Social and humanitarian support of the medical cluster (the experience of Samara region)

The article discusses the reasons for the relevancy of a cluster as a form of organization of production. It is stated that an understanding of the objectives of a cluster is gradually starting to go beyond purely economic-managerial tasks. To the traditional understanding of a cluster there is added a component of social and humanitarian (image) support, which enhances the citizens' quality of life. As exemplified by the Samara cluster of medical and pharmaceutical technologies it shows the impact of a cluster on the development of social and cultural sphere of a city.