Invitation to a hybrid conference on

Clusters and Competitiveness: Building Resilience in Knowledge-based Regions

with annual meeting of the European Chapter of the Microeconomics of Competitiveness Affiliate Network

Bochum (Germany) and online, 23-24 September 2021

Dear Sir, dear Madam,

After three decades of academic discourse on, and practical/political experience with clusters and competitiveness, crises and rising challenges pose new questions to scholars and policy-makers alike. Are clusters and cluster policies still relevant to maintain and build more resilient regions? How did they adapt to new challenges, how do they need to transform in the future? Our conference brings academics, policy-makers and practitioners in the field of regional economic development, clusters and competitiveness together to discuss these and related issues.

Participation is free of charge, please refer to the attached programme for further information. Register via https://public.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/anmeldung-clusters21 until 01 September 2021 stating your name, organisation, and if you are planning to attend in presence or online only. If you plan to attend in presence, please also indicate in which field trip you would like to participate. Until 10 August 2021, you are also invited to upload abstracts for presentations there. For enquiries and further information, please contact Simon Rohde at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We look forward to seeing you at the conference!

Yours sincerely,

Dr Rasmus Beck, CEO; Duisburg Business & Innovation (DBI)

Prof Dr Dirk Fornahl, Centre for Regional and Innovation Economics, University of Bremen & Friedrich Schiller University, Jena

Prof Dr Matthias Kiese, Ruhr-University Bochum

Ralf Meyer, CEO, Bochum Economic Development