This session started with case-studies of professional community development practices in clusters, projects and programs. It was continued with development of recommendations in this sphere later on . Among the practices which were analysed were Automobile cluster of Samara region, Kama innovative cluster, such projects as Generation S and Startup Samara (has the largest public participation in Science slam among Russian regions), Club of R&D directors, Union of entrepreneurs of Samara region, program “Professional communities, youth and clusters: making clusters of Russia visible and globally-competitive. Samara region”.

In the session such experts and practitioners as Gulnara Bikkulova (Rusian Venture Company), Alexander Klyukach (Regional center for innovations of Samara region), Vladimir Kosteev (Clubeof R&D directors), Lenar Akhmetov (Kama innovation cluster), Vladislav Tarasevitch (Moscow state university for technologies and innovation named after K.Razumovsky), Vladimir Simbirkin (Union of entrepreneurs of Samara region). The participants of discussion represented different regions of Russia, such as Samara region, Ulyuanovsk region, Tatarstan, Sverdlovsk region, Saint-Ptersburgh, Leningrad region, Moscow, Izhevsk and other regions.

The participants created recommendations for professional community development, which require immediate attention. Those recommendations were split into 5 groups, such as Communication and social capital of professional communities, Leadership and management, Self identification with the cluster and the territory, Goals, values and cluster, Technologies and resources. The participants defined the main stop-factor for professional communities, preventing them from intense development: it was extremely low social capital of cluster members, meaning low intensity of social connections.

At the Forum the English version of the book by E.Shamis “Clusterra, or Clusters in Simple Terms” was presented. This version was adapted for international audience and included explanations on some of the Russian realities linked with clusters. New book by E.Shamis was announced during the forum – this time it will concentrate on cluster development practices in Russia and other BRICS countries.

Session materials are presented at http://forum.economy.samregion.ru/ (in Russian).

The next Forum will take place in July of 2016.