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What is a competitiveness cluster ?
A joint theme-based initiative for a given geographic area
A competitiveness cluster is an initiative that brings together companies, research centers and educational institutions in order to develop synergies and cooperative efforts.
Other cluster partners may include local and national authorities and services catering to cluster members.
Other cluster partners may include local and national authorities and services catering to cluster members.
A chance to become a leader
Clusters use synergies and innovative joint projects to give their member companies a chance to be national and international leaders in their fields,
 To learn more, visit
Competitiveness clusters goals
To strengthen the competitiveness of the French economy and develop both growth and jobs in key markets:
- Through increased innovation
- By encouraging high-value-added technological and creative activities, principally industrial, at a regional level
- By attracting businesses to France thanks to a higher international profile
Competitiveness clusters strategy
Each competitive cluster draws up a five-year plan, based on a vision shared by the various stakeholders. With the plan, the competitiveness cluster can:
- Develop partnerships between the various stakeholders, based on their complementary skills
- Construct shared strategic R&D projects that can benefit from public funding, particularly the
- Promote an overall environment favourable to innovation and the competitiveness cluster's stakeholders via presentations, knowledge-sharing and mutual support among cluster members on topics such as training and human resources, intellectual property, private-sector financing, international development, and so on.
€1.5bn for Phase 2 for the competitiveness clusters policy
Following the positive assessment of the first phase of the cluster policy, the French Government has decided to allocate €1.5bn to the launch of a second phase (2009–2011). In addition to providing continued support for R&D – the essential part of the competitiveness clusters' activities – the funds will be used in three specific areas:
- Strengthening leadership and strategic steering for competitiveness clusters (performance contracts)
- New means of financing (innovation platforms)
- Developing a growth and innovation ecosystem in each competitiveness cluster (including private financing and better regional synergies)
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An example of competitiveness cluster-based training actions
are among the top priorities of the . Starting in 2006, a series of training opportunities have been implemented, including the professional baccalaureate at Le Creusot, a Secondary School Diploma at Chalon-sur-Saône and Le Creusot, and a specialised master's degree from Cluny. In addition, a survey of cluster staff and positions was carried out with public funding support. Finally, the Burgundy Regional Directorate for Industry, Research and the Environment is offering support to the cluster for a project to launch an international school to train students to maintain, build and dismantle nuclear power plants.
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In addition, international actions are aimed at:
- Allowing clusters to take part in implementing a European policy for developing world-class European clusters
- Encouraging cluster members to develop technological partnerships with international stakeholders
- Contributing to make France attractive by encouraging international investors to initiate partnerships with the clusters
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An example of international partnership
The French clusters and and the German cluster are taking part in a European technology development platform dedicated to embedded systems. These French and German leaders in the transport sector are actively contributing to setting up R&D projects that will have a lasting industrial impact at a European level. The project has begun to explore new partnerships with other European excellence clusters, particularly with the Dutch cluster Point-One, to develop embedded systems and micro-nanotechnology.
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Public support for clusters
The French Government is particularly interested in promoting an overall environment favourable to enterprise and innovation, and in supporting R&D efforts within competitive clusters. It accompanies cluster development at both local and national levels in the following ways:
- By allocating, through the Single Interministerial Fund, financial support for the best R&D and innovation platform initiatives via calls for projects
- Partial financing for cluster governance structures, alongside local authorities and companies
- Financial support for theme-based collective actions initiated by clusters in a wide range of areas, via the various
- By carrying out and publishing studies such as "" ("Good governance practices for competitive clusters") and "" ("A practical guide to intellectual property in clusters")
- By involving various partners, such as the Caisse des Dépôts, or the (ANR) and both of which finance R&D projects led by cluster stakeholders
- By bringing new means from public research centres
- Finally, by seeking assistance from local authorities, who can also provide financial support for cluster projects (R&D, innovation platforms)
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An example of a collective action supported by the Regional Directorate for Industry
, led by the cluster has resulted in lower sub-contracting costs at the Saint-Nazaire naval construction site. This was accomplished by training the workforce in new technologies such as polymers and composites, and by diversifying its clients list to include aviation, offshore oil drilling, yachting and the various defence markets
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At an international level, the Government helps cluster stakeholders, and specifically companies, to identify the most suitable international partners, and to create technological partnerships with them, based on the creation of value.
