1st STAGE Evry: innovation and research, guidelines
By Alexandre T. Analis
The Special Assembly of CCIs initiated by Jean-François Bernardin, president of the Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ACFCI), kicked off on 29 May in the Paris suburb of Evry, at the headquarters of the CCI of Essonne, notably in the presence of Valérie Pécresse, French Minister for Higher Education and Research. On this occasion, the ACFCI presented the results of a study co-commissioned with Oseo (the State funding organism for SMEs) and undertaken by the French Institute of Public Opinion, on the theme of innovation in French SMEs. Carried out by telephone between 5 and 16 May, this study consisted in questioning a sample of 508 directors of companies ranging from 20 to 259 employees. Above all, the study reveals that 65% of SMEs have carried out innovations in the course of the last five years, whether in their products, processes or marketing methods used. SMEs with between 50 and 99 employees stand out with a higher rate of innovation than average (82%). It is especially in the domains of commerce (79%) and industry (73%) that company directors have invested and innovated to improve their companies’ performances. Inversely, only 1 out of 2 SMEs in the construction and business services industries have made the choice to innovate since 2003. The principle axes of innovation adopted by SMEs in the last 5 years relate especially to products (55%) and organisation methods (49%), ahead of processes (37%), services (34%) and marketing methods (30%). When undertaking new innovation projects, SMEs make their priority target their suppliers or clients (38%) as well as towards their financial partners (17%). The satisfaction provided by different actors called on to give a hand to SMEs in their innovation projects is globally satisfactory, with an average score of between 6.8 out of 10 for CCIs and 8 out of 10 for Oseo. Nevertheless, the most surprising revelation of this study is the main reason for inaction given by businesses that have not innovated: “the market has not demanded innovation” (41%!). This result has not failed to puzzle all the conferenc participants…
2nd STAGE Rennes: Towards European innovationBy Laureen Melka The Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ACFCI) convened in Rennes (in the French region of Brittany) on 24 June 2008. Coinciding with the Brittany Week of Innovation, the theme selected by the CCI of Rennes complemented the theme previously selected by the CCI of Essonne. After Essonne’s “Innovation and research”, this time priority was placed on innovation in relation to the competitiveness of SMEs. Amongst the highlights of this meeting was the speech by Typhaine Beauperin, European Affairs advisor for Eurochambres. This speaker recalled that despite reinforced European growth in 2006 and 2007, Europe remains thirty years behind the United States in the area of research and development. And warned that if China maintains its current growth rate, it may well catch up with the European Union in the next fifteen years. Whilst innovation constitutes an essential lever of growth for SMEs, Typhaine Beauperin underlined recent innovation incentive experiences in chambers of commerce in Austria and Spain. Deploring the failure of European policies carried out since 2000 (the Lisbon Strategy, the European Charter for Small Enterprises…), Typhaine Beauperin nevertheless expressed gladness in the official adoption of a European Small Business Act. Another highlight of the Rennes meeting: the presentation of the IFOP study carried out for the ACFCI and Oseo (the State funding organism for SMEs) amongst 508 company directors. Indicating that 65 % of French SMEs have made innovations in the last five years, whether in terms of products, procedures or marketing methods, the study moreover reveals that the recourse of SMEs to inter-company collaborations remains more frequent than contact with competitiveness clusters. 3rd STAGE Angers: Sustainable mobility By Cécilia Dubé Pursuing his regional itinerary to meet “the pro-independence Gauls that presidents and managing directors of chambers of commerce are at heart,” Jean-François Bernardin visited Angers on 26 June 2008. On the agenda of this third stage: the mobility, infrastructures and sustainable development of territories. After a presentation of the activities and projects of the Réseau Ferré de France (French Railway Network) by its strategy manager, Véronique Wallon, the round table participants turned their attention to urban transport. The Mayor of Angers, Jean-Claude Antonini, member of the Conseil National du Développment Durable (National Council for Sustainable Development) and vice-president of the Regional Council of the Pays de la Loire in charge of transport, pleaded in favour of a “change of habits”, praising the example of Fribourg and its “car sharing” system of collective cars. “The great ecological dream of a total absence of vehicles in town centres is the stuff of utopia, for we live in an individualistic society,” says Mr Antonini nevertheless. For Jean-Claude Ziv, a consultant from Veolia Transport, territories should “draw inspiration from African examples, notably that of Bamako where semi-collective vehicles provide door-to-door services.” The role of chambers of commerce in examining sustainability was not raised during the public discussions. However, the presentation of a study undertaken by Ifop for the Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ACFCI) highlights “the attitudes of businesses on the issue of infrastructures.” Following in the trail of surveys carried out during other regional stages, the objective of the ACFCI is to reassure its network during this period of reflection. “Although territorial authorities remain the principal players in the development of territories (73%), the CCIs benefit from an image of proximity with leaders who believe that the chambers should exercise their influence in discussions of these issues,” reveals the Ifop study notably. 4th STAGE Montluçon: Service first By Laureen Melka
Organised by the Chambers of Auvergne, Le Centre and Limousin around the theme of “what services for tomorrow’s CCIs?”, the final stage before the summer break drew together around 600 participants. A success for Jean-François Bernardin, president of the Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ACFCI), who reminded that “the CCIs are not an end in themselves, but a tool for serving businesses. If we want them to last, they must be constantly modernised.” This modernisation has taken place via the grouping of certain chambers, following the example of the fusion between the four CCIs in the department of Le Puy de Dôme. “France is not geometric; the aim is not to merge for the sake of merging,” reassured Mr Bernardin. “It is a matter of adopting the common sense of a company director who seeks to offer the best service at the best price.” Wishing that chambers would establish a consular map at the start of each mandate, the President is hostile to the constitution of regional chambers, which would weaken the legitimacy of elected representatives. He nevertheless hopes to increase the network to 120 chambers by 2010. The Montluçon stage moreover allowed CCIs to work towards greater harmonisation and to reflect on the needs of businesses in 2020. The first vice-president of the ACFCI and president of the Chamber of Auvergne, André Marcon considers that tomorrow’s CCIs will mainly carry out three types of missions: services for businesses (information, advice…), a mouthpiece for economy and, finally, contracting and subcontracting. According to the ACFCI-IFOP survey carried out for this occasion, the priority needs of VSEs/SMEs are financing and training. Nevertheless, there also exists the challenge of eliminating the isolation of companies. In a globalised economy, the business next door should not be perceived as a rival, but as a potential partner.
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