Some local clusters videos
On the 28th of January, two videos on the Furniture cluster on the Aveyron county and on the Textile cluster of the Gard county were broadcasted on a well-known French TV channel. During the conference, some videos on local clusters were also presented (on the "local clusters village" notably). These videos are part of a videotape library on local clusters. Some examples :
- The Furniture cluster of the Aveyron county (TF1, 2002)
- The Textile cluster of the Gard county (TF1, 2002)
- French Local clusters (ETD, 2001), contact c.clerc-renaud@etd.asso.fr
- The Seine-Saint-Denis local clusters (General County, 2001), contact nverdeille@cg93.fr
- The Textile cluster of the Tarn county "Griffés Sud" (CEDAG, 2001), contact dl.agate@confluent.fr
- The Mecanic Vallée (Mecanic Vallée, 2001), contact p.brioudes@mecanicvallee.com
- The Textile cluster "Cité de l'initiative" (Cité de l'Initiative, 2001) contact annie@favrie.com
To promote your own videos and add them to that library, contact splinfo@wanadoo.fr

On the 28th of January : Briefing session of the French club of industrial districts
During the conference, before a briefing session for the participants of the conference, the members of the French club of industrial districts (CDIF) elected their new president, Jean-Marie Rouillier, responsible for the Glass valley (Vallée de Bresle, Haute-Normandie). His aim is to reinforce the dynamics of the club by fostering more exchange between French clusters, by promoting their activities at national and international levels. Thus, a new sector-based club is starting on Technologies of Information and Communication. The CDIF website will be updated soon to become an Internet portal for its 40 clusters members. To have more information : xavierroy@wanadoo.fr

Unresolved questions of participants of the conference
- The Industrial and Naval Pole of Normandie (Le Havre, France), network of 25 firms, would like to contact local clusters which have developed common/collective purchase for : services (hôtel, plane or train tickets..), purchase of production tools, purchase of office tools, car rent ... Contact Martine Falck, CEO of the Pole, Tel: +33 (0)2 32 92 50 20 or pinn@wanadoo.fr

- The Industry steering committee of the Reunion Island would like to contact textile clusters so as too develop this sector. Indeed, in this French county, the textile sector is rising and needs added value products and services. Contact Didier Annette, Tel : +33 (0)1 48 01 61 67 or fmcpi@club-internet.fr

Exchange fair : Mobilisation of the mechanic cluster of Albert for improved training (Picardie, France)
Responding to firms' need for qualified staff, the Hydraulic and Mechanical Engineering Industries of Albert (PHMA) set up an apprenticeship training centre in 1999. More than 40 young people were enrolled in training programmes to become turning and milling machine operators. The training does not cost cluster businesses anything. They merely pledge to pay their apprenticeship tax to the training center. To know more about this project, contact : jp.leroux@peronne.cci.fr
There are still some catalogues of the exchange fair left (presentation of the 36 projects presented during the fair). If you want one, write to entretiens.territoire@datar.gouv.fr

Workshop on local clusters in emerging countries : Bangalore, the indian "Silicon valley"
Situated at 1 000 km from Bombay, in the Karnataka State, Bangalore has become one of the most dynamic technological centers of the world. In 20 years, this city attracted the biggest world computer and software companies and efficient Idian firms as Wipro Infotech or Micro Land. How to explain this ? Because of an appreciated environment, a political stability and above all an efficient educative system with notably the Indian Science Institute. The recent world crisis seems to have had fewer effects on Bangalore where the export of software knew a growth of 73 % in 2000/2001. To get more details, contact T. M. Shivakumar tmskr1@yahoo.com

Round table on "the importance of innovation in clusters" : The development of design for a "Made in Italy" success
In 1999, the Politecnico created a workshop dedicated to industrial districts : the DxD (design for district) in order to transfer guided innovation from design to SMEs belonging to an industrial district. With the support of the LUMETEL Agency, the project was launched in the Metalworking district of Lumezzane. The steps : creation of a design award, work placement of young designers in SMEs and seminars and exhibitions-conventions for entrepreneurs to help them integrate the design as an advantage of competitivity. To get more details, contact luisa.collina@polimi.it

Minister speech : Following the "Transantional partnerships between clusters"
During the 2002 International conference, the Datar presented the first results of the programme "Transnational partnerships between clusters " (cf. LPS INFO n°2 ; October 2001). The French Minister for Spatial planning and Environment, Yves COCHET, described "positive and promising results [with] linkages durable and rewarding" for the 14 projects supported. Thus, the programme will be renewed in 2002. The French clusters interested in this transnational programme can contact their regional Prefectures and the Datar.

