Role of a University in Cluster Development Flower E. Msuya Facilitator, Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Initiative, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O. Box 668, Zanzibar, Tanzania 11th Annual Global Conference on The Competitiveness Institute, Southern Sun Cape Sun, Cape Town, South Africa, 29 — 31 OCTOBER 2008
29
Embed
Cluster basics: the Role of University in Cluster Development
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Role of a University in Cluster Development
Flower E. Msuya
Facilitator, Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Initiative,
Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Dar es
Salaam, P.O. Box 668, Zanzibar, Tanzania
11th Annual Global Conference on The
Competitiveness Institute, Southern Sun Cape Sun,
Cape Town, South Africa, 29 — 31 OCTOBER 2008
Lay out of the presentation
O Definition of a university
O Definition of clusters and clustering
O Role of universities in Cluster development
Case study: The role of the university of Dar O Case study: The role of the university of Dar es salaam in cluster development in Tanzania
Defining university
O The word university is derived from the Latin universitas magistrorum et
scholarium, roughly meaning "community of teachers and scholars”of teachers and scholars”
O Universities deal with accumulation of knowledge, its development and transmission across generations and its practitioners and transmitters.
Defining a cluster
O According to Porter (1990) “Clusters are geographic concentrations of interconnected companies, specialized suppliers, service providers, firms in related industries and associated institutions etc in particular fields associated institutions etc in particular fields that compete but also cooperate”
O Clusters are based on common technologies or know how, commodity or service linkages, competitive advantages etc.
The role of universities in cluster development
O Clusters can develop naturally
O A university can hasten and direct the process
O Universities can provide technology, training personnel, identify opportunities and linkages and assess the developmental processand assess the developmental process
O Universities ( as a part of triple helix) and clusters can work together to develop organisational structure, assess needs, identify problems and solutions and identifying new areas of development
The case of the University of Dar es Salaam
O Vision: “to become a reputable world-class university that is responsive to national, regional and global development needs through engagement in dynamic knowledge creation and application.”
O Mission: “the unrelenting pursuit of scholarly and strategic research, education, training and public service directed at attainment of equitable and sustainable socio-economic development of Tanzania and the rest of Africa.”
Contributions of the University to
clusters and Cluster Initiatives
O Education and training
O Research
O Technology
O Extension
O Financing
O Economic Role
O Other roles
O Provision of the right education to ensure
formation and sustainability of cluster
initiatives/clusters
O Incorporating the cluster idea curricula
••••O Education/Training
O Incorporating the cluster idea curricula
-CoET-UDSM: Innovation courses
-Diploma, Certificate, short courses,
training an extension
O Training of facilitators (e.g. ISCP-Tz has
done 3 trainings with more than 100 trained
facilitators
O Training of stakeholders
Education/Training
O Training of stakeholders
– how to run activities as
business (entrepreneurship), innovation,
O Pave way to changing established/ present
mind-set of people
O Training of researchers (within & out of
Univ.) in innovation/ Cluster development and
facilitation
-need to have batch of researchers with
Education/Training
-need to have batch of researchers with
innovation skills
O Training of groups of cluster members
on particular skills-Special courses
e.g. A special course to tour guides by
Education/Training
e.g. A special course to tour guides by
UDSM (History Dept) for the Bagamoyo
Cultural Heritage Tourism Cluster
Initiative
Research
Conduct research on issues related to cluster problems
-quality control, diseases, resistant
/alternative varieties
••••O
O e.g. IMS-UDSM:
research on a new/alternative
seaweed sp. for Seaweed cluster
members;
O die-off mitigation
measures
Technology••••O
O Seaweed farming
O Deep water floating lines seaweed farming technique to combat die-offs
O Seaweed soap production machines O Seaweed soap production machines
O Mushroom farming
O Solar panels?? Food processing cluster?
O ……
The seaweed soap production machines made at
TDTC-CoET-UDSM
Kettle for boiling and mixing
• Technology
Solar drier Seaweed grinder
Kettle for boiling and mixing
Extruder Moulder
Official launching
Seaweed soap
Other examples also available
Extension
O Benchmarking visits
O Exchange visits
O Participatory identification of a problem
••••O
O To establish what is there and give reports
O Help in establishment of collaboration between clusters
O Create environment for sharing experiences
Benchmarking visits
O Create environment for sharing experiences
O Evaluate and give e.g. certificates to best performing clusters etc
Courtesy: Mr. Samuel Asman
••••O Make use of the well established
clusters as (practical) training centres
for students e.g. University students
to visit and do research with various
Exchange visits
to visit and do research with various
clusters
O National & international students
visits to cluster activities
O Clusters visiting the university
Participatory identification of a problem faced by members of a cluster/needs assessment and looking for answers
O Conduct seminars to identify the problems
/needs
O Example: Meetings of facilitator based at O Example: Meetings of facilitator based at the IMS with cluster members in 3 villages-identify problems the cluster groups have and want to solve
Financing
O Sourcing of funds
OISCP with Sida, Rockefeller, other sources
O e.g. Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Initiative-
••••O
O e.g. Zanzibar Seaweed Cluster Initiative-
worked with IMS to obtain funds from SMEs
Competitiveness Facility, Tz Commission for
Science & technology
O CoET-UDSM Support to Cluster Initiatives-ISCP-Tz