The clusters policy, a presentation by Xavier GIVELET, former head of the Inernational Department in DATAR (FRANCE)
1. Definition
2. Policies
3. Contacts
4. Bibliography
_______________________
Definition
Clusters - in the field of spatial management - are generally considered as networks of economic actors, most often installed in the same area and engaged in a complementary approach while respecting the laws of competition.
Theorized by the American academics Michael Porter and Alfred Marshall, clusters may be of different nature:
- clusters devoted to strengthening innovation and scientific research through a scientific environment: the most popular is the "Silicon Valley" in USA, but also Sophia-Antipolis in France and more recently the "poles of competitiveness";
- clusters for competitiveness, where the objective is to develop the best conditions for production with the lowest prices and to obtain the best position in the market economy, like in the industrial districts in Italy;
- clusters for the development of territories, by focusing on local assets, as in the French "Poles of Rural Excellency".
Policies
In France, Datar has encouraged the creation of several types of clusters. The "Systèmes productifs locaux" (local production systems), the first type of cluster " datariens " were designed as "a particularly productive organization", located in an area generally corresponding to a labor area "bassin d'emploi". The organization operates as a network of productive units with similar or complementary activities that share the work (production companies or services, research centers, training centers, transfer centers and technological intelligence network, etc. . ) " According to this policy were made the City of initiative, in Roubaix, which helped establish a system of " short - Circuit "in the textile industry to reduce costs and improve responsiveness to customer orders, and the District Arve Valley to pool expertise and networks in the field of precision engineering or the health center comprising 47 companies in the south -east of Toulouse.
Similar initiatives have been launched in Italy , with industrial districts , which employ 40% of the manufacturing workforce , "micro - clusters " of Catalonia, or Kompetentznetze Germany.
In October 2009, Datar has launched a call for proposals for the realization of " Grappes d'entreprises " to promote market access by mobilizing maximum resources from the territory.
The " Pôles d'excellence rurale" (centers of rural excellency), created in 2005 by Datar, are generally not considered as clusters, but the concept is approaching. These clusters have been designed to enhance the advantages of a territory and develop a synergy between all local stakeholders around this asset can be an archaeological and tourist site, local know -how and craftsmanship, a local natural resource.
The policy of " pôles de compéttivité " (poles of competitiveness) committed by France in 2005 is of a different nature. It is devoted to focus on one place -oriented enterprises exporting high-tech products associated with research laboratories and universities. At the center of this triangle is an animation structure to select projects by external economic actors and coordinate research, development and implementation. The 71 French competitiveness clusters are supported by the State amounted to € 500 million per year devoted primarily to entertainment activities and aid increasingly significant from the local authorities. In return , the poles are subject to regular monitoring by the government and are subject to evaluations conducted approximately every 3 years.
Germany has implemented a policy of similar nature with Spitzenclusters (cluster of highest level) but the number was limited to seven.
Contacts
The France -cluster association has developed a network of business leaders, politicians and academics who share their experiences and support initiatives by performing diagnostics and a methodological contribution. http://www.franceclusters.fr/
The official web site of the "Pôles de compétitivité" is http://competitivite.gouv.fr/
Bibliography
- Czamanski et Ablas, « Identification of Industrial Clusters and Complexes: a Comparison of Methods and Findings”, S. Czamanski, L. ABLAS, 1979 ;
- Paulette Pommier ; DATAR, Collection Territoires en mouvement ; « Systèmes productifs locaux » 2002 ;
- Colloque organisé par la DATAR à Toulouse Labège le 21 juin 1999 ; http://www.datar.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/datar/actesspl.pdf
Xavier Givelet, former head of the International Department in DATAR (Interministerial delegation for Spatial Management, FRANCE)
Comments by Paulette POMMIER
« This contribution is excellent but I disagree on one point: the origin of the concept. One century after the English economist Alfred Marshall’s writings about industrial districts (1890), we have learnt about clusters thanks to the Italians researchers like Giacomo Becattini. From the years 1970, he studied the Third Italy industrial districts, born spontaneously, and actualized the marshalliens industrial districts analysis. He then brought the first foundations of a theory. Michael Porter’s contribution was produced later (1993). The PMF Grenoble University whose researchers (Claude Courlet, then Bernard Pecqueur, to mention the most famous) were closed to the Italians then introduced the concept into France and helped its use by the public policy makers (SPL policy)”.
