Journal of Danubian Studies and Research, Vol 5, No 1 (2015)

Abstract

Defined by "the co-location of producers, services providers, educational and research institutions, financial institutions and other private and government institutions related through linkages of different types", clusters can be "engines" of global economic development. Beyond the competitive advantages, clusters promote regional specialization in their field of activity, the regions thus becoming different, but interconnected. In the context of intent cluster-ization at European level and at the European Parliament’s call for the “re-industrialization of Europe”, the paper examines the critical role of clusters in the context of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (SUERD) from the financial resources management perspective and it concludes the macro-region of 14 Danube riparian countries, attracting European funds, able to bring prosperity and growth passing through the Danubian innovative clusters. The analysis uses the most recent official data, official documents published by the European Commission and other institutions in the field.