PIPSO Introduces Clustering to Kiribati Businesses

April 14, 2015

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Tarawa, Kiribati – Tekeeua Tarati, the President of the Kiribati Chamber, officially opened the Cluster Development workshop this afternoon in Tarawa, Kiribati. The workshop, facilitated by the Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO), was held at the Telecom Services Kiribati Limited Conference Room, attended by 30 people representing government, private sector, academia and civil society.

In opening the workshop, Tekeeua Tarati said, the workshop was a series of learning events being organised through the Chamber in association with PIPSO, to build the capacity of the private sector, particularly the members of KCCI. He added, “the workshop on clustering is an important one for a place like Kiribati where business development is still quite constrained and that the challenges faced by many businesses can be addressed through a concept like clustering, to get businesses that are essentially competitors to see how they can work together.”

The workshop is an introduction to cluster development and was facilitated by the Kiribati Chamber to have PIPSO share and increase awareness on clustering. Cluster development is about working with businesses, suppliers, and associated institutions who are interconnected and are located close together in particular areas. By their nature of being closely located, clusters are considered to increase productivity with which companies can compete, and encourage innovation, job creation and business start ups. The workshop aims to explore with participants how to explore clustering as a means for local businesses and community entrepreneurs to collaborate with each other and associated institutions like banks, community groups, academia et al to increase business.

PIPSO’s Chief Executive Officer Mereia Volavola said “clustering is a key programme for PIPSO following the successful pilot clusters projects in 2014. We have received requests from members, like Kiribati, who wish to get more information on cluster development, and particularly how to organise businesses to benefit from collaborating to enhance their business competitiveness.” She added, “PIPSO is undertaking this work based on the Cluster Development & Management Manual developed last year.”

The cluster workshop is based on the 12 step process outlined in PIPSO’s Cluster Development & Management Manual, which was launched officially last week in Suva, Fiji by the European Union Deputy Head of Delegation Mr Johnny Engell-Hansen.

The Kiribati workshop has been supported by the Pacific Integration Technical Assistance Project (PITAP), which is a component of the Strengthening Pacific Economic Integration Through Trade programme (SPEITT), funded under the 10^th European Development Fund.  The PITAP aims to improve the capacity of Pacific Island Countries to trade and increase exports and investments – areas which are results for firms participating in clusters; as firms in the cluster enhance their business competitiveness they are more able to trade more, export, and attract growing and more dynamic investments.