EN
In the era of globalisation an acceleration in the economic growth of problem regions and, especially, of rural areas, is being achieved through a rise in the innovativeness and competitiveness of such types of economic activity that are fostered by local comparative advantages. Improvement in the local economy is stimulated, among other things, by modern organisation of economic activity in the form of clusters.The main aim of this article is to prove that the presence of cluster structures in a given area increases the probability of the emergence of local economic effects conducive to economic growth, i. e. the effects of co-operation and economic integration, the external effects of scale and internal synergistic effects as well as the multiplier and accelerator effects. The authoress has conducted an analysis of four rural regions, namely of the State of Minnesota in the USA, the Finnish region of Oulu and two regions of Chile, in which the organisation of production in the form of clusters - both of hi-tech and traditional industries, proved an effective instrument of accelerating economic growth.