Cluster Initiative Greenbook, pointed cluster initiatives as a central part of industrial, regional and innovation policy-making across the developed world. They have costumed objectives and policy in order to fit to national policy traditions and characteristics. Their activities may include information gathering and dissemination, cluster analysis, networking lobbying export promotion regional attractiveness and branding, innovation and cluster growth. The European study on clusters initiatives underlined that one of the most common objective and activity is government relations and lobbying.
Bulgarian ICT Cluster is one of the organizations from ICT sector, which has strong positions and good working relations with state administrations.
In this respect ICT Cluster is working on four directions: ICT policy, clusters policy, state policy for ICT SME and ICT sector branding and positioning.
ICT Cluster was involved in the elaboration of a number of state policies and acts. The organization is a member of ICT Consultative Council in the Ministry of Transport and Communication and Information Technologies - responsible state body for Bulgarian ICT policy. Representatives of ICT Cluster are members of different working groups in the Ministry. In 2009 with the strong support of ICT Cluster and Broadband Initiative the national strategy for broadband was adopted by the Parliament, as a an official national strategy. At the moment ICT cluster is working for development of national broadband infrastructure and development of e-government in Bulgaria. ICT Cluster was strongly involved in elaboration of key laws: Law for Electronic Communications; Law of Electronic Governance, E-health strategy , e .t.a
ICT Cluster is the main partner of the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism in the process of national cluster policy creation. Representatives of ICT Cluster were involved during discussions for the development of a call for clusters’ support as a part of Operational Program Competitiveness of Bulgarian Economy.
ICT Clusters maintains constructive relationship and work close with Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Agency in the process of ICT SME state support and promotion on different events and fairs.
Branding and positioning Bulgaria as a high tech spot is a long complicated process which requires strong and sustainable engagement of national authorities and institutions as well as ICT branch organizations, associations and companies. ICT Cluster in cooperation with BASCOM, BAIT, Web Association and ASTEL are reliable partners of Bulgarian Invest Agency and Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Agency for promoting Bulgarian ICT business on the world market and to attract foreign investments in the field.
In 2005 Bulgarian ICT Cluster developed the “Strategy for Competitiveness of Bulgaria on the World Markets” which later was adopted by the Parliament as a national strategy.
