Revisiting cluster organizations as drivers of public-private cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract Central and Eastern Europe continue to generate incremental innovations, slow rates of technology commercialization, and exhibit limited public-private collaboration in research and development. This paper examines the role of cluster organizations as intermediaries, particularly in bridging the knowledge transfer gap between industry and research. Employing qualitative comparative analysis methodology, this exploratory paper highlights the conditions that foster industry-driven collaboration. As a mixed research method that is novel to cluster research, it provides a fresh perspective on how companies establish and maintain connections with research centers. The analysis investigates the associations between the hindering and facilitating factors of cooperation within cluster organizations (conditions) and the prevalence of business-initiated collaboration with research organizations (outcome). The results indicate that structural, socio-behavioral and power dynamics factors influence the patterns of cooperation between these two types of actors. However, to contribute to the advancement and continuity of these relationships, intermediary actors should prioritize addressing the power imbalances to secure strategic cooperation that can lead to regional structural and systemic transformations. The results provide evidence for policy implications, emphasizing the importance of simplifying early-stage technology transfer procedures and reducing administrative obstacles to enhance clusters’ mediator role in an innovation system.