11 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

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 Investment In Innovation (GDP %) Target France ranks second in EUROPE The Lisbon agenda aims 3% for Europe in 2010 The forecast is 3% for France by then Current situation

5 Timetable Beginning of December 2004 : Large-scale call launched Budget Act 2005 (December 2004, 31 st ), 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, 12 th :  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

6 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 competitiveness clusters

7 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, 30 th, in compliance 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 1,5 bill. euros dedicated on period

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

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

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

11 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

12 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

13 Structuring policy Regional development and innovation agency ERDF INTERREG 7 year State-Region contract

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

 Strategy  Participation of SMEs  International  Human resources, training  Industrial Property  Relationships between clusters 2008  Evaluation

16 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.

117 CONCLUSION … … Wishing European and French clusters to be ready for partnerships !