Public research : four collaborative axis for the future

Important national public establishments (third INRA - National Agronomy Research Institute- centre of France, INSERM (National Health and Medical Research Institute) , CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research), BRGM (Geological and Mining Research Institute), CEMAGREF(Agricultural Machinery, Engineering and Environmental Research Institute) collaborate with the BLAISE PASCAL and AUVERGNE university laboratories, the Jean Perrin anticancer centre and the engineering schools ENITA (National College for Agricultural Engineers), ENGREF (French Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Environmental Engineering), ENSCC (National College for Chemical Engineers)and IFMA (French Advanced Mechanics Institute).

Inter-establishment national research is organized in several axis within the Auvergne 2000-2006 State and Region Plan :

• « Health human nutrition » axis
• « Food quality » axis
• « Transformation chemistry and polymeric material quality » axis,
• « High capable and intelligent machines and systems » axis,
• Corpuscular physics Centre
• Vulcanology Centre

The Auvergne State-Region project plan for 2007-2013 defines four collaborative levels :

• Territories, Agriculture, Food in Auvergne

Cereals for the future,
Extensive systems of animal production,
Preventive human nutrition and food quality.

• Environment

Study and simulation of the evolution of the quality of the environment,
Risk prevention,
Proposing actions for sustainable management.

• Innovapole : enhancing engineering skills

Developing software for research, services and industry. More particularly the calculation grid AUVERGRID,
Intelligent vehicles, machines, systems, materials and innovative processes intervening in support of the competitiveness cluster « VIAMECA ».

• Health in close relation to the « CLARA » cancer centre

« Genetics and development »,
« Transfer for therapies specialized in oncology »,
A program for medical imaging for neurology and cardiology,
A program on human nutrition, based on ageing-nutrition and cancer-nutrition, this last topic being an Auvergne speciality within the CLARA.

As the universities and schools are closely linked to research, they train numerous PhD graduates, engineers and technicians : 972 inscribed in master of research and DEA (“Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies”) and 897 PhD graduates in 2005.

Major private research : an asset for innovation

 The private sector employs 64% of the research staff and realizes 80% of the inside expenditure for research and development (“DIRD”) mainly in some industrial fields : pneumatic manufacture and medicine industry. The Auvergne demands for patents are concentrated in a few fields : chemistry-pharmacy, advanced mechanics and for a lesser part instrumentation.

These few examples attest to the regional innovation capacity in all fields and throughout the whole Auvergne territory.

• Let’s quote some very large companies known worldwide :
  The cooperative group Limagrain has positioned itself as the top European seed producer through considerable Research and Development investments in the field of plant improvement amongst others. It is now the main operator of the competitiveness cluster “Céréales vallée”.
  “Aubert et Duval” designs a large range of special steels, super-alloys, aluminium alloys and titanium alloys, intended to satisfy the technical demands of most industries, one of which is aeronautics.
  The Michelin group centralizes most of its research and development forces in Auvergne, deploying a wonderful innovative capacity in the field of pneumatics, available to the SME through an operational organisation called Industrialisation and Economic Development Company (SIDE Michelin).

• Some medium sized companies and start-ups :
  “Deglon” : knife maker, 1st prize for innovation in the last Equip’Hotel show in 2006 ;
  “Société Matière” : prefabricated works ;
  “Célite France” : ADEME (National Agency for Environment and Energy Management) prize for the Economical and Clean Technologies Trophy ;
  “The Théa laboratories” : pharmaceutical laboratory, leader in Europe for ophtalmology ;
  “The Barbier group” : plastic processing ;
  “Lyocentre” : drug manufacturing ;
  “PEM” : specialist of the Electrolytic Protection for metals ;
  “AMIS” : ironworks and stamping industry ;
  “Laboratoire de Phytothérapie et d’Herboristerie” for nutrition supplement making ;
  “Metabolic explorer” : manufacturing of intermediary chemical products thanks to biotechnologies ;
  “Greentech” : research and development specialist of innovative and high capable actives for cosmetic and nutraceutic industry ;
  “Cyclopharma” : Short life isotope manufacturing for medical use ;
  “Allegorithmic” : computerized modelling for graphism ;
  ”Kartoo” : Web search engine ;
  “L’Odyssée Interactive” : video game editor and first French site for video game amateurs…