Transcript Steel Industry

European Economic Congress
Katowice, May 16, 2011
Does Clustering helps the economy ?
Dr Ir Michel Morant
CEO Tech Tranfer Office University of Liege, Belgium
Member of the board of LIEU, belgium
Chair-Elect Proton Europe
Clustering is not new
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In the 19th century, the development of large companies was
based on integrated industry
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In the 80’s, Italy launched technology districts :
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Transport of goods and people was the main problem
Steel industry : concentration around cool, iron mines, but including all
needed tasks (trains, engineering, but also clothes, shoes for the workers)
Textile : around high quality water availibility : textile machines, tissue
makers, elctric motors, …
f.i. Ceramica in Bologna : ceramic makers, engineering, machines for ceramic
industry, design, marketing, R&D, exportation … all SMES’s in one dynamics
In the 90’s, automotive industry worked more and more
according the « Just in time » concept : that means a lot of
suppliers, managing the storage themselves, .. This is again a
manufacturing based clustering
Dr Ir M. Morant
European Economic Congress, Katowice, May 2011
What is new in clustering ?
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Globalisation :
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360° scopes for all activities of a company :
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Transport is not a challenge any more (or not yet)
Information is available everywhere, everywhen
Competition is global : products, goods, workforces, knowledge, education
Markets, customers : domestic, international
Suppliers, partners : domestic, international
Human resources : mobility of people
R & D, Innovation : all disciplines can be involved
To much information kills information
How can this be managed by SME’s ? Even by industry ?
Sharing experience and information in a focused field
is today the main purpose for clustering
Dr Ir M. Morant
European Economic Congress, Katowice, May 2011
Focused field ?
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Experience :
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Information :
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Industry know how for developing products, for producing, for exportation
people recruitment, continous education, …
Suppliers, service suppliers, soft innovation
Accouncy, tax engineering
International marketing
General purpose information : IP, entrepreneurship
Science and technology information
Market information
New methods
Cross–sectorial >< Sectorial
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Cross-sectorial : focus on science park
Sectorial : focused on a market area
Dr Ir M. Morant
European Economic Congress, Katowice, May 2011
Science Parks :
Cross sectorial based clustering
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A community of high tech companies in position to exchange
experience and information :
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Permanent updating of technologies
Permanent exchange between academic science and industry needs
Good access for hiring young high educated people
Continuous education for high tech based companies (IP, marketing, ..)
Entrepreneurial community
Science park can be extended, by using new communication technologies
Specialized services to help SME’s : IP management, consultants for EU
projects, for R&D projects
A national and international network of communities
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SPOW in Wallonia, France Incubation, ..
IASP on international level
Europe Entreprises Network (EEN) , European Business Network (EBN)
Dr Ir M. Morant
European Economic Congress, Katowice, May 2011
Technology based Clusters
A bottom-up dynamics
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A community of companies sharing a common interest in the
market :
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Shared marketing : common presence in the fairs,
Echange of know how and experience to reinforce products
Sharing information of tenders, or market cahnges
Quoting together to some calls
Common actions to the customer opinion (leaders)
Shared continuous high tech master classes, or seminars
Exemples :
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TWIST : digital cinema cluster
Eco-Construction : new techniques for economic and ecologic houses
Photonic : the use of light (laser industry, satellites, telescopes, …)
In total 14 in Wallonia
Dr Ir M. Morant
European Economic Congress, Katowice, May 2011
More than a Clusters …
The Pole of Competitivenes
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A top-down /bottom-up initiative
Sharing a common agenda between
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Sharing common agenda for
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Large companies
SME’s
Universities and research centers
The governement
Determining priorities for R&D
Lauching call for R&D projects (one call a year, FP7 like system)
Determining priorities for improving the skills of workforces
6 Poles in Wallonia :
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BioWin, SkyWin, Mecatech, Logistics, Wagralim, GreeWin
Dr Ir M. Morant
European Economic Congress, Katowice, May 2011
The Triple Helix system
(H. Etzkowitz)
Industry/SME’s
Government
IP policy
Funding R&D
Clustering policy
Product development
KTO
Research
Knowledge transfer
Continuous education
University
Dr Ir M. Morant
European Economic Congress, Katowice, May 2011
Research project MINT
• MINT : Maintenance Intelligente (Steel Industry)
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Purpose : Develop predictive maintenance in heavy proces (flat
steel industry)
Pole of competitiveness Mecatech : call « smart systems »
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Lead Industries : CMI (Equipment), ArcelorMittal
SME’s : ASB (sensors), Indium (sensors), Synthesis Metal (process)
Spin-offs : V2i (vibrations), Pepite (data mining)
Private research center: CRM
University Labs : ULg (Microsys, Cedia, VIS, Hololab, ASMA), ULB (sensors),
UMons (sensors)
15 partners
Total budget total : 8,7 M€, 50% funded by the governement.
Conclusions
• Clustering aims at
– reducing the gap between ideas and product
– Helping to rise the relevant information for a given context
• Clusters can be based
– on geographical considerations, and be cross sectorial
– On a technology sector
• Clusters can be more than a cluster, fostering common
agendas
• Cluster should have appropriate support from the
government
Dr Ir M. Morant
European Economic Congress, Katowice, May 2011
Thank you for your attention
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Some more information can be found on :
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www.interface.ulg.ac.be
www.reseaulieu.be
www.spow.be
www.iasp.ws
clusters.wallonie.be
www.polesdecompetitivite.eu
Dr Ir M. Morant
European Economic Congress, Katowice, May 2011