the french competitiveness clusters – getting together research labs, large industry and smes...

The French Competitiveness Clusters – Getting together Research Labs, Large Industry and SMEs

Thilo Schönfeld – Aerospace ValleyMontréal, 6 Dec. 2011

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In July 2005 in total 67 clusters were approved by the French government, 6 of them designated as “global”

Global context – Launch of French “clusters”

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“Cluster” versus “pôle de compétitivité”Michael Porter’s definition of cluster as: “geographically proximate groups of interconnected companies and associated institutions in a particular field, linked by commonalities and complementarities” [Harvard, 1998].

Our interpretation: • a market oriented “cluster” focuses primarily on SMEs and the entire supply chain • the regional “pôle de compétitivité” à la française are mainly technology oriented “think tanks” aiming at stimulating innovation and cooperation between industry, research and training (TRL 3-6).

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The European cluster policyEC: “Clusters are seen as an important factor

for the explanation of the empirical phenomenon of geographical concentration of economic and innovation activities”.

Cluster Observatory: 2000+ clusters in Europe

The concept of clusters comprises 3 dimensions:

1. Cluster firm benefit from an “agglomeration effect”

2. Cluster facilitate competition and cooperation “co-opetion”

3. Clusters are characterised by a “social glue” that hold different actors together

« Proximity creates value » (Michel Ktitareff, WDHB Green)

The Aerospace Valley Cluster Association

• Bi-regional aerospace cluster• Activities: aeronautics, space and embedded systems• Date of creation: July 2005 • Legal status: Association formed by companies, research centres, training centres and local and regional authorities• Dec 2011: 567 members, of which 273 SMEs• 7 electoral colleges• President/CEO: Agnès Paillard, EADS• Permanent staff: 11 people (+ “volunteers”)• Budget for running costs: 1.6 M€ / year

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INDUSTRY

RESEARCH TRAINING

Airbus, Latécoère, Dassault-Aviation, Sogerma, … Thales Alenia Space, EADS-Astrium, EADS IW, SAFRAN, …Alstom, Freescale, Continental, Thales Avionics, …

Universities, CNRS, ONERA, INRIA, CNES, CEA, CERFACS

ISAE (SUPAERO & ENSICA), ENAC, EMAC, INPT, ENSAM, Universities, ENSEIRB, …

Aeronautics, space and embedded systems:

= 114 300 direct jobs in the Midi-Pyrénées and Aquitaine Regions (Dec 2009, source : INSEE)

= 1/3 of overall French work force in these sectors

Creation of 13 000 jobs in 2005-2009

Triple helix conceptTriple helix concept

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Pivotal ProjectsInfrastructure/territorial

Economic development & inward investment

Training, Education, job & skills needs analysis

R&D Cooperation projects

9 « Domaines d’Activités Stratégiques » (DAS)

3 Transversal Activity Domaines (DAT)

Federal Programs R&D

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1. Aero-mechanics, materials, structures

2. Energy, propulsion, engines and access to space

3. Air transport safety and security

4. Living Earth and space

5. Navigation, positioning, telecommunications

6. Embedded systems

7. General engineering and collaborative automated production

8. Maintenance, services, training

9. Autonomous aerospace systems

Cooperative projects elaborated in 9strategic core R&D sectors (“think tanks”)

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R&D Funding mechanisms Status September 2011:480 projects approved by AV246 projects finally financedaccumulated 1500 participants

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% participation

• Total budget of financed projects: 725 M€• Total amount of private funding: 418 M€ • Total amount of public funding: 307 M€

(45% of FUI) (public funding for SMEs: 72 M€ )

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R&D Funding procedure (1/2)

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• Technical meetings on “DAS” level brainstorming on collaborative R&D projects bringing together primes, SMEs and research organizations

• Presentation of the most mature projects in front of selection panel internal to Aerospace Valley

• Selection of projects based on a total of around 12 criteria • Submission of pre-selected project to public (co)funding

sources : State, Regions, Agencies, Foundations final selection by external experts and (often) in a national competition

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R&D Funding procedure (2/2)

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Aerospace Valley internal selection criteria:• Technical and strategic objectives• Industrial challenges, market potential, impact on employment• Relevance versus existing projects • Regional, national and international visibility• Degree of innovation, state of the art, initial and targeted maturity (TRL)• Industrial and intellectual property• Coherence with the strategy of the partners• Balance of work load between the partners• Description of tasks incl. responsibilities, costs, deliverables and overall planning• Risk mitigation• Overall project budget, capacity of partners for auto financing

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International Cooperation• International cooperation policy defined for the

period 2009–2012: selection of 11 countries of priority

• Formal agreements signed with Aéro Montréal, Skywin (Wallonia), Hambourg, Farnborough Aerospace Consortium, CECOMPI and California Space Authority

• Further contacts and informal exchanges with e.g. Hegan (ES), BavAIRia (DE), Tianjin (CN), etc.

• Forum of exchanges between European aerospace clusters through EACP initiative• Participation to EC-FP7 projects • Overall international coordination with GIFAS

European Aerospace Cluster Partnership

With their (ideally) triple helix structure, clusters have access to a variety of competences (including regional governments).

Joining forces to overcome the fragmented nature of our cluster landscape can help strengthen the European position in the world markets.

Cluster managements execute important support functions for the companies, researchers, and workers in Europe.

Networks between regions can create new opportunities for knowledge/ best practice exchange and joint action.

Why EACP ?

> Aerospace Clusters need a Voice in Europe <

Members

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39 members from 13 countries

schoenfeld@aerospace-valley.com

Merci - Thank you ！