Empirical Evidence and Frst Assessment of the Competitiveness Clusters Policy in France

The paper is an attempt to show the competitiveness clusters policy as a key element of the new French industrial policy using recent evaluation results of this policy. The aim of the paper is threefold. Firstly, objectives of the competitiveness clusters policy as well as their characteristics, spatial distribution across the country, selected statistical data concerning their functioning are overviewed. Secondly, evaluation results of the French competitiveness clusters policy and a comparison of this instrument to similar ones existing in leading EU countries are provided. Thirdly, some crucial challenges resulting from the evaluation and policy orientations are proposed in order to increase the effectiveness of the competitiveness clusters policy in France. The descriptive analysis has been used in the paper as research method.

The competitiveness clusters policy was launched in 2005 to raise the international profile of French technology clusters and promote growth and job-creation in high value-added industries, anchoring these industries in a regional context. Apart from selected positive effects of the competitiveness clusters policy, some not very promising conclusions concerning this policy can therefore be drawn in terms of the number of innovation or patent applications. In order to improve the effectiveness of this industrial policy measure, some structural changes presented in the paper need to be implemented in this field.