On 26 September, the annual meeting of the Catalonia Clusters Programme was held, an event organised by ACCIÓ that brings together presidents and managers of clusters to analyse the progress and challenges of the sector. The event was attended by the Minister of Enterprise and Labour, Miquel Sàmper, who underlined the strategic importance of clusters for the Catalan economy.

The day began with the presentation of the Catalonia Clusters Programme 2024-26, by Joan Martí, director of the Business Strategy Unit at ACCIÓ. Martí celebrated an all-time record, highlighting that the program already includes more than 3,000  companies spread over 27 clusters, an increase of 30% in the last  five years. This growth reflects the sustained success of the cluster policy, which has been able to adapt to the new times.

During the meeting, Sàmper recalled that more than 30 years ago the Generalitat opted for a pioneering cluster policy, which has remained at the forefront, incorporating new tools and concepts to provide more value to companies. He also stressed that this model has been studied by Harvard Business School as a success story worldwide.

The Minister stressed the need for public-private collaboration to face the new challenges, a key aspect in cluster policy. For her part, the president of the Packaging Cluster, Martina  Font, defended the importance of strengthening the industrial sector in Catalonia, stating that an industrial country generates more well-being for  society as a whole. In addition, he asked the Minister for more resources, recalling that the PSC's  electoral program included a proposal to invest 20 million euros in  incentives for industrial clusters.

The meeting was held at the Hospitality of the 37th America's Cup, where the Government has signed agreements to promote the technological and industrial legacy of the competition. Among other initiatives, projects such as the use of green hydrogen in the Catalan nautical sector and the development of the first America's Cup video game with local suppliers have been promoted.

Finally, a study by the Ministry of Business and Labour was presented that analyses the ecosystem of technologies linked to the blue economy in Catalonia, which includes a thousand companies that together have a turnover of 5,556 million euros and employ almost 24,000 people.