Bordeaux CCI - Supporting technological innovation

In 2004, France Télécom launched its ZAE program, which aims to « accelerate the installation of Very High Speed connections in 2,000 Business Zones, giving 120,000 major companies and SMEs access to offers of up 100 Mbits ». A new phase has been announced for the end of 2005, with the symmetric 2Mbits service being made widely available to companies. « Launching this type of access for all companies wherever they are located provides a real boost for the economy and contributes to making the regions attractive to businesses», explains Didier Lombard, Chairman of France Télécom.
To ensure they can take full advantage of this beneficial development, various initiatives have been launched in the regions. In 2002, the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) created the Bordeaux-Aquitaine Exchange. « Activities take place on neutral ground, on premises specially adapted for the organisation of demonstrations and for stimulating dialogue on the latest uses of information and communications technologies in small and medium companies », explains Philippe Gokelaere, head of the Exchange within the BCCI. « The Exchange organises twenty or so « open days » and free workshops a month for company directors and their staff to help them discover and analyse in realistic conditions the uses and benefits they might gain from these new tools », he continues. To do this, a multimedia resources centre simulates more than 70 IT applications in fields such as marketing, communications, logistics, human resources, administration and safety.
The Exchange exists thanks to public-private partnerships. Financial partners include the Regional Council, Aquitaine Valley, the CapGémini Deposit Office, Cdiscount, Cofinoga, France Télécom, IBM and SFR. It also has technical backing provided by the suppliers of the demonstration material.
The BCCI also distributes the electronic signature « Chambersign », a key factor in inspiring confidence in electronic trading. Moreover, « most of the formalities handled by the Chamber (export, apprenticeship etc) are online », says Philippe Gokelaere. « We also offer a service called Écobiz that consists of putting collaborative platforms online to encourage business communities to participate in joint projects ». Écobiz is based on three principles: a protected members-only Internet site, targeted dissemination of information and regular meetings.