Description
The European Cluster Collaboration Platform, on behalf of the European Commission and in partnership with the competitiveness cluster CIMES Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, the regional development agency Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Entreprises and both competitiveness clusters Polyméris and Techtera jointly organised the “Clusters meet Regions” workshop on 12 and 13 October 2023, in Lyon, France. The event was organised in the framework of the industrial exhibition Pollutec.
Download the Final Agenda and Participants' Booklet.
Read more details on the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes clusters landscape in the Input Paper.
CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES
15 regional workshops were organised as part of the “Clusters meet Regions” cycle, in EU regions that have expressed an interest in hosting such events during the 2022-23 period. These events bring together clusters and policymakers of the EU at national, regional and local levels to learn, from each other, how to better use clusters to strengthen industrial ecosystems, serve national/regional economic development and liaise with other regions.
Regional focus
The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is the leading industrial region in France, with more than 22,000 companies and nearly 20% of national manufacturing employment, representing 500,000 employees. The most important sectors are the metallurgical industry (+85,000 jobs), the production of manufacturing machinery (+48,000 jobs), the food industry (+43,000 jobs), and polymer manufacturing (plastics and textile, +40,000 jobs).
In order to animate this large and diverse ecosystem throughout the territory, the region relies on pôles de compétitivité and clusters as essential relays of the policy of economic development and for territorial animation.
Catalysts of this ambition, the 22 pôles de compétitivité and clusters of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes are at the heart of the sector policy carried out. Through their actions, they contribute to the emergence of innovative collaborative projects, to the competitiveness of regional economic players and to the European and international positioning of the Region.
Industry of the Future.
The organization of the event on the topic of the Industry of the future made it possible to address the problems inherent in a large number of clusters across Europe in an attempt to provide effective responses on the basis of existing experience in the manufacturing industry of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Supported by strong European policies such as the Green Deal and the New Industrial Strategy and implemented at the regional level by smart specialization strategies, the Industry of the Future is a relevant set for manufacturing companies that are pursuing their digitalization at the service of their priority needs.
TARGET GROUP
According to the European Commission, the manufacturing industry is one of the most important drivers of employment and prosperity in Europe. Research institutes and companies, in particular SMEs, are key players in research and innovation: manufacturing companies represent 64% of private sector research development expenditure and 49% of innovation expenditure in Europe. Today’s challenge is to keep this capacity of investment in innovation in order for industry to remain the engine of prosperity and lead the digital and green transitions. Retaining this leadership position implies for the EU to fight for its own strategic autonomy by reinforcing the key supply chains and limiting the dependencies. The relocation of strategic stakeholders and activities is a necessary step to ensure EU’s autonomy, especially during crises. This movement will strengthen the new industrial alliances supported by the European Union.
BENEFITS
In a changing world where crises follow one another and force industrial sectors and ecosystems to adapt, the event was an opportunity to reconsider the importance of the Industry of the Future and its technological bricks to face tomorrow’s challenges in particular the Twin Transition and gave manufacturing companies the effective tools to meet these challenges.
Clusters as intermediary organizations at the centre of industrial ecosystems are essential players in value chains and facilitators for raising awareness and implementing the technologies of the Industry of the Future.
The event offered participants the opportunity to review the advantages and benefits of all these technologies and provide a regional, national and European vision of the Industry of the Future initiatives and strategies. Beyond the theoretical discussions, the positioning of the event in the context of Pollutec made it possible to visualize these technologies and address concretely the needs in terms of resilience and green transition.
AGENDA OVERVIEW
For more details about the seminar programme and the speakers, the Final Agenda is available here.
REGISTRATION
The registration for Clusters Meet Regions workshop in Lyon has been closed.
Presented materials in the frame of the event:
Introduction Session
Presentation of the input paper: Dr. Jan-Philip KRAMER, Prognos
Women in Industry: Genoveva CHRISTOVA, CEO, Furniture Cluster and Creative Hub
Session: How the French Model оf Competitiveness Clusters is Relevant and Efficient to Help Industry in a World of Crisis?
Pauline CAPUS, Director of AFPC – Association of the French Competitiveness Clusters
Hervé FLOCH, Director of Alpha RLH and President of the European Committee – AFPC
Session: Cluster-Driven Interregional Collaboration in the Framework of the Priorities of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: Green and Digital Transition, Training and Jobs for the Future, Excellence Sectors
Jerzy Kopeć, Director of Department of Corporate Governance and Economy – Małopolska (Poland)
Caitriona MORDAN, Cluster Manager – ATIM Cluster (Ireland)
Session: Reshoring of Industry: How the Regional Authorities/Agencies and Clusters Can Accelerate the Process at European Level
Sonia MARTIN, Director of the Direction of Economy Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Clara POTTON, Innovation Manager – Synergies TLC: testimony of the project FIREX
Closing Conference: Regions and Clusters, How to Build and Reinforce Influence in European Industrial Networks and Platforms
Paolo SABBADINI, General Directorate of Economic Development – Region Lombardia