The "Céréales Vallée" cluster is anchored in the longstanding strong relationship between two partners, Limagrain and INRA.

This partnership, that goes back to 1985, was materialized through a first Frame Contract signed on July 18th 1994. The launch of the "Céréales Vallée" Competitiveness Cluster is a spin-off of this longstanding relationship which, in particular, has been behind the creation of a recognized skills platform in cereal innovation in Auvergne. The creation of the Wheat Genotyping Centre is the most recent illustration of the benefits of this relationship.

"Céréales Vallée" has been set up with two aims:

• to attract industries from the cereals sector to this skills platform - industries that will take inspiration from the cluster for sources of innovation which are vital for their industrial development in Auvergne.
• to develop research and development projects in partnership with industrialists in order to identify applications and outlets throughout France and Europe.

Crédit photos : Limagrain et ses filiales

These two aims are illustrated through breakthroughs already achieved:

"Céréales Vallée" plans to reach agreements with other competitiveness clusters concerning research projects that involve complementary topics, particularly with regard to aspects that deal with genetic resources.

In Europe, links will be established with the "Plants for the Future" technology platform, both through INRA and other partners in the cluster. Marion Guillou, President of INRA, and Pierre Pagesse, President of Limagrain and "Céréales Vallée", have both signed the document "Plants for the Future: 2025, a European vision of Genomics and Plant Biotechnology". It should also be noted that both Arvalis and BASF are involved in the reflection and running of working groups set up by this platform.

  Competitiveness clusters: the challenges

In order to meet the challenges of all the national and international economic changes, France has initiated a wide-ranging industrial policy intended to increase its innovative and competitive capacity by setting up competitiveness clusters. Whereas France indeed has considerable advantages, particularly through its creative approach, there is not enough co-ordination, in particular between professionals working in the same business sector in the same geographic area.

It is a true strategy for industrial redeployment organized through clusters. By emphasizing innovation and the pooling of skills, these clusters encourage growth, competitiveness for the French economy and attract business to France. They also work in favour of employment and the fight against relocations.
Competitive clusters will help to strengthen specialization in French industry, and to favour the emergence of new business activities in the international limelight.

In short, the missions of competitiveness clusters are:

• to highlight French creativity,
• to develop the growth and competitiveness of the French economy,
• to strengthen high-tech activities in different regions,
• to increase the attractiveness of France,
• to encourage employment and to fight against relocations.

  What is a Competitiveness Cluster?

A competitiveness cluster combines companies, training centres and research units, all working in coordinated innovative projects and that all have the potential size for international visibility.

Two types of cluster are distinguished: technological clusters with the pre-eminence of R&D, and industrial clusters, which are more geared towards production and distribution networks.

In both cases, the three essential factors in clusters gaining official recognition are partnership networks, innovation and international visibility.

In short, a competitiveness cluster represents:

synergy over the same geographic area:

• between companies of varying sizes,
• training centres,
• research laboratories.

commitment to the same strategy  and shared projects that emphasize:

• industrial research and development and innovation, 
• the pooling of skills,
• international visibility.

  71 officially recognized clusters

From the 105 applications submitted in the spring of 2005, the Government Regional Development Committee CIADT certified 67 competitiveness clusters distinguishing six of them as projects of worldwide dimension, and nine as projects with a vocation to become worldwide.
The total budget committed to funding the clusters over a period of three years is 1.5 billion euros.

The association "Céréales Vallée" remains open to new partners who wish to join the Competitiveness Cluster.