In the late 1990s, Wallonia has begun to consider the interest of the implementation of such a policy at the regional level. In 2001, it enrolled in this business clusters approach by acknowledging the Walloon clusters. An independent assessment, conducted on the 2001-2005 experimental stage, confirmed the relevance of this tool and led Wallonia to sustain its clustering support policy, while providing the necessary improvements.
In parallel, in 2005, Wallonia decided to strengthen its industrial policy by resorting to a tool additional to its economic development : the Competitiveness clusters, also with a view to confirming again the willingness to turn Wallonia into a competitive industrial area on a world-wide scale.
1999/2000 : The clustering policy early years
2001 / 2005 : The experimental stage – the business clusters
2005: The emergence of the Competitiveness clusters
2006/2007: A sustainable clustering support policy
Where business clusters are funded to develop an economic drive and promote innovating partnerships, whether industrial, commercial or technological, the Competitiveness clusters are mainly supported to carry out investment, R&D or training projects, in line with the strategy of competitive positioning they have themselves defined.
