Clusters are part of the new economic environment, but often miss the dynamism which is needed for innovation. New cluster concepts which upgrade clusters & cluster policies are needed. Central European governments need to increase the effectiveness of their policies in this area to secure further development and competitiveness. The policy frameworks on cluster and innovation policy need to be upgraded accordingly to enable excellence in cluster performance. CluStrat project has the objective to improve these framework conditions for innovation as well as those of the generation and application of knowledge in the central Europe. Achievements: Since October 2011, the strategic project CluStrat has been working towards the development of a joint strategy for new cluster concepts supporting the economic exploitation of the market chances related to so-called Emerging Industries in the Central Europe area. Closely related to this is the assessment of ways for activating the potentials related to several cross-cutting issues including Knowledge & Technology Transfer, Internationalization and Gender in Innovation. During the 1st Transnational Policy Dialogue of CluStrat (Dec. 2011, Stuttgart) it was agreed that the project will focus on the Emerging Industries Green Economy / Sustainable Development, Active Ageing and Sustainable / Smart Mobility. The partnership then mapped the cluster potentials of the project area with regard to these Emerging Industries plus the above-named cross-cutting Issues. In addition to a desk research study, more than 280 interviews were conducted. A report on potentials of the Central Europe area which is complemented by reports outlining the specific potentials of the project regions and countries is available. Based on the new insights, a strategic framework including core elements of the joint strategy were discussed and adopted during the 2nd Transnational Policy Dialogue and subsequent steering Committee meeting (Apr. 2013, Katowice). A first draft of the joint strategy was, together with a first draft of policy recommendations, validated and adopted during the 3rd Transnational Policy Dialogue and subsequent Steering Committee meeting (Sept. 2013, Budapest). The partnership will now implement pilot actions designed during the summer of 2013 to test selected elements of the joint strategy draft. In order to ensure that findings are in line with current innovation policy needs, the project partners constantly share the results with innovation and cluster policy makers, practitioners and experts. This is achieved through a systematic feedback process implemented through events at regional & national level. Since the project start, more than 70 events have been implemented in the context of this "Policy Dialogue", including several expert workshops. The Policy Dialogue is organized in 4 cycles culminating in 4 Transnational Policy Dialogue events; 3 rounds of policy dialogues have been implemented so far. During the 3rd project year, pilot actions will be implemented; based on their results, further core outputs of the project will be elaborated/finalized: Policy Recommendations, Single Action Plans for future pilot implementation, a Joint Action Plan to support the introduction of recommendations into the national and regional systems and Joint Actions for the transnational / makroregional level. The Joint Strategy will be finalized and adopted and a dissemination initiative on each Central Europe country launched. On 17.02.2013 the previous project findings will be disseminated towards the EU policy environment through a Brussels conference.