ABSTRACT
In this chapter we focus on Polish clusters and present that intra-cluster cooperation they foster provides cluster firms, in particular, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with advantages enabling them the upgrading of their competitiveness. The determinants of SMEs’ competitiveness, especially the barriers to a firm’s growth have been investigated by a great number of researchers. Nevertheless, this topic remains crucial due to the fact that SMEs are the backbone of national economies and is of even greater importance for post-transition economies. Clusters and their dedicated organizations – cluster organizations (COs) – can help address challenges faced by SMEs. Best practices from selected Polish clusters dominated by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises are reviewed and evaluated, and some practical implications are formulated. We argue that COs can act as a channel which transforms factors of attractiveness (idiosyncratic core of clusters) into competitive advantages (critical for SMEs).
