AEPI - Grenoble Isere Report - N°41 - february 2007

Air Liquide meets CERN challenge

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (Cern), near Geneva, is building the world’s most powerful particle accelerator. This massive project consists of a ring with a 27 kilometre circumference, located in a tunnel 100 metres underground. Some 1,700 superconducting magnets will soon be producing the magnetic beam required to probe deeper into matter than ever before. An essential part of this system is the distribution of ultra-fl uid helium at a temperature of -271°C, which required input from international experts on extreme gases. Ultimately the Advanced Technology Division at Air Liquide, located in the Grenoble area, won the contract to design, manufacture and install, by the end of 2006, a unique cryogenic system. This remarkable achievement represents more 1.5m man hours.

NovaPack Technologies moves closer to its customers

Three years after its inception NovaPack Technologies, which specializes in packaging and connections for microelectronics components, is moving its headquarters to Grenoble- Isère. The fi rm provides a full range of services to deliver custom packaging solutions, including a choice of materials, design, interconnections and chip assembly. And to get that bit closer to its biggest customers it is moving to the Grenoble area. NovaPack Technologies, now a Minalogic subcontractor as part of the Minimage project, has applied to become a partner in the competitivity centre. Yet another good reason to choose Grenoble-Isère.

Monolithic Power Systems locates new subsidiary in Bernin

AEPI here in Grenoble and the Invest-in-France office in San Francisco advised and supported Monolithic Power Systems, headquartered in Silicon Valley, with its project to locate its European subsidiary in Grenoble-Isère. That project has now come to fruition. International recognition for Grenoble in the electronics sector, the ease with which firms can recruit skilled personnel, the good transport infrastructure and overall quality of life were the main arguments that convinced MPS executives to choose Grenoble-Isère as their European base. The fi rm develops and manufactures high-performance analog integrated circuits used by manufacturers of PCs, modems, LCD screens, mobile phones, TV decoders and games consoles. Thanks to its international success MPS this year joined the Forbes® list of the 25 fastest growing hi-tech firms.

> N°41 < February 2007

Pascal Barthélémy, président d’Axelera	Reconciling chemicals and the environment The Axelera competitivity centre aims to do just that, so we asked Pascal Barthélémy, its President, how tomorrow’s chemistry was developing in Rhône-Alpes and Isère.

Is this the start of a change in attitude in the chemical industry?

Axelera has two aims. We want to make chemicals work for eco-industry and viceversa. Ever since we were certifi ed as a competitivity centre in July 2005 we have been pursuing this dual goal. Some may think it is impossible to reconcile the two industries, but Axelera represents the chemical industry and fully accepts the associated responsibilities. After all the chemical industry has always made allowance for environmental issues. However until recently the priority was to fi nd ways of curing environmental problems, in particular controlling industrial emissions. Nowadays environmental concerns are taken into account right from the start of projects, from the day we start design work. Environmentally aware design means considering production processes as far upstream as possible, rather than simply managing their effects.

Does this herald a change in the industry?

In seeking to establish a preventive framework, Axelera, as its name suggests, aims to accelerate changes in the chemicals and environmental sector. We have produced a benchmark, which has since been consolidated. What is original is our positioning with respect to chemicals and the environment. In terms of the way we operate, we seek to associate leading industrial fi rms, small and medium enterprises

and research centres. There is no equivalent in Europe for this threepronged approach, which enjoys the solid support of the local authorities. Axelera has laid the foundations for several technology projects and is now developing its horizontal coordination.

How will tomorrow’s chemical industry be organized?

A core group has formed around Rhodia, which has been researching the topic since the end of 2004, alongside Arkema, IFP and Groupe Suez. The Chemistry Department at the National Centre for Scientifi c Research (CNRS), which I may say is the centre’s largest body, has been a valuable ally, in conjunction with our local authorities who have been an essential catalyst. We have reached a position on which we can all agree and certifi cation of the competitivity centre has enabled us to launch the fi rst joint projects (see feature on page 3, Precipitating chemical success). The big fi rms provided much of the initial impetus, but we have now completed the fi rst phase of our strategic agenda, pooling the skills and resources available in Rhône- Alpes. With 115 members, half of which are SMEs, Axelera has established itself at a regional and national level. We fully intend to expand further, deploying our strategic ambitions at a global level, setting up partnerships with clusters abroad, elsewhere in Europe but also in Asia and the United States.

