Description
What makes a cluster organisation financially sustainable in today’s changing funding landscape? How can clusters move beyond short-term public funding and build more resilient, diversified business models?
Cluster organisations are increasingly expected to play a strategic role in supporting industrial transformation, innovation, and regional competitiveness across Europe. At the same time, many continue to operate within funding frameworks that remain fragmented and short-term in nature, creating challenges for financial predictability, long-term planning, and strategic capacity. In a context of increasing pressure on public budgets and growing expectations for measurable impact, questions around financial sustainability and business model adaptation are becoming increasingly important for cluster organisations.
Against this background, the European Cluster Collaboration Platform, on behalf of the European Commission, is organising the EU Clusters Talk “From funding dependence to financial sustainability: Rethinking business models for Europe’s cluster organisations” on 10 June 2026, from 08:30 to 10:00 CEST. The session will explore how cluster organisations across Europe design and adapt their business models, with a particular focus on financial sustainability and long-term resilience.
The discussion will examine different approaches to cluster financing and revenue diversification, including public-driven, member-driven, market-oriented, and hybrid funding models, and how these function in different organisational and regional contexts. Particular attention will be given to the trade-offs and constraints linked to financial sustainability, including balancing financial stability with strategic capacity, and the factors that enable or hinder revenue diversification over time.
Speakers include:
- Christian Rangen, Strategy advisor and CEO, Engage//Innovate
- Marcos Suárez, Strategic Areas Director, Basque Energy Cluster
- Alexandre Yurchak, CEO, Ukrainian Cluster Alliance
- Claire Grosbois, European Project Development Manager, VEGEPOLYS VALLEY
- Silvia Rossi, Cluster Manager, Clust-ER BUILD
- Ásta Kristín Sigurjónsdóttir, Managing Director, Iceland Tourism
This event is part of regular online meetings brought to the cluster community by the European Cluster Collaboration Platform. They offer up-to-date insights into the latest industrial policies and clusters’ involvement, projects, and best practices, the latest ECCP news, and funding opportunities. The EU Clusters Talks are a space for the cluster community to exchange knowledge and to discuss cluster-relevant topics.