Rhône-Alpes

Rhône-Alpes, a major centre for research and innovation

Crédit Foto: Gil Lebois

With a 43,000 km² area, Rhône-Alpes covers a territory equivalent to Switzerland, the Netherlands or Belgium and enjoys a strategic position in Europe. Its population of over 6 million people also makes it comparable with Denmark and Finland. Additionally, Rhône-Alpes has a GDP 3.5 times higher than the average GDP of European regions.

The second highest-ranked French region in terms of research, and fifth highest-ranked in Europe, Rhône-Alpes has a high concentration of brain-power. This position is reinforced by the presence of more than 230,000 students in local universities and ‘grandes écoles’. In chemicals and the environment field, Rhône-Alpes offers a chain of top-tier comprehensive training with a strong reputation, including ongoing training: the regional training potential represents around 1,300 chemical engineers and 1,350 chemistry doctors a year.

Major international laboratories contribute to the excellence of the region in the field of research, alongside with many research laboratories. A top-flight research facility exists at the “Vallée de la Chimie”, with 5 research centres in the field of chemistry and more than 6,300 jobs, 1/3 of which dedicated to R&D.

From traditional industry to “green” chemistry

A place with a long industrial tradition, Rhône-Alpes, which accounts for 12.3% of the French industrial GDP, now relies both on traditional and cutting-edge industries. The region is the leader in France for metals industry, mechanical construction, chemical industry and plastic transformation. Rhône-Alpes is France’s first chemicals production centre (12.3% of the French industrial GDP) and the second largest chemicals region in France by staff numbers (32,000 employees in 2008). The chemical sector is the second largest industrial sector in the region by turnover and represents 15% of all regional industrial investments.

The shift from a traditional to an innovating chemistry is already well engaged in Rhône-Alpes and the region works on facing new challenges, such as ‘sustainable chemistry’.

On overall strategy to boost innovation in Chemistry

Region Rhône-Alpes fosters the networking of players from research and business, through organizations such as the research cluster “Sustainable Chemistry and Chemistry for Health” and the competitiveness cluster AXELERA.

Located in Rhône-Alpes, the Chemicals and Environment competitiveness cluster (AXELERA) is the place where local players in industry, training and research in the fields of chemicals and the environment join together to increase competitiveness of this business sector. The activities of the cluster, which has more than 100 members to date, are focused on 12 technology cooperation projects and 5 cross-discipline projects.