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Clusterkraft e-Newsletter (Vol.26)
NATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL
ARTICLES
NATIONAL FICCI team to explore textile collaborations in Italian clusters The Indo-Italian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) cooperation is set for a major leap forward in textile and leather sectors. The team of FICCI would visit Florence and Prato , where the focus will be on high-end textile and leather industry as the two countries share many firsts in this sector and can complement each other to retain their supremacy in the world trade in this sector. More... NIFT ready to send its students to global textile clusters In an effort to achieve its goal of global benchmarking, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has made essential modifications in its curriculum. NIFT has also opened its new international affairs office in New Delhi . More... INTERNATIONAL Asian SME clusters to go on IT spending spree IT spending for the Asia/Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) small, medium and medium-large-sized businesses is predicted to exceed USD 52 billion in 2007, registering a double-digit growth of ten percent over 2006, as per the predictions of IDC's latest IT market study. More... Industrial Clusters To Help Create Jobs in Iran The Iranian government has drawn up a new job-creation scheme called 'Industrial Clusters' in an effort to check growing unemployment. Farshbaf-Maherian further unveiled a plan to develop local specialized mother companies, noting that the scheme targets the establishment of local development companies which would be financed through contributions of local residents and some organizations, including Industrial Development and Renovation Organization (IDRO), Small Industries and Industrial Townships and other organizations dealing with job creation. More... ‘Diamond' cluster of innovation uncovered in UK In the last twenty years, clusters of interconnected businesses have developed in cities and regions in the UK and around the world. Through knowledge sharing and collaboration, it is thought that business clusters help to increase companies' ability to compete on a national and global basis. Microsoft, Bull Offer Supercomputing solutions to SME clusters French server manufacturer Bull has signed an agreement with Microsoft to install Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 (CCS) on its Novascale servers, allowing it to offer supercomputing clusters to small and midsize businesses (SMBs) that don't want to switch to Linux. More... English county council pilots e-procurement for SMEs in Caerphilly Cluster Caerphilly council is piloting a suite of e-procurement applications from York-based spend control company, Proactis, to further enhance its e-procurement process. Following its implementation of Proactis Purchase to Pay application in 2003, the council has now added two new applications, Proactis eSourcing and eCommerce. More... European cluster development programme launches in the Northwest A new initiative that will place the Northwest at the centre of cluster development programmes throughout Europe has been launched in the region. Led by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), the CLUNET project has been developed in response to an EU call for regional development agencies across Europe to develop and share policies and networks to develop cluster activity. More... ARTICLES Rural paradise? SEZ who? The National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP), Bharat Nirman and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) generally have the same refrain. Create employment opportunities and physical and social infrastructure in rural areas, prevent rural to urban migration. That takes care of the push factor. And although no one states this as clearly, contain the pull factor by eliminating urban-centric non-targeted subsidies. More... Malaysian SME clusters primed for technology Oracle's recent expansion plans in the cyber city of Penang mark a renewed effort to win over the hearts and wallets of Malaysia 's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). But it's a task not easy in the least. The business software giant intends to base a permanent team of service staff in Penang and increase its network of independent software vendors and system integrators in a bid to target the town's growing manufacturing, logistics and transportation sector. More... Why not SEZs in the Chambal ravines? On the face of it, the special economic zones (SEZs) controversy showcases the vibrancy of Indian democracy or the precarious political support-base of the ruling coalition, which sometimes makes it nervously retrace the one-sided, non-popular steps. However, the well-entrenched liberalisers will just not allow genuine pro-people changes go beyond artificial media hype. Besides, the prime minister has unequivocally asserted that the SEZs are here to stay as an essential part of the ‘reforms'. More... The competitive advantage of India in the Demand Economy The British left India as a nation of shopkeepers. Our retail universe that covers a nano-fraction of super-markets, large numbers of small and medium sized shops and cubby holes of retail commerce in remote inaccessible corners of the country, is the biggest you can find in any of the 182 countries that comprise the world and its consuming markets. A population of 12 million retail outlets to service the needs and requirements of the world's second biggest consuming mass of people! More... Disclaimer: This newsletter is published by clusters.org , a portal dedicated to Cluster Development Professionals. 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