ECCP team attends FRANCE CLUSTERS annual General Assembly
ECCP team attends FRANCE CLUSTERS Annual General Assembly (AGM) to present the new ESCP-S3 Call for Interest and ECCP partnering Tool 27 MAY 2016
The ECCP team was asked to attend the France Clusters AGM on the 27th of May to present the ECCP Platform tools and especially the ESCP-S3 Call for interest and the new ECCP partnering tool for establishing cluster project consortia.
There are some 34 French clusters registered on the ECCP representing one of the most important cluster communities. The France Cluster AGM was attended by some 70 clusters representing many different economic sectors. This year’s thematic discussion focus was “How to ensure clusters can play a role in securing local growth through supporting or animating innovation or economic infrastructures”. The AGM theme therefore represented a timely and good fit with the concept behind the ESCP-S3 call for interest and especially the need to facilitate cooperation and sharing of limited resources.
The ECCP, represented by Marc Pattinson, participated in a round table involving four cluster actors: Marie-Vorgan LE BARZIC, CEO NUMA Benjamin ZIMMER, Directeur Silver Valley Bernard ABONDANCE, Directeur Essonne Developpement, (Drone cluster) Laurent TRICARD, Directeur du développement Plaine Images
The expert panel included the ECCP, the French national territorial agency CGET and the SCET (public advisory and finance agency). Panelists reacted to the cluster presentations and provided ideas for further actions.
Clusters are increasingly positioning themselves as service providers and animators of innovation centres as a means of increasing their visibility in what is often a complex and crowded ecosystem but also as a means to enhance their ability to offer concrete support to their SME members and diversify funding solutions. The discussions focused notably on the need to ensure the “providers” of infrastructures (buildings, innovation platforms, Fab labs, network spaces etc) took on board the specific needs of the cluster members/community and developed tailored solutions and avoided the provision of “one size fits all” property solutions. Additionally, the need to formalise cooperation agreements with other clusters/innovation actors was highlighted to avoid duplication and ensure SMEs had an easy route into the regional innovation ecosystem and access to relevant support infrastructures and created the conditions for sustainable job creation. Multi partner funding solutions, including regional structural funds (S3) were also highlighted as a good practice to ensure a good fit with regional innovation strategies. Cluster internationalisation and partnering efforts can also be enhanced through the presence of specific “innovation infrastructures” that will enhance the attractivity of territories but only if they are open and made visible via suitable cluster networks/partnerships.
Photos: Room of France Cluster members/attendees and Xavier Roy, Secretary General of France Clusters.
