The role of clusters in regional development: A field survey on the Bartın region shoes industry

In this study initiated with the aim of measuring the cluster performance of the companies operating in the shoemaking sector of Bartın, it has been determined that Bartın, which is the 3 stars analysis result that we applied to determine the cluster potential of the industry, takes this industry as two stars and takes place in the "potential cluster" category. Following the 3-star analysis, a questionnaire survey was conducted to find out the opinions of the business managers in the sector face to face with the cluster model. As a result of the study, shoe operators showed a positive attitude towards the cluster model but found that they had a problem of trust in cooperation and joint work. The industry we have identified as potential cluster is IPA II. The Competitive Sectors Program in the period under consideration; It is a great advantage both for the enterprises operating in the sector and for the development of the region. According to the survey results, various projects have been proposed within the scope of the incentive program for the sector operators that we have evaluated. At the beginning of these projects, "Business Development Center Project" which is one of the projects that EU supports most in IPA I. period is included. With this project, it is envisaged that all the enterprises in the sector will work together in a joint facility usage area to make joint work and also contribute to the development of the region by creating a sub-structure of the cluster model for the future periods. Keywords: Cluster-Cluster Model, Regional Development, Competitiveness, Diamond Model, Cluster Examples, Bartın Province, Shoemaking Sector