Transnational Clusters - Consequences of International Trade; Case Study of the Adriatic-Danube Region

Different countries may have a common interest in the endeavor to build strong clusters or to boost the cooperation between clusters within a specific region. They can use the same specialized research infrastructure and same testing capabilities; they can also encourage cross-border transfer of knowledge. This requires designing a common long-term strategy to facilitate the development of strong global clusters. In early stages, this type of cooperation is limited to cross-border cooperation between regions with common cultural identity, such as the Baltic Sea Region and Central Europe. We can conclude that, although transnational clusters would be a great benefit, it is unlikely that they occur spontaneously. The European Community facilitates transnational cluster cooperation, through different tools that could offer greater benefits. In this respect, it is necessary to address and develop the strategic dimension of transnational cluster cooperation. We tried to emphasize this in our paper, considering countries between two important water borders, namely the Adriatic Sea and the Danube.