First published in Cleantech magazine, March 2009. Copyright Cleantech Investor 2009
The French ‘cluster’ system, the Pôles de Compétitivité (competitive clusters,) is well established in sectors such as information technology and biotechnology. The Pôles are increasingly addressing cleantech sub-sectors.The French have championed the cluster system as a means of promoting research and development to support industrial growth for many years. The last issue of Cleantech magazine discussed some of the research taking place at the Pôle Nucléaire Bourgogne, which specialises in the mechanical and metallurgical industries for nuclear plant production. Nuclear has historically been important for France, and the established nuclear energy infrastructure means that energy security is less of a challenge for France than for many other European countries. However, there is no sense of complacency. Indeed, there is a growing focus on renewable energy, underpinned by Government policy. The Pôles de Compétitivité are incubating the French clean technologies of the future and are promoting the ongoing development of the French industrial base.
There are 71 French Pôles, or industry clusters, each offering a unique concentration of an industry sector within a particular geographical region. The concept is encouraged by such means as the strategic location of Government institutions to provide access to the national network of public research and development and industrial resources in a particular field. For example, the region of Savoie, in Rhône-Alpes, is becoming a leading player in the solar energy sector thanks to the location of the National Institute for Solar Energy (INES) in the Savoie Technolac Science and Technology Park. This institution, the solar component of the Tenerrdis Pôle de Compétitivité, is a collaborative centre of excellence in solar energy technologies and brings together leading research institutions in the field including the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), the National Scientific Research Centre (CNRS), the French Research and Evaluation Centre for the Building Sector (CSTB) and the University of Savoie. INES is set to expand to accommodate more than 250 researchers this year. The solar companies located in the Savoie cluster range from solar heating manufacturers (such as CLIPSOL) to designers of PV power plants (for example IBC Solar).
The goal of the Tenerrdis Pôle is to develop the production of renewable energies including solar, biomass and hydro and to optimise the use of renewable energy in buildings and in transport. Other Pôles involved in renewable energy include Capenergies, based in the south of France. Capenergies, which focuses on ‘energies of the future’, is the umbrella organisation for more than 340 members over five regions.
The Pôle Mer Bretagne, based in Brittany, covers a range of areas which include marine energy resources and marine biological resources – but also issues such as maritime security and shipping. Members include large companies such as EDF and a host of small companies. There are some 48 research and training centres as well as many professional organisations such as the Institut Français de la Mer. The Pôle has certified 46 projects since December 2005 with a total budget of €30 million.
Renewable energy projects in Britanny include MARENERGIE, a tidal energy scheme which is managed by the Hydrohelix Company. There are also two deep-water offshore wind projects under the umbrella of the Pôle Mer, both of which are based on turbines floating on semi-submerged platforms. In the DIWET project the platform is anchored using a tension leg system; the WINFLO venture anchors the platform using catenary mooring cables.
Several Pôles focus on the automotive industry, but the most prominent for cleantech is probably Véhicule du Futur, situated in the Alsace and Franche-Comté regions. Véhicule du Futur has initiated seven programmes which involve innovative vehicles and fuel cell and engine development. Members include six manufacturers based in the region and a host of supplier companies. Véhicule du Futur co-operates with three other Pôles which work around the automotive theme – the Pôle Automobile Haut de Gamme; Pôle Mobilité et Transports Avancés and the Pôle MOV'EO – and with a total of 10 Pôles de Compétitivité operating in the broader transport space. Internationally, the Véhicule du Futur has partnerships with the Turin cluster ’From Concept To Car’; the Bayern Automotive and Automotive Engineering Network in Germany; and with the CNTA (Centre National du Transport Avancé) in Canada.
We are planning a series of features in future issues of Cleantech magazine which will highlight some of the more interesting research and development taking place in the French Pôles.
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