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A French perspective on addressing the Innovation Chasm
A highlight of the visit was to the Genopole, a biotechnology cluster 30km South of Paris.
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During June 2003, Dr Neville Comins spent a week in Paris and the d'Ile-de-France region being introduced to the French system of innovation and the efforts being made to promote the growth of knowledge-intensive and technology businesses. Through the assistance of Monique Rivier, Scientific Attaché at the French Embassy in Pretoria and a number of French Ministries, the visit provided a focused overview of both the policy framework but also the implementation in higher education establishments, research institutions and in Technopoles. As in South Africa, one of the issues receiving attention is the 'Innovation Chasm', as described in our own National R&D Strategy, involving the commercialisation of the results of research. Of particular importance is the 1999 French law on innovation and research to promote the creation of innovative technology companies which addresses four issues:
- the mobility of researchers towards industry
- co-operation between public sector research establishments and companies
- the fiscal framework for innovative companies
- the legal framework for innovation companies
Much can be learned from this set of policy instruments, which address key issues of company establishment and funding. Beyond these instruments, other incentives include competitions, support for incubators and pre-venture funding, all of which are complementary.
For larger companies, research tax credit is being encouraged to stimulate research spend by the private sector. Integral in this support are the various agencies eg ANVAR, not unlike our own SPII Programme and the CRITT's (Regional Organisation to promote Innovation and Technology Transfer), the latter showing great promise in linking new technology needs of companies with R&D partners, and funding sources, as a free and confidential service.
A highlight of the visit was to the Genopole, a biotechnology cluster 30 km south of Paris established in 1998. This combines all the elements of a research university, incubators, three national centres for sequencing, genotyping and bioinformatics, and a science park for companies. South Africa could learn from the strength of focusing resources and combining the efforts of national, regional and local funding to create a truly competitive environment, and the speed with which an impact is made.
Opportunities for further interaction and collaboration are being explored.
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