Cluster Analysis of the Descartes Cluster, the French pole of competitiveness for the sustainable city. Presentation realized by Guillaume Petyt, El Mehdi Lahna and Pierre-Yvon Michali, MBA 2017-2018 in innovation management, Ecole des Ponts Business School, Microeconomics of Competitiveness Course by Mark Esposito.

1. Cluster Descartes
Study
Ecole des Ponts Business SchoolCluster Analysis
Ecole des Ponts Business School
28/02/2018
Mechali Pierre-Yvon
Lahna El Mehdi
Petyt Guillaume

2. The Clusters
of the Grand
Paris
La Cité Descartes
Dedicated to the
sustainable city
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3. La Cité Descartes
• Creation : 1983
• 5000 employees and 350 companies.
• Paris-Est university, bringing academic and research
organization in the same multidisciplinary unit.
• 34 research units with 1000 teacher-researchers and
researchers, 500 engineers and technicians and 700
doctoral students.
• The Descartes campus, with more than 15000
students.
Paris-Est
university
Advancity
Firms
Incubators
Descartes
Development
Institutionals
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4. Advancity Ecosystem
A community of wordwilde leaders, startups & institutionnals
Saint Gobain
Thales
• Bouygues
• Vinci
• Université de Marne la Vallée
• Ecole Normale Sup Cachan
• ENPC
• EIVP
• ENSTA
• Centrale Supelec
Actility
Celeste
• CCI Ile-de France
• CCI Seine et Marne
• CEA Saclay
• CSTB(Centre Scientifique et
Technique du Bâtiment)
• Fédération Nationale
des Travaux Public
• EDF
• Engie INEO
• Legrand
• Schneider
• 260 members
• 180 Small and Medium
Enterprises
• 13 world business leaders
• 31 academic partners
• 30 local governments
• 4 investing funds
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5. A technological value proposition supported by:
an effective chain of support and assistance
Help Setting up projects
Support
in hiring, training emplo
yees, respecting labour
law obligations
Introduction to public
or private investors
Introduction to network
(academic,
business,authorities)
Support SMEs’
international
development,
Contribute to
promoting the French
offer abroad.
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6. Research projects and Innovation
• 172 R&D projects on innovative urban products & services
• 460 M€ of investment in research
(includ. 190M€ of subsidies – at local, regional and international scale – FUI/ANR/ADEME/FEDER/FP7)
Smartwater Network Project
• Ecotechnologies
• Smart and continuous monitoring of water network
Callisto Project
• Ecoconstruction
• Realistic immersive architectural simulation
MER project
• Ecomobility
• Upkeep, prevention of deterioration and upgrading of
the rails lifespan
« LUMB » Project
• Ecomobility
• Pooled sustainable urban logistics
Sustain Project
• Ecocity
• Decision help tools for sustainable urban pre-
programming
Sense City
• Ecocity
• The minicity lab for the sustainable city
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7. Unique value proposition
• Unique Bioclimatic chamber
• 2 x 400m2, 3200m3, 9M€
• Scientific publications
Public Research Institute Academic Institutes
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8. Descartes developpement
Promote firms
implementation
Increase the
attractiveness
Provide
economic
intelligence
Tie actors on
different
projects
Design and
deploy
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9. Descartes incubator & FABLAB descartes
Some Key Figures (From 2011 to 2016)
• 140 Jobs
• 11 millions euros raised
• 39 start-ups Created
• 279 proposition, 47 accepted
Some Key Figures (2016)
• 28,320€ turnover
• 57% from professionals
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10. The quality of the business environment
Governmental initiative in the 70s
Conception and design of the concept of poles of expertise
and excellence
Fostering of networks and mesh between universities,
companies and governmental organizations
Governmental support through funding, tax softening and
supportive regulations.
Support for new markets conquest (local, EU, WW)
Context for
cluster strategy
Demand
Conditions
Related and
supporting
industries
Factor
(input)
Conditions
+Clusters policy
+Grand- Paris node integration
-Firms competition on domestic
demand
Qualified education and training
Infrastructure
Access to EU market
Legislation
Capital availability
Administrative and regulatory
Infrastructure
IP protection
Construction, Transportation, Material,
Energy, IT, Networking, IoT, RF, Education,
Security, Finance
+Increasing demand for green
construction, QHSE, Smart Tech
(city, bulding, grids), Carbon free,
energy-plus-house tech
+Internationaly recognized skills,
-International demand remains
limited
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11. Firm Infrastructure: Descartes Developpement Agency
Human Ressource Management: Specialized academic programs from Université Paris-Est
Technology development: Collaborative research programs: Advancity / Eficacity
Procurement: Demonstrators & Collaborative research facility
ex: Sense City
Descartes Fablab
Descartes Incubator
Institutionals: CSTB / IFSTTAR / UGAP
Descartes Cluster Value Chain
Unique value proposition:
Define, develop and promote
the new standards of the
sustainable city
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12. A cluster
within a cluster
The major competitiveness cluster
in France dedicated to the
sustainable city. It is involved on
researches programs with other
clusters through Europe.
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13. References
• Competitiveness clusters (2018). [online] Available at: http://competitivite.gouv.fr/home-
903.html [Accessed 28 Feb. 2018].
• Dcube paris (2018). [online] Available at: www.dcube-paris.com/ [Accessed 28 Feb. 2018].
• Descartes developpement (2018). [online] Available
at:http://www.descartesdeveloppement.fr/cite-descartes/ [Accessed 28 Feb. 2018].
• Metropolitiques (2018). [online] Available at:www.metropolitiques.eu/Le-mythe-des-clusters-du-
Grand.html [Accessed 28 Feb. 2018].
• Cluster collaboration (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.clustercollaboration.eu/cluster-
mapping [Accessed 28 Feb. 2018].
• Innovation et villes durables : repères pour l’action (2018). [online] Available at:
http://www.advancity.eu/uploads/2016/11/vademecum-principal-interactif-30-01-15-
final.pdf?x79821 [Accessed 28 Feb. 2018].
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14. Cluster Descartes
Study
Ecole des Ponts Business School
Mechali Pierre-Yvon
Lahna El Mehdi
Petyt Guillaume
28/02/2018
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