Round table on the "Partnerships between local clusters" : the example of the partnership Morroco/France
The local cluster " Vallée de l'Adour " (Aquitaine region, France) and Morocco have developed some promising co-operation agreements. For André Marteuilh, representing the Metalworking cluster " Métaladour ", this partnership fosters an opening to the Moroccan market and allows a better competitivity for the SMEs belonging to the cluster. For Abdelmajid Benmoussa, Director general for the exchange on subcontracting and partnerships, these transnational collective projects encourage the exportation of mechanical materials and participate to the strengthening of the Moroccan network (15 firms). Contacts : French Metalworking cluster " Métaladour " : adour.metallurgie@metaladour.org / in Morocco : abenmoussa@lam.net.ma

VINNOVA's stand : Sweden and innovation systems
The Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems VINNOVA presented on its stand a new programme called " Regional growth through dynamic innovation systems ". Its aim is to promote effective co-operation between firms / clusters, research & development organisations and the political system (the triple helix) within each region. This will help developing dynamic regional innovation systems, which will allow the region to be competitive at an international level within specific areas of growth. With a budget of EUR 40 million for a period of ten years, VINNOVA has just launched a first call for proposals. For more information : goran.andersson@vinnova.se or sven.edlund@vinnova.se

"connecting clusters" -9 - 11th of October 2002, Cairns, Australia. The Competitiveness Institute will organise its 5th global conference on clusters in Australia. Many themes will be developed as "cross cluster collaboration", "performance measurement" or "governance and leadership within clusters". For more info : mail@regocentre.com

Study tour Silicon Valley, North California, USA - 20 - 24th of May 2002. The LEED Programme of the OECD organises a study tour and a conference on " Social Innovation and the New Economy: Lessons from the Bay Area " in the Silicon Valley. The Silicon Valley is a model of technological innovation and economic development. Nevertheless the fast growth of the region increased certain social disparities. Which social innovations decisions to take? Which links with the technological innovation?. To get more info and to subscribe, contact antonella.noya@oecd.org

"International Symposium Industrial Reconversion Initiatives Implemented by Actors in Civil Society" - 28 - 31st of May 2002, Montreal, Quebec.Organised by the Community-University Research Alliance - Social Economy (CURA-SE) with the support of the OECD, this international symposium aims to share innovative or " alternative " industrial reconversion experiences dealing with social and economic objectives. Collective and territorial identities, local economic development, co-operations and partnerships… all these themes will be developed during the debates. To subscribe : www.aruc-es.uqam.ca/aruces/rvm2002

"Systèmes Productifs Locaux" (Paulette Pommier, DATAR, La Documentation Française, 2002).
Through concrete projects initiated thanks to the Datar programme since 1998, this book defines and describes the French local productive systems' characteristics and functions. To get it : www.ladocfrancaise.gouv.fr

"SPL à l'international, l'union fait la force" (le MOCI n°1534, February 2002).
The "Moniteur du Commerce International" (Foreign Trade journal) publishes an article (8 pages) on French and Italian local clusters. The author, Franck Gescaud, underlines the renewal of the model of Italian districts thanks to the development of innovation, like in the Lombard region (biotechnology) or in Milano (design). To buy this number : www.lemoci.com

"Territoires et régions - Les grands oubliés du développement économique" (Claude Courlet, L'Harmattan, 2002).
The analysis of the assets and the disadvantages of territories fosters the understanding of the fundamental characteristics of the economic development. The author takes as an example the concept of local clusters, which underlines the influence of the territorial dimension in development policies. To get more details : claude.courlet@upmf-grenoble.fr

Innovative Clusters : Drivers of National Innovation Systems (OECD 2001).
Through a series of papers written by policy makers and academic experts, this book is a synthesis of the work of the OECD focus group on innovation and clusters. It presents and analyses different countries' policies to stimulate innovation at national and local levels. To download and / or buy this report, check www.oecd.org (ONLINE Bookshop).

>> To stop your subscription
>> To subscribe a partner
>> To send us your observations or suggest us a theme to develop in the next letter
>> To read the previous numbers of LPS Info : N°1 , N°2, N°3
>> Pour recevoir SPL INFO en français