In the last two decades the support of clusters has become a useful and frequently used tool for the improvement of country, and especially regional competitiveness in many countries. Nowadays, clusters are often supported from the public sources through cluster programs in multiple European...

Lagging regions differ in their characteristics, implying a need for tailor-made policy measures to improve the economic situation in these regions. However, while there are differences between these regions, certain "archetypes" of regions might exist that share the same obstacles to...