What are the 55 competitiveness clusters labeled by the public authorities until 2026?
The competitiveness clusters leave for a round. Some 55 territorial ecosystems have managed to obtain this precious label for 2023-2026 (there were 56 in 2019). Enough to guarantee them public support of 9 million euros per year over the period.
Within this promotion, freshly appointed by the State and the Regions, there are two newcomers: ENTER, dedicated to sustainable digital innovation (in New Aquitaine) and Infr@2050, dedicated to transport infrastructure (located at the both in Burgundy-Franche-Comté and in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes). Six others are placed on probation and will have to prove themselves to keep the support of the authorities until 2026, in particular by “presenting a roadmap and a consolidated business model”. In this case, Derbi (Occitanie) and Materalia (Grand Est), suspended for twelve months; ASTech (Ile-de-France), Fibres-Energivie (Grand Est), EuraMaterials and Team² (Hauts-de-France), monitored for two years.
More generally, these fifty sites, dedicated to R&D and innovation on future themes, now have 18,500 members (companies and research and training centers included), according to the government, including 2,000 who arrived during the previous period, which was nevertheless marked by the Covid-19 crisis.
Reindustrialization at the heart of the priorities of the competitiveness clusters
On the merits, the public authorities ask the competitiveness clusters to “amplify their actions in favor of innovation and SMEs”. To achieve this, three main objectives have been assigned to them: to develop links and rapprochements between the actors involved in these networks; strengthen the European dimension of their actions, “to open up new markets and new counters” to French companies; support “technologically demanding and structuring innovation and industrialization projects for industrial sectors”.
As such, the clusters will have to fall within the framework of the priorities of the France 2030 investment plan, with particular emphasis on “ecological and digital transitions, but also economic sovereignty” and the identification of the most promising start-ups. “I would like phase 5 of the competitiveness clusters to be placed under the sign of green reindustrialisation”, insisted Roland Lescure, the minister in charge of industry. A direct reference to one of the themes put forward by Bercy this year, supposed to be the subject of an upcoming bill.
