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Practical examples of regional innovation strategies

Nord-Pas de Calais

Yannick Giry, Director delegated to the Regional Innovation Strategy – Department of Economic Development

Regional Council of Nord-Pas de Calais

Jean-Marie Pruvot, DirectorNord France Innovation Développement (NFID)

BrusselsDecember 14, 2011

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Geographical location and key figures: Nord-Pas de Calais

1. Key challenges and main competitive advantages of the region? (1/2)

• 4 million inhabitants

• GDP: 86 billion EUR

• 4th economic region in France

• Universities: 6 public and 1 private

• 28 graduate schools of business and engineering

• 156 000 students

• 4 600 researchers

• 3 000 PhD students

• 300 public and private research labs

• 5,6 % of national patents

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Historic strenghts:

• Railway transport

• Automotive

• Logistics

• Wholesale trade

Existing assets:

• High number of start-up companies – but not innovative

• Specialized service sector – but only few highly knowledge intensive services

• Attractive for large production projects – but less attractive for high-tech projects

• Public research is increasing – but not enough economic transformation

• Structural constraints in SMEs (less organized to innovate)

• Industrial reconversion is not accomplished

• Major assets are not being sufficiently valorized

1. Key challenges and main competitive advantages of the region? (2/2)

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2. History and current status of the regional innovation strategy?

History:•Demand of the European Commission to develop Regional Innovation Strategies in France.•Development of the Nord-Pas de Calais Regional Innovation Strategy started in 2008.

Current status:•Regional Innovation Strategy was officially launched in December 2009.•All working groups are operational.

Funds allocated:•266,7 million EUR of ERDF from 2007 to 2013.

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3. Focus and domains of expertise put forward? (1/3)

Identification process:

•Statistical analysis

•Survey among regional SMEs

•Working groups

•Support from consultants

Focus:

•A. Sectors of scientific excellence and industrial power

•B. Sectors going through a process of change

•C. Emerging sectors

•D. Transversal support actions

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3. Focus and domains of expertise put forward? (2/3)

A. Sectors of scientific excellence and industrial power – domains of expertise:

•A1: Railway transport (including intermodality, logistics and intelligent transport systems)

•A2: Commerce of the future (including technological and logistical aspects)

•A3: Health-Nutrition-Food (including aquatic products, food safety and security)

B. Sectors going through a process of change – domains of expertise:

•B1: Automotive

•B2: Advanced materials (green chemistry, textiles, composites)

•B3: Buildings and eco-construction

•B4: Mechanical engineering

C. Emerging sectors – domains of expertise:

•C1: Energy and power electronics

•C2: Waste treatment, sediments, polluted sites and soils

•C3: Images and digital creation

•C4: e-health

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3. Focus and domains of expertise put forward? (3/3)

D. Transversal support actions – domains of expertise:•D1: Support innovative start-up companies•D2: Help regional SMEs to develop their strategies and human capital•D3: Attract high-tech investment and change the image of the region•D4: Innovate through and for the service sector•D5: Better funding of innovation•D6: Reinforce the potential of public and private research; improve the practices of valorization and of technology transfer

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Governance of the Regional Innovation Strategy:

• NFID is in charge of coordinating the implementation and the follow-up of the Regional Innovation Strategy.

• Political governance within the Regional Economic Development Scheme (SRDE).

• Strategic Regional Innovation Committee (cf. below).

• Operational Innovation Guidance Committee (cf. below).

Members of the Strategic Regional Innovation Committee:

• State, Regional Council, Conseil Général 59 and Conseil Général 62.

• OSEO, CRCI, NFID, PRES (universities).

• A representative of the enterprises.

• A representative of the four major territories of the region.

• A representative of the Strategic Activity Domains (DAS): Railway transport, Commerce of the future, Health-Nutrition-Food.

• A representative of the following groups: Competitiveness clusters, clusters of excellence, incubators, funding organizations, international promotion agencies, HR support agencies.

Members of the Operational Innovation Guidance Committee:

• State, Regional Council

• PRES (universities), NFID

• CRCI, CCI Grand Lille (GTR Innovation)

• OSEO

• Conseil Général 59 and Conseil Général 62

4. Key players involved in the strategy development?

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5. Methods and tools foreseen for entrepreneurial search processes?

Method:•Objective SME programme.•Help regional SMEs to develop their strategies and human capital (cf. domain of expertise D2).•Improve competitiveness of SMEs.

Tools:•One stop shop (« guichet unique ») for SMEs.•Network of specifically trained specialists.•Access to all relevant support tools from the chambers of commerce, OSEO, etc.

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6. Role of clusters and technology networks?

Clusters:•Clusters: Competitiveness clusters and/or clusters of excellence are supposed to respond to the orientations of the Regional Innovation Strategy.•Directors of clusters manage the respective working groups that develop concerted action plans for their domains of expertise.

Technology networks:•All innovation and valorization operators (i.e. universities, research labs, innovation centres, etc.) in Nord-Pas de Calais are members of the regional innovation network « J’innove ».

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7. Interactions and cooperation between the public and private sector?

Stimulate by / through:•Organization of events, e.g.:

• CRÉER event• Innovation Week• etc.

•Cooperation with science, technology and business parks, e.g.:• EuraTechnologies (ICT)• Plaine Images (Digital creativity)• Eurasanté (Health)• Haute Borne Science Park (science and technology)• Valenciennes Technopole (transportation)• etc.

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SMEs are:• … the main focus of the Regional Innovation Strategy

8. Role of SMEs?

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9. Cross-border and transregional activities and cooperation?

In general:

•The Regional Innovation Strategy is:

• being further developed by the stakeholders,

• open for new ideas from the outside.

•Therefore, cross-border and transregional activities play an important role.

Cross-border activities and cooperation:

•With West-Flanders through the Interreg IVA project « Tandem »

•The project was launched on December 2, 2011

•It will end on November 30, 2014

Transregional activities and cooperation:

•A Regional Action Plan is based on the results of the Interreg IVC project « Making Knowledge Work »

•The project started in January 2010 and ends in December 2011

•NFID is also cooperating with other regional innovation agencies in France (and in particularly involved in a working group about an innovation observatory).

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10. Intended outcomes and results of the strategy? (1/3)

Monitoring of implementation:

•Nord France Innovation Développement (NFID), the « Regional Innovation Agency ».

•A multidisciplinary team of 15 people in charge of:

• bringing forward and monitor the implementation of the Regional Innovation Strategy,

• acting as the technical secretariat of the Strategic Regional Innovation Committee,

• facilitating the Operational Innovation Guidance Committee,

• help the working group leaders to develp the respective action plans in cooperation with the stakeholders of their Strategic Activity Domains (DAS),

• managing the regional innovation network « J’innove »,

• managing and implementing the transversal support actions D1 and D2 (support innovative start-ups and « Objective SME » programme),

• providing back office services related to innovation, valorization of R&D and economic development.

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10. Intended outcomes and results of the strategy? (2/3)

First outcomes and results at the level of the stakeholders:•RAILENIUM (railway transport)•European Innovative Textiles Centre (CETI)•IFMAS (green chemistry, bio-sourced plastics)•etc.

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10. Intended outcomes and results of the strategy? (3/3)

First outcomes and results for regional development and growth:

• Increasing number of innovative projects

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Contact

Thank you for your attention

• For further information, please contact:

Jean-Marie Pruvot, directorNord France Innovation Développement (NFID)e-mail: jmpruvot@nfid.frTel.: 0033 6 74 37 91 57www.jinnove.com