Clustering is recognized as a sustainable way to increase competitiveness and innovation capacity both of the member enterprises and of the region as a whole. Due to the advantages it offers, clustering has witnessed a spectacular evolution in the last period, being a complex process that is based on a multitude of factors: historical, geographic, economic, political, and others. The state, which through different policies can stimulate the emergence and development of clusters, is assigned an increasingly important role in this process. The aim of the article is to identify the factors that contribute to the formation and development of economic clusters.