TITLE:
Beyond Networking: Industrial Clusters as Institutional Orchestrators of CleanTech Innovation Ecosystems
AUTHORS:
Enrique Bayonne, Beatriz Irún Molina, Paloma Moya, Alberto Sáez
KEYWORDS:
Energy Clusters, Innovation Ecosystems, Open Innovation, Ecosystem Orchestration, CleanTech, Sustainability Transition, Public-Private Collaboration, Knowledge Transfer, Net-Zero Industry Act, CECV
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.14 No.10,
October
30,
2026
ABSTRACT: Achieving a net-zero economy requires not only technological innovation but also institutional arrangements capable of coordinating collaboration among multiple stakeholders. While the technological dimension of the CleanTech transition has been extensively studied, less attention has been devoted to the governance mechanisms that enable innovation ecosystems to emerge and scale. This paper examines the CECV CleanTech Open Innovation +LATAM-Caribe programme as an exploratory qualitative case study of a cluster-led open innovation ecosystem. Drawing on programme documentation, stakeholder engagement and direct observation, it explores how industrial clusters orchestrate collaboration between large corporations, SMEs, start-ups, research organisations and public institutions. The findings indicate that clusters facilitate knowledge exchange, reduce coordination barriers, mobilise complementary capabilities and align innovation initiatives with the European Net-Zero Industry Act. Beyond networking, clusters emerge as trusted institutional intermediaries that strengthen governance and public-private collaboration. The study proposes a three-layer governance framework for analysing cluster-led collaboration in emerging CleanTech ecosystems. Its transferability and contribution to industrial decarbonisation require further empirical assessment.