Abstract. Clusters and cluster strategies are considered as pivotal elements of our global knowledgebased economies. The paper focuses on the Russian and French cases. The two countries have a lot of similarities, important resources in research and development, in technology, a top-down tradition on public policy. They face the same challenges; the necessity to deepen knowledge-based processes to foster innovation, to improve the relations between research and industries, between research institutions, large firms and SMEs. The paper analyses the cluster strategies implemented in the two countries, which display common objectives but specific paths.