Competitiveness clusters in Rhône-Alpes (Pôles de compétitivité)

1. Competitiveness clusters in Rhône-Alpes(Pôles de compétitivité) An important part of the French policy to encourage partnerships in industrial innovation and reinforce competitiveness Bruxelles, September 19, 2007 Hedi Ben Brahim 1

2. Specifics • Regional based • 3 pilars : firms, training centres and public research units • Innovation and R&D • Invitation to tender

3. Rationale of the policy • strengthen industrial innovation capacity and competitiveness ; • To be seen as being at the leading-edge of key technologies ; • offer new opportunities of economic development to regional areas ; A new public policy based on supporting partnerships and innovative co-operative projects

4. Timetable • Beginning of December 2004 : Large-scale call launched • Budget Act 2005 (December 2004, 31st), which includes specific tax & social contributions exemptions • End of February: Call closed • Mid of May : Report by the inter-ministerial working group • June : Recommendation from a high-level expert group • July 2005, 12th : • Decision by the CIADT on clusters to receive stamp of approval • Beginning of the review of the clusters’ R&D projects • Autumn-Winter 2005 : With each selected cluster, frame-contract on the roadmap • 2006 : 2 national calls for R&D projects. First projects are launched

5. Main criteria to select clusters • National or international visibility : the cluster had already (or within a set timeframe) to be of a sufficient size in industrial and/or technological terms. • Evaluation of rising competitive markets based on critical and innovative technologies • Common development strategy of the cluster • The reliability of the partnership and its governance. The quality of the partnerships established between the cluster’s stakeholders and its governance have been major criteria to label clusters • 105 proposals 66 chosen + 5 in summer 2007 71 competitiveness clusters

6. 1,5 bill. euros dedicated on 2006-2008 period • i.e. doubling the initial budget, due to the success of the call for proposals • promoting industrial R&D subsidized mainly by the Enterprise Directorate General and the new Agency for Industrial Innovation (A.I.I.), established on August 2005, 30th, incompliance with the community framework for state aid for R&D ; • involving public research centers to stimulate partnerships with private research (French National Agency for Research - ANR) ; • bringing specific support to SMEs (OSEO-Anvar) ; • including : • - international promotion : UbiFrance • - seeding funds : Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations • - training : Ministry of Education • through a mix of subsidies, grants, loans, tax and social contribution exemptions

7. Respective Aims Of The Four Structures Project size Industrial Innovation Agency (A.I.I.) Crolles II To innovation and market To fundamental research Ministry of Industry : Enterprises Competitiveness Fund (FCE) ( Eurêka Clusters, French clusters ...) National Research Agency (ANR) R R I T Call for tenders OSEO (=ANVAR + BDPME) Increasing implication of public laboratories Private/public partnership Public research Non cooperative research

8. Rhône-Alpes • 2nd region of France • 10% of France • 6 M inhabitants • 2,61% of GDP in R&D

9. A success in Rhône-Alpes • 19 proposals, 15 clusters • 2 global clusters : Minalogic et Lyon Biopole • 1 global contender : Axelera • 12 pôles

10. 15 pôles • Minalogic : micro and nanotechnologies, embedded software • Lyon Biopole : health safety, virology and infectiology • Axelera : chemistry and environment • Arve Industries : undercutting and mechatronics • Imaginove : video games, cinema and animation • Lyon Urban Truck and Bus : transport solution in the urban environment • Plastipolis : plastics processing • Sporaltec : sport and leisure industry • Techtera : technical and funtionnal textiles • Tenerrdis : renewable energies (solar, biomass, hydraulic, hydrogen) • Trimatec : transfer of nuclear technologies • Viameca : mechanical engineering • PASS (Perfumes, Aromas, Smells, Savors): Aromatic industries: perfumes, cosmetics, food aromatics

11. The implication of local authorities • Local authorities implication is a necessity, at all level • Local authorities are fully involved in the process • Agreement between cluster management, local authorities and central government • Implication of local authorities in the management committee, the selection committee and the financing committee • Local authorities are financing competitiveness clusters • Territorial marketing • Coodination with regional clusters

12. Structuring policy • Regional development and innovation agency • ERDF • INTERREG • 7 year State-Region contract

13. R&D : a success • Every pôle has proposed R&D projects • More than 900M€ projects • More than 470M€ of State financement

14. 2007 • Strategy • Participation of SMEs • International • Human resources, training • Industrial Property • Relationships between clusters 2008 • Evaluation

15. What to expect at international level: • Improvement of cooperation, • Improvement of innovation efficiency and added value creation • Foreign companies joining Competitiveness Clusters enjoy an international environment that provides unity and efficiency. • International teams of researchers working on specific projects • Technological cooperation between companies and research centers of clusters from both France and foreign countries, based on win/win projects.

16. CONCLUSION … … Wishing European and French clusters to be ready for partnerships ! 1