Electropole, Schneider Electric’s new R&D

At the end of last year Schneider Electric offi cially opened its biggest R&D centre in Eybens, just outside Grenoble. Eleven hundred researchers, previously scattered around various units in Europe, will now be working together at Electropole. The aim is to design and develop electrical distribution products such as wireless switches and circuit breakers. As part of the Homes project, which is supported by France’s Industrial Innovation Agency (AII), considerable attention will be focussing on thermal control systems to promote energy savings. It was in Grenoble-Isère that hydroelectric power was fi rst developed in France and Schneider Electric through Merlin Gerin has been operating here for more than a century. Christine Lagarde, Ministre déléguée au commerce extérieur et Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Président du directoire de Schneider Electric dévoilent la plaque inaugurale d’Electropole le 12 octobre 2006. It currently employs more than 6,000 people in the area, of which 2,000 researchers. But if Schneider is investing in research facilities in Grenoble it is not out a sense of tradition but because its R&D dynamic is facilitated by the proximity of many research laboratories and the Minalogic global competitivity centre (micro-nanotechnology and system-onchips). Only a year ago Schneider opened Technopole, a basic research centre in Grenoble with staff of 300. Technopole and Electropole represent an overall investment of €80m. Schneider is determined to maintain the pace of innovation, the priority for the 6,500 researchers it employs worldwide, in order to boost international growth.

BOC Edwards moves its headquarters to Grenoble

BOC Edwards, a subsidiary of Linde, which manufactures vacuum pumps and gas and liquid extraction and treatment systems, has achieved global market leadership in subsystems and associated services for the microelectronics industry, fl at-screen displays and photovoltaic cells. BOC Edwards used to be headquartered at Crawley, south of London, but now it has transferred the European head offi ce of its semiconductor business to the Grenoble area. It fi rst moved here in 2002, with the headquarters following in 2006, because it wanted to be closer to its top electronics customers but also to research centres such as CEA-Leti and Minatec. Such proximity makes it easier to provide top-notch assistance on subsystem operations and maintenance. It also encourages emulation. The high concentration of R&D activities in the Minalogic global competitivity centre is a good opportunity for recruiting new talent, particularly engineers and project leaders. AEPI has been assisting BOC Edwards since it fi rst moved here and it has added about 10 new jobs to its workforce, which now stands at 32. In 10 years the fi rm has doubled sales to reach $1bn and now it is using its position in Grenoble-Isère to leverage further growth.

Inauguration des nouveaux locaux à Bernin-Crolles en septembre 2006.

Axelera, precipitating chemical success

Since it was launched, in July 2005, the Axelera chemicals and environment competitivity centre has pursued a proactive strategy, quickly gearing up for operational action. Rather than waiting for projects to surface as the scheme evolved, the Axelera board of governors opted to start several framework projects and boost impetus. Laboratoire Arkema © Alexis Chezières
This approach is based on the assumption that, as Pascal Barthélémy, chairman of the centre, puts it: “Success drives success.”The “totem projects” started by focussing on the processes required to set up compact production units and, at the same time, on specifi c bridge-building topics. In September 2005 the “Rhodanos” scheme brought some 40 companies together to address water treatment. A year and a half later, with 25 partnership agreements and a €12m R&D budget, Rhône-Alpes is the top region in France for the treatment of water, sludge and smells, for instance in sewage works. “The Bio-ressources 2015” scheme sets out to replace fossil raw materials with renewable materials such as starch, glycerol and glucose, and propose bioresources as an alternative to conventional chemical intermediates. “Valorsite” is addressing

persistent bioaccumulants and soil remediation. “Force PA” is looking at polymerization platforms and “Duramat”, the ecodesign of materials. Between the middle of 2005 and the end of 2006 six major R&D projects were launched, valued at €70m, with industry providing 70% of funding and public agencies fi nding the rest. The 2007-9 stage aims to do more to promote Axelera and to focus on the fi rst industrial prototypes. International visibility is a key priority and Axelera’s at the Pollutec trade fair should contribute to this process. Contacts have been made in Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Japan paving the way for links with clusters and universities in Europe and Asia. Axelera has established itself as a significant player in the chemicals industry, and has started building up its international position. By 2010 Rhône Alpes and Grenoble-Isère fi rms should be among the driving forces in tomorrow’s chemicals, their activity based on breakthrough technologies and a new competitive edge.

