Slide1: ‘Competitiveness Centres’ Presentation de Nice Côte d’Azur Presentation of the concept of ‘Competitiveness Centres’ ‘Competitiveness Centres’ in the PACA Region Focus on SCS / ORPHEME / PASS OPEN DAYS Thursday 12 October 2006


Slide2: Nice Côte d’Azur is at the centre of a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabitants. 6th metropolitan area in France for its population and economy, One-third of the population under 30 years of age. CÔTE D’AZUR: ASSETS OF A DYNAMIC REGIONAL METROPOLIS A SERVICE ECONOMY IN CONSTANT PROGRESSION 100,630 establishments on the French Riviera Turnover of 46.5 billion euros, including 70% in commercial services and trade 7,571 new companies created in 2005 A working population of 432,000 80% of jobs in the services sector Proportion of managerial staff slightly higher than the national average: 13.7% versus 13.1% Strong presence of foreign capital 470 companies, 18,300 jobs, 12% foreign residents of more than 160 different nationalities A hundred activities sites, including Europe’s first Technopole, Sophia Antipolis Excellence programmes: ICT, Life Sciences and 6 certified ‘competitiveness centres’


PURPOSE ‘Competitiveness centres’: PURPOSE ‘Competitiveness centres’ To encourage enterprises, training centres and public and private research units to work together on a regional level on shared innovative projects that are international in scope.


CHRONOLOGY OF THE APPROACH ‘Competitiveness centres’: CHRONOLOGY OF THE APPROACH ‘Competitiveness centres’ 2 December 2004: French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin called for ‘competitiveness centres’ inspired by the MP Christian Blanc’s report. 28 February 2005: 105 responses including 11 from the PACA Region. Enterprises, academics, préfets, elected officials were all mobilized in an unprecedented wave of initiatives 12 July 2005 & 6 March 2006: the CIACT approved 66 clusters, including 6 international clusters and 10 with an international vocation. 8 clusters originated in the PACA Region. The Minister Christian Estrosi spoke of an “awakening of French genius” 15 October 2005: the CIACT confirmed framework contracts for 55 clusters 4 December 2005: 1st call for projects: 225 research projects submitted, 72 selected, 300 million euros of funding granted 15 March 2006: launch of the 2nd inter-ministerial call for projects autumn 2006: 3rd call for projects


Eight ‘competitiveness centres’ certified in the PACA (Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur) Region: Eight ‘competitiveness centres’ certified in the PACA (Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur) Region Eight framework contracts confirmed and two world-class clusters in PACA: secured communicating solutions (SCS) knowledge, control and safety of the marine environment and naval systems (MER) orphan diseases & emerging pathologies (ORPHEME) perfumes, flavours, fragrances, scents (PASS) complex optical & imaging systems European cluster of innovation for fruits & vegetables risk management & vulnerability of territories non-greenhouse effect sources of energy


Three clusters concern the Communauté d’Agglomération Nice Côte d’Azur (CANCA): Three clusters concern the Communauté d’Agglomération Nice Côte d’Azur (CANCA) secure communicating solutions (SCS) orphan diseases & emerging pathologies (ORPHEME) perfumes, flavours, fragrances, scents (PASS) The CANCA’s 24 communes are included in the perimeter of the three clusters and can benefit from exemptions for the employment of researchers involved in the projects for these clusters.


SECURE COMMUNICATING SOLUTIONS : SECURE COMMUNICATING SOLUTIONS The SCS cluster, certified in July 2005, is at the convergence of the sectors of microelectronics, telecommunications, software and multimedia, on products as innovative as mobile Internet, smart chips, electronic labels, positioning by satellite and mobile tourism. Member players: 12 large industrial groups : Alcatel Space, Amadeus, Atmel, Gemplus, HP, IBM, Philips, SAP, ST Microelectronics, Texas Instruments, France Telecom and Atos Origin. 47 member SMEs and over 250 concerned. 17 research and training establishments. 8 professional associations, including Telecom Valley. The SCS cluster has been functioning as an association under the Law of 1901 since 21 November 2005.


ORPHEME : ORPHEME ORPHEME arose from the grouping of two projects for clusters: Therapeutic Innovations in PACA & Holobiosud in Languedoc- Roussillon. It was certified by CIACT in November 2005. Themes: Diagnosis and treatment of tropical infectious diseases Treatment of rare neurological diseases or those linked to ageing Diagnosis and immunotherapy of rare and emerging forms of cancer. Start-ups & SMEs are key players 12 industrialists on the Board of Directors, large laboratories (Sanofi-Aventis, Galderma) and start-ups (BioVetoTest, Pharmaxon, Protéus, TXCell, Idénix, Cézanne, Innate Pharma, Cisbio, Neureva, Immunotech) 8 academics on the Board of Directors 6 support partners: Méditerranée Technologies, Bioméditerranée, Holobiosud, Nîmes Rhône Cévennes Technopôle, Montpellier Méditerranée Technopôle, Orphanet


PERFUMES, FLAVOURS, FRAGRANCES, SCEN TS: PERFUMES, FLAVOURS, FRAGRANCES, SCEN TS The PASS cluster, certified by the CIADT in July 2005, covers the value chain from agriculture to industry in the areas of flavouring, perfumery, cosmetics, colouring, biocides, the agri-food and agri-flavouring industries. Ambitions: To become a major international cluster for characterizing and evaluating the flavouring and aromatic ingredients, cosmetics and agri-aromatic products. To meet the challenges facing this area in terms of innovation: innocuity tests, botanical conservation, use of natural products for general consumption, etc


Slide10: Founding members: PRODAROM: national aromatic product manufacturers union SNIAA: national union of the food flavouring industries COSMED: association of the cosmetics sector ONIPPAM: national inter-professional bureau of aromatic, aromatic & medicinal plants UESS: European University of flavours and fragrances Club of Entrepreneurs of the Region of Grasse 35 members in all (including such large companies as Mane, Robertet, Charabot, Arkopharma, L’Occitane, & start-ups: SkinEthic, TXCell, IRIS Pharma) The PASS cluster has been functioning as an association under the Law of 1901 since 15 June 2005.


PROSPECTS FOR THE CANCA CLUSTERS: PROSPECTS FOR THE CANCA CLUSTERS Strong support from the start with the emergence of the three clusters, SCS, ORPHEME & PASS NICT and Life Sciences are the keys to economic positioning. The emblematic Nice Côte d’Azur economic players are involved in these clusters. Major stakes for the territory’s appeal Tax exemptions They are a strong argument for prospecting enterprises, but also for institutions of higher learning Informing and mobilizing the CANCA’s technology SMEs The clusters provide a unique opportunity for adding dynamism to the fabric of 300 local SMEs in the NICT and Life Sciences sectors.