[LUM#17] Eurobiomed “Collaborating for innovation”
Are competitiveness clusters fulfilling their role as catalysts for collaborative innovation? To answer this question, Anne-Sophie Fernandez and Frédéric Le Roy, Professors UM* and founders of theCoo-innov chair (coopetition and innovation ecosystems), examined the case of the Eurobiomed regional cluster specializing in health. They present their analysis in the chair's second report.
First of all, what is a competitiveness cluster?
A-S.F: It is a government initiative launched in 2004 to encourage private and public players operating in the same market and territory to collaborate on innovation by forming French-style "clusters." The aim is to make an international impact with large-scale innovations. There are71 certified clusters in France.
F.LR: It was Michael Porter, a professor of strategy at Harvard University, who showed in the 1990s that a country's competitiveness is linked to the formation of "clusters" within its territory.
How does the government encourage competing companies to collaborate?
F.LR: By putting companies in touch with each other and facilitating access to financing. Through these clusters, the government connects companies, certifies innovation projects, finances them, and supports them. The aim is to encourage private fundraising, pool resources, and create economies of scale that companies would not be able to achieve on their own. Certification also gives them visibility and credibility by guaranteeing, in a way, the project's innovation potential.
What are the characteristics of the Eurobiomed cluster?
A-S.F: Eurobiomed is one of six French "health clusters." It is a theme that is consistent with the city's history, its medical school, its research, etc. Its main areas of focus are diagnostic tools and the development of digital innovation for e-health. The cluster has more than 400 members, including 330 companies. Of these, 78% are micro, small, or medium-sized enterprises, and 4% are medium-sized companies and large groups, which is fairly representative of the Montpellier ecosystem.
To analyze Eurobiomed's results for 2019, did you review the five missions of the competitiveness clusters? What are the strengths?
A-S.F: The objective of "promoting public-private collaboration" has been achieved, since 80% of certified projects are joint projects. However, Eurobiomed is not fulfilling its role in inter-company collaborative innovation, as there are no 100% private projects. This also reflects the Montpellier ecosystem, which is made up of start-ups and growing SMEs without any large anchor companies.
Competitiveness clusters must promote relationships between companies in the same region. Is this the case with Eurobiomed?
F.LR: 94% of Eurobiomed members have their headquarters in a southern department, so there is a strong regional presence.
If we now look at all the partners involved in the 56 projects certified in 2019, only 59% are based in the South, which puts the independence of our innovation ecosystem into perspective.
Does Eurobiomed deliver on its promises in terms of funding?
F.LR: Public funding accounts for 41% of the overall budget, which means that for every euro of public investment, we have 2.5 euros of private investment. So there is a real leverage effect for companies.
What about the economic impact?
A-S.F: The 56 projects have led to the creation or preservation of 478 jobs and the filing of 158 patents. On average, a collaborative innovation project results in nine jobs created or preserved and three patents, which is very satisfactory.
One of the negative points raised in your report is the low level of influence at European and international level. How do you explain this?
A-S.F: Only 13% of projects involve a foreign partner and 4% of the funding obtained in 2019 came from European sources. There is a problem with visibility and identifying key partners. The "competitiveness cluster" system is not the same everywhere, but there are clusters with which it would be interesting to connect, knowing that there is funding to be sought there.
F.LR: Efforts must also be made to structure co-certification with other French clusters, particularly Lyonbiopôle and Medicen Paris, as this mission has also only been partially fulfilled. Only 30% of projects have been certified by at least one other cluster. Progress must be made on these missions in order to gain greater visibility and raise more funding.
Overall, would you say that Eurobiomed fulfills its role in supporting collaborative innovation?
F.LR: Being located in the same area is both an incentive to collaborate and an obstacle, because we have to manage the tension between collaboration and competition, which we call coopetition. We can no longer deny these tensions, which shape the collaborative innovation environment. Nevertheless, our report confirms that, despite a few limitations, competitiveness clusters do promote collaboration between players in the same innovation ecosystem.
An innovative chair
Created in February 2020 by Frédéric Le Roy and Anne-Sophie Fernandez, the Coo-innov chair is the first in France to focus on collaboration and competition in innovation ecosystems. It is a chair of the UM foundation developed in partnership with Labex Entreprendre (Coopetition Lab Program), MOMA, and MBS. "Its purpose is to develop synergies around coopetitive innovation between researchers, students, and companies in the Montpellier ecosystem, but also with politicians," says the chair's co-founder. The analysis of coopetition strategies between companies is at the heart of the chair's research, which is presented in the form of a report. "Our goal is to introduce this concept into the public debate so that stakeholders can grasp it and see the dual collaborative and competitive dimensions of innovation. After 15 years of academic work on this topic, we have a lot to say," concludes Frédéric Le Roy.
Listen again to the podcast of La science s’amuse (Science Has Fun)
Science program co-produced by the University of Montpellier and Divergence FM. On February 25, 2021, Anne-Sophie Fernandez and Frédéric Le Roy presented the first report from the Coo-Innov chair on collaborative innovation in Montpellier.
Find UM podcasts now available on your favorite platform (Spotify, Deezer, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, etc.).