Competitiveness clusters Policy in France

1
Competitiveness clusters Policy in France

• Alain Griot
• Directorate general for enterprises

2
Policy aims

• Strengthening the link between research
  industry
• promoting industry-driven research programs
• developing the triple helix relationship
  between firms, research centres and higher
  education institutions
• Identifying high-potential clusters and focus
  public aids on them
• avoiding scattering of public subsidies
• Promoting joint research projects
• helping to reduce ever-increasing cost of RD for
  firms

3
Official definition ofCompetitiveness Clusters

• Combination, within a given geographic area, of
  firms, higher education centres and research
  units,
• defining a common strategy aimed at generating
  synergies centred on co-operative RD projects,
• in order to reach the critical mass needed for
  international visibility in targeted
  technological fields.
• Pôles de compétitivité are
• manufacturing industry oriented clusters
  (positive spillovers towards the whole industry),
• secured on the national territory (strong local
  relationships between industry and research will
  help against offshore outsourcing),
• putting the stress on innovation and RD (key
  factor for competitiveness in high cost
  countries, like EU),
• with international visibility (enforcing the idea
  of France as a high-tech area)

4
The agenda

• December 2004 launch of the call for proposal
  for a 3 months period
• July 2005 67 clusters selected on 105 proposals
• September 2005 first call for proposal for
  innovation projects
• July 2007 5 new clusters selected
• August 2007 President Sarkozy announced the
  continuation of clusters initiative
• December 2007 launch of the evaluation process
  (results forecasted for July 2008)

5
Locations
The Competitiveness Clusters in France. 17 are
global ones 54 are smaller and more
specialized On the basis of a regional approach,
but some are linking 2 regions or more.

6
(No Transcript)
7
French Clusters Case Study IAR

• Location Picardie and Champagne-Ardennes Regions
• Project Partners
• Firms Faurecia, Sommer-allibert, Omnium Plastic,
  a network of more than 220 companies and 26000
  related jobs
• Labs INRA, INERIS, INSERM,CNRS, Compiegne
  technological university, Europolagro,...
• Schools ENSAM, Compiegne technological
  university, Reims university, University of
  Picardy
• Technologies use of agro products for industrial
  use, bio-refinery concept, biopolymers,
• Markets biomaterials, bio-fuels and bio
  lubricants, cosmetics, (specialty) chemistry

8
French clusters case study SYSTEM_at_TIC

• Location Paris Region
• Project partners
• Firms Nortel, Thalès, Alcatel, Bull, EADS,
  Dassault, France Télécom, Motorola, Renault,
  Sagem
• Laboratories CEA, INRIA, CNRS, DIGITEO
• Schools Ecole polytechnique, Ecole centrale,
  Supelec
• Technologies design of complex IT systems,
  hardware and software software and hardware
  technologies in electronics and opto-electronics
• Markets complex systems design,
  automotive/transportation, defense, telecoms,

9
Governance oversight bodies
Co-ordination between the triple helix players
Co-ordination between local central govt
10
Clusters support measures

• local authorities financing

11
What are competitiveness clusters?

• A competitiveness cluster is
• a gathering of firms, research centres higher
  education institution,
• working on joint projects (mainly RD projects)
• with a dedicated governance body (non-profit
  organization), and
• with dedicated public oversight bodies
• All  clusters  are different
• different strategies
• different priorities (outside RD)
• different organisations (1 to 10 dedicated staff)
• ...but they all have to
• define an innovation strategy, and
• implement a road-map to achieve it
• RD projects as  core business 
• Other priorities, depending on the cluster
• education
• recruitment
• international partnerships
• service delivery toward SMEs...

12
Key factors of success

• Involvement of firms (as opposed to involvement
  of local authorities only and involvement of
  public research centres)
• Local authorities should help and support, but
  not decide and meddle
• e.g. the cluster strategy must be decided by the
  cluster governance (i.e. firms)
• Each cluster needs a specific support policy (at
  local level)
• i.e. no  one size fits all !
• All local innovation services must be
  cluster-oriented
• i.e. it may request changing pre-existing
  organizations
• The cluster policy must be enforced in the
  long-term
• e.g. time-to-market in RD projects is a least 2
  to 3 years

13
RD Projects selections
Firms
Labs
helps building projects
RD Project
Selection
Cluster governance body
Subsidies - central gov't - local gov't -
gov't agencies
Selection
14
Research projects financing
15
Orientation for 2008 and beyond

• The governmental institutional and financial
  support for the French clusters policy will be
  extended after 2008
• No other new cluster will be selected before the
  end of 2008
• The French clusters will be individually
  evaluated before July 2008. The evaluation will
  also concern the global policy.
• Stress will be made on horizontal actions , such
  as training, IP, private financing
• The international cooperation is a priority for
  French clusters and their companies

16
The 11 Evaluation criteria

• Industrial Research Strategy
• Cluster size evolution
• Governance partnerships
• SMEs' involvement
• RD projects results
• Localized projects networking
• International influence
• Education Human resources
• Infrastructures
• Sustainable Development Projects

17
International strategy

• First level to identify the best partners for
  the clusters
• With European partners and partners of developed
  countries
• Same technological level and ability to establish
  partnerships
• Second level to increase the relationship with
  partners to increase technological development
• Cluster to cluster partnership
• But the final beneficiary have to be enterprises
• Third level to create ability for the clusters
  to attract foreign investments and skills
• Fourth level to establish a cluster  trade
  mark 
• able to favor the international development of
  clusters companies and their international
  business.

18
Some achievements

• International strategy
• French clusters are leading interclusters
  creation in Europe
• 14 projects have been selected in a call for
  proposal in order to increase international
  technological partnerships for clusters SMEs
• Life science corridor France (3 bio clusters) is
  now a recognized partner for foreign clusters
  (kansai, Massachusetts,..)
• Foreign investment
• Large investment from GSK in Nord Pas de Calais
  biotech cluster
• New investment to produce solar cells quality
  silicon in the south of France (from Germany and
  the Nederland) in relationship with Capénergies
  and tennerdis clusters
• A lot of new foreign SMEs joining the Minatech
  cluster (nanotech cluster)
• RD projects
• More than 500 new innovation projects, including
  projects supported by OSEO, the agency for SMEs
  innovation).
• The initial budget will be over passed.
• More than 3000 new researcher jobs created
• Training
• New aerospace campus in Toulouse, in close
  relationship with aerospace valley cluster.

19

• Fore more information on french Competitiveness
  clusters
• www.competitivite.gouv.fr
• Join the newsletter community