Paulette Pommier
1. Definition
2. Policies
3. Contacts
4. Bibliography
_______________________
Definition
Clusters - in the field of spatial management - are generally considered as networks of economic actors, most often installed in the same area and engaged in a complementary approach while respecting the laws of competition.
Theorized by the American academics Michael Porter and Alfred Marshall, clusters may be of different nature:
- clusters devoted to strengthening innovation and scientific research through a scientific environment: the most popular is the "Silicon Valley" in USA, but also Sophia-Antipolis in France and more recently the "poles of competitiveness";
- clusters for competitiveness, where the objective is to develop the best conditions for production with the lowest prices and to obtain the best position in the market economy, like in the industrial districts in Italy;
- clusters for the development of territories, by focusing on local assets, as in the French "Poles of Rural Excellency".
Policies
In France, Datar has encouraged the creation of several types of clusters. The "Systèmes productifs locaux" (local production systems), the first type of cluster " datariens " were designed as "a particularly productive organization", located in an area generally corresponding to a labor area "bassin d'emploi". The organization operates as a network of productive units with similar or complementary activities that share the work (production companies or services, research centers, training centers, transfer centers and technological intelligence network, etc. . ) " According to this policy were made the City of initiative, in Roubaix, which helped establish a system of " short - Circuit "in the textile industry to reduce costs and improve responsiveness to customer orders, and the District Arve Valley to pool expertise and networks in the field of precision engineering or the health center comprising 47 companies in the south -east of Toulouse.
Similar initiatives have been launched in Italy , with industrial districts , which employ 40% of the manufacturing workforce , "micro - clusters " of Catalonia, or Kompetentznetze Germany.
In October 2009, Datar has launched a call for proposals for the realization of " Grappes d'entreprises " to promote market access by mobilizing maximum resources from the territory.
The " Pôles d'excellence rurale" (centers of rural excellency), created in 2005 by Datar, are generally not considered as clusters, but the concept is approaching. These clusters have been designed to enhance the advantages of a territory and develop a synergy between all local stakeholders around this asset can be an archaeological and tourist site, local know -how and craftsmanship, a local natural resource.
The policy of " pôles de compéttivité " (poles of competitiveness) committed by France in 2005 is of a different nature. It is devoted to focus on one place -oriented enterprises exporting high-tech products associated with research laboratories and universities. At the center of this triangle is an animation structure to select projects by external economic actors and coordinate research, development and implementation. The 71 French competitiveness clusters are supported by the State amounted to € 500 million per year devoted primarily to entertainment activities and aid increasingly significant from the local authorities. In return , the poles are subject to regular monitoring by the government and are subject to evaluations conducted approximately every 3 years.
Germany has implemented a policy of similar nature with Spitzenclusters (cluster of highest level) but the number was limited to seven.
Contacts
The France -cluster association has developed a network of business leaders, politicians and academics who share their experiences and support initiatives by performing diagnostics and a methodological contribution. http://www.franceclusters.fr/
The official web site of the "Pôles de compétitivité" is http://competitivite.gouv.fr/
Bibliography
- Czamanski et Ablas, « Identification of Industrial Clusters and Complexes: a Comparison of Methods and Findings”, S. Czamanski, L. ABLAS, 1979 ;
- Paulette Pommier ; DATAR, Collection Territoires en mouvement ; « Systèmes productifs locaux » 2002 ;
- Colloque organisé par la DATAR à Toulouse Labège le 21 juin 1999 ; http://www.datar.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/datar/actesspl.pdf
Xavier Givelet, former head of the International Department in DATAR (Interministerial delegation for Spatial Management, FRANCE)
Comments by Paulette POMMIER
« This contribution is excellent but I disagree on one point: the origin of the concept. One century after the English economist Alfred Marshall’s writings about industrial districts (1890), we have learnt about clusters thanks to the Italians researchers like Giacomo Becattini. From the years 1970, he studied the Third Italy industrial districts, born spontaneously, and actualized the marshalliens industrial districts analysis. He then brought the first foundations of a theory. Michael Porter’s contribution was produced later (1993). The PMF Grenoble University whose researchers (Claude Courlet, then Bernard Pecqueur, to mention the most famous) were closed to the Italians then introduced the concept into France and helped its use by the public policy makers (SPL policy)”.
Paulette Pommier