The role of the Energy Cluster of the Valencian Community as an orchestrator within an innovation ecosystem

Abstract

In a context of accelerated industrial transformation driven by digitalization, the energy transition, and increasing pressure for sustainability, clusters have emerged as key actors in the articulation of innovation ecosystems. Their role has evolved from simple sectoral groupings into strategic coordination platforms capable of catalyzing collaborative processes among companies, technology centers, universities, and public administrations. A cluster is a geographic concentration of companies, institutions, and interrelated organizations operating within the same sector or value chain, which collaborate to enhance competitiveness, foster innovation, and generate productive synergies, The Energy Cluster of the Valencian Community (CECV) in Spain has developed the program named CECVImpulsaIA360, a pioneering initiative that integrates generative artificial intelligence, sustainability, and industrial digitalization to accelerate technological transition in energy intensive sectors. The program is structured into six phases—from territorial prospecting and needs diagnosis, to challenge prioritization, solution mapping, collaborative pilot design and execution, and impact evaluation—and aligns with the Valencian Strategy for Artificial Intelligence and the European Next Generation EU funds.