The Competence Center Programme established 12 centers across different technology areas to improve cooperation between local companies, universities, and research facilities. It supported over 500 companies, primarily small and medium enterprises, through innovative projects. The program was highly effective with significant private investment triggered from limited public funds. Key factors for success included establishing industry networks, initiating concrete collaborative projects, and designating network managers to facilitate communication.

1. Competence Center Programme Stuttgart Region
Dr. Andreas Findeis
Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation
TRES Study Visit | 19.11.2013 | PEC Waiblingen

2. Cluster and Network Management
Cluster and Networkmanagement
Clusterinitiatives
(inhouse)
Competence Center
Program
Horizontal Networks
(inhouse)
Automotive
Mechatronics
Financing
Mechanícal Engineering
Education
Clean Tech
Industrial Components and
Surface Cleaning
Packaging Technology
Creative Industries
VR/Simulation
ICT/Open Source
Environmental Tech.
...
...
Labour Market/Talent

3. Why networks?
Generating turnover due to product
and service innovation
(younger than 3 years)
Rate of sales growth
(average of last 4 years)
Source: Improve, European Benchmark Study, 2008
70% of growth champions (10% of fastest growing companies)
among SME’s in Europe count on close cooperation links to network
partners with regard to innovation management.

4. Competence Center Programme
Vision
Regional Competence Centers are well organised
regional networks by integrating possibly all
regional companies, universities, research facilities
etc. working in the same technology field.
They provide a suitable basis for know-how
exchange, innovative cooperation and project
approaches among the partner institutions.
Competence Centres improve significantly the coordination and effectiveness of (regional)
research activities and the transformation of results
into marketable products and services.

5. Competence Center Programme
Objectives
• Position the centres as catalysts for cooperation
and competitiveness.
• Initiate and support co-operation between
businesses, universities, research facilities, public
bodies and other relevant organisations.
• Support start-ups and spin-offs.
• Provide a platform for (large scale) innovative
cooperation projects.
• Create a joint learning environment.
• Foster Open Innovation processes.

6. Competence Center Programme
Schedule
Regional Competence and Innovation Centres are a
suitable instrument for regional Cluster Management.
They support network creation and provide an
instrument for economic development, which will
assist even SME to meet the challenges of global
competition.
Competence and Innovation Centres schedule in the Stuttgart Region:
End of 1999: Regional call for proposals
2000 - 2002: Initial implementation phase of „Regional Innovation Centres“
end of 2002: Evaluation of achieved implementation status
since 2003:
Project-oriented Support Phase
Support of innovative projects initiated by the Regional Competence
and Innovation Centres

7. Competence Center Programme
Competence Centers in the Stuttgart Region
Energy and
Eco-Design
Logistics
Environmental Engineering
Satellite communication
Backnang
Vaihingen/Enz
County of Ludwigsburg
Fuel Cell
and Battery
Alliance
PEC – Packaging
Excellence Center
Packaging Technologies
Rems-Murr-County
Kornwestheim
Waiblingen
Fellbach
City of
Stuttgart
Esslingen
County of Böblingen
Filderstadt
Göppingen
Denkendorf
County of Göppingen
Kirchheim/Teck
Industrial Components and
Surface Cleaning
Software and IT
County of Esslingen
Telematics, Mobile
Computing, Customer Care
Mechatronics
Technical Textiles
Geislingen/Steige
Virtual Dimension Center
Virtual Reality, Simulation,
Collaborative Engineering

8. Competence Center Programme
Results of the Initiative
• 12 Competence Centres in different technology areas
• Very high level of participation:
> 500 companies (80% SME)
> 60 university institutes and research facilities
• Focus on tangible business benefits / market orientation
• Extensive private investments could be triggered with
little public money (2 Mill. € for set-up phase)
• Many innovative co-operation and/or research projects
initiated (> 100)
• Requests for additional Competence Centres
(in and outside the Stuttgart Region)

9. Competence Center Programme
Important success factors
Important instrument: The „Network Manager“ who
− sets up and cultivates the network,
− relieves the network partners as far as possible from network effort and
− keeps the partners’ participation and commitment alive
Important process:
The Communication between the partners which should be supported by modern
technologies (e.g. a communication platform)
Important constitutional element:
Establish a legal body for the network (e.g. a union) to ensure the partner’s
commitment for financing and (net-)working
Important task:
Initiating concrete projects to ensure the partner’s perception of (net-)work
advantages

10. Competence Center Programme
Important success factors
Important structural element:
- The “right mix” of SMEs, large companies, public bodies and research institutions.
cover all elements of the “process-chain”; “network of enterprises”
- Bottom-up insetad of top-down
- Public-Provite Partnership (strong involvement of location municpality)

11. Competence Center Programme
Regional Coordination Unit
Coordination Unit at WRS provides a set of additional services:
• initiation and promotion of innovative regional projects
(regional funds)
• support in marketing, communication and public relations
(e.g. web, print, media, etc.)
• assistance in the organisation of events, support of events
organized by several competence centers
(e.g. “Dialogveranstaltung”)
• links to other existing (regional, national, international)
networks in the Stuttgart Region
• information and support regarding national and international
grants/programmes

12. Competence Center Programme
Project examples
Project:
(100 Mitglieder)
Simulation universal storage system (virtual engineering)
Project: Arena
of Innovation
Project: Energy
efficiency
Savings by new machine
concepts
Project:
Guideline Industrial Services
Projekt: Branchenatlas (CEC)
Project:
AR interior fittings
Project:
Simulation wind power

13. Competence Center Programme
Contact
Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation
Friedrichstrasse 10
70174 Stuttgart
Germany
www.region-stuttgart.de
kompetenzzentren.region-stuttgart.de
Dr. Martin Zagermann
Fon: +49.711.22835 - 53
Fax: +49.711.22835 - 55
martin.zagermann@region-stuttgart.de
Dr. Andreas Findeis
Fon: +49.711.22835 - 69
Fax: +49.711.22835 - 55
andreas.findeis@region-stuttgart.de