The General Directorate for Competitiveness, Industry and Services (DGCIS ex DGE) encourages the following:
- Actions carried out by clusters within the framework of implementing an international strategy
- Collective actions involving several clusters working in the same sector in order to increase partnership possibilities for their companies and to make them more attractive to foreign investors
- Actions to support technological partnerships abroad for cluster SMEs
An example of international support
For the past two years, the DGCIS (ex DGE) has supported the international structuring of all of France's biotechnology clusters. The brings together the , andclusters. It is involved in a strategic partnership with clusters in the Osaka region of Japan and Massachussetts. |
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Allocations of State appropriations for Phase 2 (2009-2011)
- Leadership appropriations – €50M (financing for governance structures)
- Intervention appropriations – €600M including €495M for R&D projects and €105M for structuring projects (innovation platforms)
- Agency interventions – €850M including €600M for the French National Research Agency (ANR) and €250M for OSEO and the Caisse des Dépôts. |
Competitive clusters: a few figures
Who are the clusters?
- 71 competitive clusters have been
labellised
- 5,000 companies were cluster members
in 2007
- 80% of these were SMEs (small medium size enterprises)
What sort of aid do clusters receive?
- 738 R&D projects have received
public funding since 2005
- € 1470 million has been spent on R&D projects since 2005, including 946 million from the Government
- R&D projects represent a total of € 3.9
bn
- 14,000 researchers take part in funded
R&D projects
- 54% of funding goes to cluster SMEs, within the framework of the Interministerial Fund and Oséo (not including support for laboratories)
- 2,097 R&D
projects received
agency support (ANR and Oséo) in 2006, 2007 and 2008
- € 4
million in funding came from the DGCIS in 2006 and
2007 to support international development
Mapping the 71 competitive clusters
- (format pdf, 200 ko)
- offering access by region and theme
The goods and services of tomorrow – some examples
Transport, aeronautics and aerospace
New materials to make tomorrow's trains faster
and more economical
The goal of the project at the cluster is to validate the use of new materials, such as composites, metal foams, new steels and steel/polymer sandwiches, for building a multi-material chassis that will reduce both the weight and number of trainset parts by 20%. Costs and assembly times will also be reduced.
Biotechnology and health
Non-invasive surgery: new tools and high-tech
training
The is developing a surgical model in which organ surgery is carried out via the body's natural pathways. The patient is left without a visible scar, and both pain and post-operative complications are reduced. The project aims to create new surgical tools as well as the training needed to learn this new operating technique. It has been approved by the competitive cluster.
A new system for intradermal injection
is a new vaccination system. The project aims to develop and market a micro-injection vaccination system capable of delivering micro-quantities of vaccine, while maintaining or improving the vaccination's efficiency.
Agribusiness and bio-resources
Natural fibres for use in vehicle interiors
The goal of the project of the is to find natural fibre substitutes for the petroleum-based polypropylenes and polystyrenes traditionally used in automobile interiors. Fibre substitutes are renewable and comply with technical constraints in terms of weight, impacts, aging, dynamic fatigue. They are also economical (competitively priced compared with plastics) and environmentally-friendly (they contain no harmful components and are recyclable).
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), imaging and networks
Broadband technologies for isolated rural areas
The project (Satellite Services for Rural Use) from the cluster is working to develop technologies that combine satellite telecommunications and wireless terrestrial technologies. The goal is to offer broadband services to isolated rural areas that do not have access to existing broadband networks (ADSL, etc.). Ourses is testing these innovations on a computer-based medical platform providing assistance to at-risk older persons in isolated areas.
Terra Numerica: digital heritage
Approved by the cluster in the digital heritage domain, the goal of the project is to develop technologies for the production and visual exploitation of large-scale 3-D digital images of urban areas.
These images can be used in a wide range of areas, including tourism and heritage promotion, services for local authorities, development and urban planning, civil safety, contextual business services, and so on. 3-D images may be consulted via web-based applications, mobile applications such as cell phones and PDAs, as well as virtual and augmented reality devices.
Energy and Environment
Environmentally friendly antifouling paint
for ships
The goal of the of the is to develop new anti-fouling paints for ship hulls that are completely biodegradable and do not contain harmful products. The efficiency of these new products requires the development of procedures that limit the adherence and growth of marine organisms on the submerged painted surfaces and permit the elimination of paint/soiling complexes.
Contacts at the Ministry for the Economy, Industry and Employment:
The General Directorate for competitiveness, Industry and Services (DGCIS ex DGE):
The Regional Directorate for Industry: | 
