Established in 2006, Bydgoszcz Industrial Cluster Tool Valley incorporates companies of the toolmaking and plastics processing industries and a range of business related institutions, including universities, research and development units, public authorities, entrepreneurs’ associations and financial institutions. The majority of companies in the processing and toolmaking industry are small and medium-sized enterprises. Their activities are highly flexible. The cluster’s aim is the integration of processing and tool experts, representing their interests outside the industry and also establishing a network of business connections facilitating the operations of companies, access to human resources, technological development and an increase of innovation in production. The enterprises of the Cluster offer high-quality moulds and other processing tools and also deal with the manufacturing of plastic products for various industries, i.a. automotive, household appliances,furniture production, medical disposables production, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food packaging industries.
The members of Bydgoszcz Industrial Cluster Tool Valley constitute a chain of suppliers. They processors manufacture a variety of products by means of injection moulding, extrusion and blow moulding. For these producers other members supply both polymers and additives: masterbatches, fillers, modifying agents. For toolmakers who manufacture a complete range of tools for plastics processing: mainly moulds, blow moulds, extrusion heads, rubber injection moulds, along with machining tools: blanking dies, stamping dies and forging dies, the suppliers within BIC offer steel, standard and special parts, hot runners system and auxiliary equipment.
In October 2016, BIC obtained Key National Cluster status, which is awarded as a part of the competition organized by the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Technology. A Key National Cluster is “a cluster of significant importance to the domestic economy and of high international competitiveness”. Key National Clusters are identified on a national level on the basis of the analysis of six key areas of cluster functioning: human and organizational resources, financial and infrastructure resources, economic potential, creation and transfer of knowledge, action for public policies and customer orientation. The Status is granted for three years and every cluster can apply for its recertification. Our organisation has been recertified and extended the status of the Key National Cluster until 2022.
In April 2019, BIC received the Silver Label Certificate granted by the European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis (ESCA). The ESCA promotes the excellence of cluster management by conducting benchmarking of clusters and granting them certificates - brown, silver or gold. Obtaining the Silver Label Certificate was preceded by receiving the Bronze Label Certificate twice in previous years.
VISION
By 2025, as an effective and dynamic organisation, Bydgoszcz Industrial Cluster will have created favourable conditions for the development of enterprises, especially those of the plastics processing industry, recycling and manufacturing of tools with the participation and involvement of mutually co-operating entrepreneurs, R&D units, business related institutions and local authorities.
MISSION
The mission of BIC is creating optimal development conditions, stimulating cooperation and integrating processors and toolmakers of the plastics sector in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Region.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES OF BYDGOSZCZ INDUSTRIAL CLUSTER TOOL VALLEY
* The development of the organisation of the Bydgoszcz Industrial Cluster Tool Valley through perfecting the cluster staff, acquiring new members, conducting analysis of the industry market, lobbying for improved conditions for company growth, popularising the plastics industry as the crucial one for the development of the Region, searching for and raising external funds to implement solutions.
* The promotion of the cluster concept, cluster members, marketing activities such as: training courses, workshops and seminars and organisation of business meetings as forms which promote the cluster concept and knowledge among the present and potential members, the participation of cluster representatives in trade fairs and exhibitions, publishing promotional and advertising materials, maintaining the cluster’s website.
* The acquisition of new workforce and increasing competencies and knowledge of the present staff of BIC’s members – promoting vocational training among junior high school pupils, co-operating with local vocational schools, technical high schools and universities, turning students’ career orientation towards technical professions, co-operating with the regional universities in terms of education in specific professions, initiating and organising seminars, workshops, meetings, discussions, training courses within the cluster on subjects related to the industry and enterprise management.
* The increase of the innovation level of BIC’s companies and stimulation of new investments by taking actions to create specialist research facilities for the cluster’s needs, acquiring and implementing the results of R&D work in the business activity of the cluster members, establishing a communication intranet platform, i.a. in the field of new technologies transfer, organisation of discussions and visits to cluster companies in order to arrive at common development undertakings of the cluster members.
* Internationalisation of BIC’s members into foreign markets and strengthening cooperation – devising a plan of international co-operation and cluster undertakings to acquire new groups of recipients of the offered products and services abroad, organising trips to international trade fairs and missions to present the commercial offer and initiate co-operation with business partners.
INTERNATIONALIZATION
The Cluster is a member of three international networks: Inmoldnet, MERGEurope, European Lightweight Cluster Alliance (ELCA), European Composites, Plastics and Polymer Processing Platform (ECP4) and DIH2. It cooperates with industry clusters from Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain.
The activities aimed at the systematic development of cooperation with foreign partners include economic missions, study visits and international projects. The Cluster is a partner of the following international projects: AMULET (H2020), Better Factory (H2020), ELCA (COSME Cluster Go Interantional).
We cooperate with:
