Reforming the French Innovation System

Sujets

• Économie
• Economy

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• Publié par: paul.vallen
• Nombre de lectures: 18
• Langue: English

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Reforming the French Innovation System

Insights from foreign experiences

4

th

October 2004

Institut français des relations internationales

27, rue de la Procession 75015 Paris

In 2000, the European Council outlined the

Lisbon strategy

with the objective to transform Europe into the

“world’s most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy”. Since then, European countries have been

experiencing several years of slow growth, while the United States have rapidly come out of the post-bubble slump.

The widening transatlantic gap comes from the difficulties some of the major European countries have to engage on

a trajectory of innovation–based growth. France is a prominent example and the crisis the research community is

getting through should be interpreted in this context. France needs to reform its tertiary education and research

system in order to promote innovation-based growth.

This conference analyzes some of the main issues being debated as part of the evolution of the French

system of innovation; it draws insights from the examination of foreign experiences.

The attractiveness of France for R&D activities.

The attractiveness of France for R&D activities has been declining. A major issue is thus to

understand the determinants of R&D location and reform the innovation system, so that France

becomes more attractive for corporate R&D, as well as for researchers and students. This issue is

also being discussed in Germany, while the US is considered a very successful world magnet for R&D

labs and researchers from all over the world. The case of Sweden, a small open economy is also

interesting to examine.

The role of universities in the research and innovation system.

The role of universities has been evolving as the result of the increasing number of students and the

evolution of the innovation process. The conference will take these evolutions into account in order to

consider the different national experiences. In France, one important question is that of the respective

roles of universities and French research institutions. The degree of autonomy French universities

need to achieve their missions is also being debated. How can universities participate in the

development of scientific clusters?

A new role for Europe?

One major issue in the reform of the French innovation system is that of the relationships between the

local, national and European levels. Should we promote a more federal innovation policy in Europe?

The experiences of the United States and Germany, as federal states, are particularly interesting here.

Drawing on foreign experiences, the conference will clarify the options open to France in its reform of its

system of innovation; these options will be the focus of the two roundtables.

WELCOME

INTRODUCTION

Jean-Pierre BOISIVON

,

Managing director, Institut de l’entreprise

FRENCH ATTRACTIVITY FOR R&D ACTIVITIES

Chair:

Pascal COLOMBANI

, Associate director, AT Kearney

Discussant:

Nicolas DEMASSIEUX

, Director of European Research

Motorola SAS

Debate

ROUND TABLE: THE STAKES OF THE FRENCH EVOLUTION IN INNOVATIVE SYSTEM

Chair:

Philippe LAREDO,

Researcher, Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées

Debate

Break

GLOBAL KOWLEDGE NETWORKS AND NATIONAL SYSTEMS OF INNOVATION: THE

CASE OF THE U.S

Chair:

Pascal COLOMBANI

, Associate director, AT Kearney

Discussant:

Bruce KOGUT

, Professor at INSEAD

Debate

Stefanie LENWAY

, Professor, Carlson School of Management, Minnesota

Thomas MURTHA

, Associate professor, Carlson School of Management, Minnesota

Frédérique SACHWALD,

Head of Economic Studies at IFRI, Associate

professor at

University Paris Nord

9h10-10h30

8h30 – 8h45

9h00 – 10h00

10h00 – 11h30

11h50 – 13h00

Christian BLANC,

Member of Parliament (Yvelines), author of a report to the Prime

Minister on the promotion of clusters.

Bertrand COLLOMB

, Chairman, Lafarge

Pierre TAMBOURIN,

General manager, Genopole of Evry

Jean THERME

, Director of Technological Research, CEA Grenoble

8h45 – 9h00

11h30-11h50

Free lunch

THE GERMAN SYSTEM

Chair:

Frédérique SACHWALD,

Head of Economic Studies at IFRI, Associate professor at

University Paris Nord

Discussant:

René LASSERRE

, Vice Chancellor, University of Cergy-Pontoise, Director of

CIRAC (Centre for Research and Information on Contemporary Germany)

Debate

THE SWEDISH SYSTEM

Chair:

Daniel MALKIN

, Head of the Division for Science and Technology Policy, OECD

Discussant:

Yves DOZ

, Professor at INSEAD

Debate

Break

ROUND TABLE: OPTIONS FOR THE FRENCH SYSTEM OF INNOVATION

Chair:

Philippe LAREDO,

Researcher, Ecole des Ponts et Chaussées

Debate

16h30-16h50

16h50 – 18h30

15h30-16h50

13h00 – 14h15

14h15- 15h30

Frieder MEYER-KRAHMER

, Head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and

Innovation Research ISI, Karlsruhe

Thomas ANDERSSON

, President, IKED (International Organization for Knowledge

Economy and Enterprise Development)

Dominique GUELLEC

, Chief economist, European Patent Office

Marion GUILLOU,

Chairwoman, INRA (National Institute of Agronomic

Research).

Nicole LE QUERLER,

Chairwoman, Université of Caen Basse Normandie

Daniel MALKIN,

Head of Division for Science and Technology Policy, OECD

Jean-Yves MERINDOL

, ex-chairman and professor, Université Louis Pasteur,

Strasbourg

Thierry WEIL

, Ecole de Mines, Chairman of Futuris