The Competition

The plan is to hold three rounds of competition some eighteen months apart. In each round of the competition, up to EUR 200 million will be made available to up to five Leading Edge Clusters over a period no longer than five years. The implementation envisages a matching level of financial participation on the part of businesses and private investors.

Selection of the Leading-Edge Clusters

The basis for the selection and funding of a Leading-Edge Cluster is the development of common strategic goals and the definition of future development projects in a particular area of technology. The involvement of the key players in the region's innovation and value-added chains is a major prerequisite. The following criteria are pivotal in terms of strategy:

• Significant financial involvement of industry and private investors.
• Planned projects build on strengths and lead to sustainable changes.
• Increase in innovative capability and development of competitively relevant unique selling points to attain  / consolidate a leading international position.
• Measures to develop and try out innovative forms of co-operation, including professional cluster management.
• Cluster-specific training, qualification and promotion of young talent.

There are no thematic stipulations. The applicants with the best strategies for future markets in their respective sectors are selected.