European cosmetics sets its sights on the Global Cosmetics Cluster Europe project
The Global Cosmetics Cluster is one of the most important cosmetic development projects based on international cooperation in recent years. The Global Cosmetics Cluster introduces a partnership between the European cosmetic clusters to increase business opportunities for SMEs towards third markets, in particular the five most promising global markets: the USA, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, India, and South Korea.
The goal is to help European companies access new, global value chains and get to a position of leadership at an international level.
The collaboration was initiated thanks to the unifying action of the Global Cosmetics Cluster and sees the presence of some of the leading European clusters in the cosmetics sector: the French Cosmetic Valley, the Spanish Associació del Clúster Bellesa de Catalunya, the Romanian Associaţia Patronilor şi Meseriaşilor Cluji, Istanbul’s Chemicals and Chemicals Products Exporters’ Association, the Portuguese Associação Empresarial da Beira Baixa and representing Italy, the Polo Tecnologico della Cosmesi di Crema. Different international organizations, like the French EcoMundo or the American IBA, are part of the board and involved in the project as “associate partners”.
The project was officially founded in Paris in 2016 on the occasion of Cosmetic 360, when 18 international clusters decided to create a global cluster dedicated to cosmetic innovation. Between 2017 and 2019, all members of the Global Cosmetics Cluster came together to implement Cosmetics4Wellbeing, an internationalization program developed by COSME and the European Union and in 2019, the Global Cosmetics Cluster Europe, the European branch of the global network, was born.
POLO DELLA COSMESI SUPPORTS GLOBAL COSMETICS CLUSTER EUROPE
Ivan Massari, Vice-President of Polo della Cosmesi, speaking about the project commented: “The Global Cosmetics Cluster Europe is a strategic initiative for the cosmetics sector that highlights the importance of cooperation and collaboration between small and medium enterprises on an international scale. One of Global Cluster Europe’s tasks will be to facilitate integration and optimization of resources throughout the supply chain and to create synergy amongst the business belonging to the cluster. All of which will have significant positive effects on the competitiveness of European companies on a global level”.
Matteo Moretti, President of Polo echoes the sentiment: “The Italian cosmetic industry represents a global excellence and Polo della Cosmesi, the association of reference for the cosmetics manufacturing chain, has always believed in the importance of an international cluster. The numbers support it: for our companies, export is of particular strategic value, on average representing 70-80% of revenue, and being able to gain access to new markets is therefore an opportunity that we can’t let get away”.
THE GOALS
The Global Cosmetics Cluster Europe has six specific objectives:
- encourage business, international cooperation and Research & Development within the cosmetics supply chain;
- help SME access international markets;
- cooperation between the clusters and its members;
- support the development of a value chain amongst all sectors of the cosmetics industry;
- develop a management system and a common brand that guarantees active and sustainable collaboration between all participants;
- promote and increase visibility of the Global Cosmetics Cluster Europe that represents the entire value chain in the cosmetic field.
