Despite all the expensive initiatives, there are still more questions than answers; a „culture of networks“ has so far been sought in vain in Germany. What is the problem?
All political projects make two errors in thinking (which, incidentally, they have in common with most networks in business and culture):
Errors of reasoning in political cluster initiatives
1. contacts are not yet relationships
2. incest does not lead to dynamism
It is not about business card exchanges, non-binding industry meetings, joint marketing homepages or annual conferences. Sustainable networks consist of strong mutual trust and strong relationships. But trusting relationships cannot be created simply by law, political initiative or a mouse click. A contact is not yet a relationship.
So if a modern network is to function well, it needs the most intensive exchange possible with the world outside the respective niche. Ultimately, therefore, the prospects of success for the individual companies within a cluster are controversial.
The path to economic prosperity therefore does not lead via closed, rigid clusters, but via the systematic creation and optimisation of resilient, lively, intensive relationship networks in heterogeneous, open groups in which a culture of trust prevails. This applies to regions, to industries, to companies and to individuals who still have plans for their lives.
That is why we must change the culture of networks as it prevails in politics and business today. We must clean up our traditions and renew our system of building and maintaining contacts.
