Sustainable business clusters are a powerful tool to promote regional sustainable development. The idea is that geographically close businesses (for instance, companies located on the same industrial estate) can benefit from working together. This leads not only to economic savings but also to environmental and social gains, ultimately benefiting the local community and the entire region. Businesses can co-operate on a large number of issues in order to improve their sustainability performance.

A non-exhaustive list of examples is presented below:

• Physical environment: businesses co-operate for a higher quality public and private space by collective maintenance contracts for green areas, signalisation, external lightning,
• Facilities: businesses co-operate on waste management and disposal, collective security contracts, joint parking,
• Utilities: businesses collectively purchase energy, reduce water use by exchange of rain water,
• Employment: businesses work together for child care, employee training programs, sustainable transport systems,
• Development: businesses are working together for a positive image. Working together in sustainable business clusters is particularly interesting for Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), because they reap the benefits without spending costs and time for doing it alone.

This project builds on existing experience from previous projects in West-Flanders and East-Flanders since 2003. We wish to broaden our expertise and share it with other partners in the North Sea region.

The project aims to promote sustainable development by business clusters. The clusters consist of groups of geographically close businesses wishing to work together on a number of issues in order to:

(1) promote local entrepreneurship and make the economical activities more sustainable;

(2) reach a higher quality level of the private and public space to prevent expensive revitalisation.

Improved competitiveness of local businesses because of reduced costs, better (environmental) management, improved staff motivation, enhanced reputation with key stakeholders and increased market opportunities due to networking. Higher quality public and private space and prevention of brownfields.

POM West-Vlaanderen, POM Oost-Vlaanderen

(1) regional authorities and development agencies with experience in clustering,

(2) business associations, groups of geographically close businesses as "clients" of the project