses
e.g. A special course to tour guides by
Education/Training
e.g. A special course to tour guides by
UDSM (History Dept) for the Bagamoyo
Cultural Heritage Tourism Cluster
Initiative

12. Research
Conduct research on issues related to
cluster problems
-quality control, diseases, resistant
/alternative varieties
••••O
O e.g. IMS-UDSM:
research on a new/alternative
seaweed sp. for Seaweed cluster
members;
O die-off mitigation
measures

13. Technology••••O
O Seaweed farming
O Deep water floating lines seaweed farming
technique to combat die-offs
O Seaweed soap production machinesO Seaweed soap production machines
O Mushroom farming
O Solar panels?? Food processing cluster?
O ……

14. The seaweed soap production machines made at
TDTC-CoET-UDSM
Kettle for boiling and mixing
• Technology
Solar drier Seaweed grinder
Kettle for boiling and mixing
Extruder Moulder
Official launching
Seaweed soap
Other examples also available

15. Extension
O Benchmarking visits
O Exchange visits
O Participatory identification of a problem
••••O

16. O To establish what is there and give reports
O Help in establishment of collaboration
between clusters
O Create environment for sharing experiences
Benchmarking visits
O Create environment for sharing experiences
O Evaluate and give e.g. certificates to best
performing clusters etc
Courtesy: Mr. Samuel Asman

17. ••••O Make use of the well established
clusters as (practical) training centres
for students e.g. University students
to visit and do research with various
Exchange visits
to visit and do research with various
clusters
O National & international students
visits to cluster activities
O Clusters visiting the university

18. Participatory identification of a problem
faced by members of a cluster/needs
assessment and looking for answers
O Conduct seminars to identify the problems
/needs
O Example: Meetings of facilitator based atO Example: Meetings of facilitator based at
the IMS with cluster members in 3 villages-
identify problems the cluster groups have
and want to solve

19. Financing
O Sourcing of funds
OISCP with Sida, Rockefeller, other sources
O e.g. Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Initiative-
••••O
O e.g. Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Initiative-
worked with IMS to obtain funds from SMEs
Competitiveness Facility, Tz Commission for
Science & technology

20. O CoET-UDSM Support to Cluster Initiatives-
ISCP-Tz
E.g. Mushroom Cluster Initiative through ISCP
Economic RoleO••••
Courtesy: Mr. Samuel Asman

21. Morogoro Metal Works
Cluster Initiative
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Turnover (Mil TZS)
Firms Groups
© pchisawillo
Productivity:
Turnover/Employee
(Mil TZS)
Year 2’3 2’4 2’5 2’6 2’7
Firms 2.68 4.06 4.94 5.53 6.51
%Incr. 34 18 11 17
Groups 0.74 1.11 1.40 2.59 2.72
%Incr. 34 21 46

22. Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Initiative
Number of Seaweed Cluster Initiative
Members
0
500
1000
1500
2006 2007 2008
Year
No.ofmembers
Number of Seaweed Cluster Initiative
Groups
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
2006 2007 2008
No.ofgroups
Year Year
Soap sales and profit in Kidoti Village, Zanzibar
(1 US$=1,150 Tsh.)
0
2,000,000
4,000,000
6,000,000
8,000,000
10,000,000
2005 2006 2007 Jan-
Aug2008
T.Shillings
Sales
Expenditure
Profit

23. O Advertise, create, and coordinate
cluster initiatives/clusters
O Support facilities to clusters
O Linkages and filling gaps
••••OOther roles
O Linkages and filling gaps
O Support to cluster initiative specific
activities

24. O Shout!/advertise the cluster initiatives
/programme
O Enable creation of (more) cluster initiatives
Other roles
Advertise, create, and coordinate clusters
-Lead the league
O Coordinate/monitor/evaluate the functioning
of cluster initiatives
-What stage, How to proceed, Make
changes etc

25. O Create a service centre e.g. A Hub for
cluster consultation/servicing
O Give continuous support -even if not
Other roles
Support facilities to clusters
O Give continuous support -even if not
financial
-To let clusters always count on it
-Interact more to remove the fear of
‘university”

26. O Linking different clusters
O Linking clusters with other stakeholders e.g.
government, financial institutions,
Other roles
Linkages and filling gaps
O Fill-In the gaps
-Get involved in activities that are not/no longer
interesting to the other part of the triple helix
-Participatory identification of problems
-Participatory working out of the solutions

27. O e.g. CoET, IMS, and other university institutions
support participation of the clusters in trade fairs
and exhibitions: -Exposure
••••O
O Support to specific activities of cluster
initiatives
Other roles
and exhibitions: -Exposure
-Marketing their products
O CoET-SCP-Provided funds for the training on
technology transfer to Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster
Initiative

28. O Take the lead in influencing policies
O Lobbying in government, politicians
– can be hard in some countries but needs
more effort
••••O Policy Issues
more effort
-In some countries there are ministries on
clustering and innovation