Techtera weaving a web of industrial partnerships

The local firms behind the Techtera (Technical Textiles Rhône-Alpes) competitivity centre became involved in the venture because they wanted to set up a relatively lightweight, fl exible organization to promote networking and the exchange of know-how and skills. Under the active leadership of Jean- Charles Potelle, Techtera brings together several global market leaders and more than 140 small and medium enterprises. It makes a point of being pragmatic, without accepting any compromises as to quality. Since 2006, of the 17 collaborative projects Une tresseuse 3D - © IFTH
the board has reviewed, 15 have been certifi ed. They include NanOptex, which focuses on applications for nanomaterials in textiles, an offshoot of the Metis research platform set up by AEPI and the Isère Departmental Council to explore new opportunities in

textile, paper and micro and nanotechnology. Firms in the technical textile business are particularly interested in fabrics with multiple functions. The mechanical and thermal performance of textiles offer new openings, in sport and leisure activities, packaging, hygiene, wall coverings, etc. To integrate new functionality in fi bres (Napco project) efforts must focus on innovation, and R&D is consequently Techtera’s prime concern. The future for textiles may be in fi elds that would never occur to the general public. “As robust, light, flexible materials, textiles are poised to compete with plastics and metal, for instance in the aerospace industry,” says Corinne Farace, the senior coordinator at Techtera. Farming, defence, civil engineering and the environment are all sectors with considerable potential for high-performance materials such as aramide (aromatic polyamide), carbon and mineral fi bres (Univerre project) integrated in new high added-value, innovative textiles. The Grenoble-Isère firms that have joined Techtera are a good illustration of the diversity of its membership and the complementary nature of the know-how on offer. They include market leaders such as Porcher, Hexcel and Ferrari, small innovative companies such as Sofileta and Texinov, and firms with a more conventional image, notably Jabouley, famous for its lace, and Tissages Perrin, which manufactures haute couture silk scarves. But Techtera does not only have corporate members. Its potential also encompasses research (Institut français du textile, CEA-Grenoble), technical training (Itech, Insa and INP Grenoble), and marketing (EM Lyon Business School), to ensure it establishes itself as a European reference.

Destination Grenoble-Isère

Visitors sometimes make fun of Grenoble people, portraying them as energetic urbanites who spend all their free time skiing. Although it is true that the nearest slopes are only a 40-minute drive from the town centre, it would be a pity to reduce Grenoble-Isère’s holiday assets to just skiing or even winter sports. The figures for the local economy prove the point, with the six winter months only representing 60% of expenditure by holidaymakers. The great thing about the mountains is they can be enjoyed all year round, and the same is true of festivals and the area’s many museums, not to mention its trade fairs. Grenoble, host to the winter Olympics in 1968, is within easy distance of many of the top resorts in the French Alps.

The Vercors range offers the unsullied pleasures of France’s largest nature reserve. Its high limestone plateaus are an ideal location for crosscountry skiing and snowshoe trekking.
The Chartreuse mountains are green and authentic, and on the southern side its cliffs are a world-famous free-flight venue.
The Belledonne range attracts ski touring enthusiasts, and in the midst of the Oisans wilderness are two internationally reputed ski resorts, L’Alpe d’Huez and Les Deux Alpes. Sure enough, Grenoble-Isère, with its three natural parks, attracts plenty of foreign visitors. A quarter of our hotels’ customers come from abroad in the winter, almost a third in summer.
But local people still represent the largest market segment. For the French, much as for most Europeans, long summer holidays are increasingly a thing of the past. Nowadays the trend is towards a series of short breaks spread all through the year. People go away more often, but for shorter periods. Having so many attractive destinations from which to choose, right on our doorstep, is undoubtedly an asset and it is generally agreed that living in Grenoble-Isère is something of a privilege.

Business travel is booming too. With its high-tech potential and 2,000 hours of sunshine a year (as much as Toulouse), Grenoble plays host to more than 3,000 business events annually. In just the first six months of 2006 it staged 27 major congresses. Grenoble-Isère is much appreciated as a holiday destination, but it is also a place where it is very pleasant to work.

Enquire at Comité Départemental du Tourisme de l’Isère
14 rue de la République à Grenoble
Tél. : 04 76 54 34 36
Web : http://www.isere-tourisme.com
Mail : informations.cdt@isere-tourisme.com

Erratum
Merial was not listed in Grenoble Isère Report n°40 among the six leader-members of Lyonbiopôle. Please accept our apologies for this oversight.

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