Situated in the Centre and the Southeast of France in the Auvergne, Limousin and Rhône-Alpes regions, and partly in the Centre, Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon regions, the “Viameca” cluster helps the development of companies in the mechanical engineering sector, and is organized around 3 priority sectors: Aerospace, Automobile and Industrial Equipment.
The cluster has set 3 priority objectives:
- Commit the companies involved in these sectors to lead collaborative projects closely associating top universities, R&D laboratories and industrial firms.
- Help companies switch from a design and manufacture of industrial projects framework to an engineering and industrial creation framework, through anticipation, networking and acceleration of innovation.
- Solidify the international leadership of the general mechanics industry.
Advantages
The Viameca cluster occupies a privileged place in the mechanical engineering sector in France:
Companies and Talent
9,000 companies, including 4,000 with over 10 employees
235,000 skilled workers linked to Mechanics, Materials and Design, which is 20% of the French workforce
Research
1,600 private researchers
900 public researchers
850 publications in Engineering Sciences per year, which is 18% of the national total
Training
290 Graduate engineers per year in the fields of the cluster
190 Research Masters Degrees
Members
169 members (September 2008)
Companies: 89 of which nearly 52 are small and medium-sized enterprises
• French groups: Michelin, GDF-Suez, Areva, Société Générale, Thalès, Electricité de France (EDF), Fidal.
• International groups: Siemens (Germany), Rio Tinto - Alcan (Canada), Renault Trucks, subsidiary of Volvo AB (Sweden), SKF (Sweden), ThyssenKrupp Materials (Germany), Hexcel Reinforcements (United States), Borg Warner.
Research and Training Centers
- 26 research laboratories and universities, including Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Clermont-Ferrand, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Ecole des Mines d’Alès, Université Jean Monnet de Saint-Etienne, Université Blaise Pascal de Clermont-Ferrand, Université Claude Bernard de Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Etienne, Institut Français de Mécanique Avancée (IFMA) de Clermont Ferrand.
- 54 other organizations are also partners of the cluster, including the Regional Directorates of Industry, Research and the Environment (DRIRE) of Rhône-Alpes and Auvergne, Regional Councils of Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Limousin, Midi-Pyrénées, Towns of Clermont-Ferrand and Saint-Etienne, Consular network, and more particularly the CCIs of Clermont Ferrand and Saint Etienne.
Current R&D Partnerships (refer to appendix)
- 64 projects have been certified and financed between 2005 and the end of 2007, for a total investment of 83 million euros.
- Example of public support:
• 10 million euros paid by the National Research Agency (Agence Nationale de la Recherche or ANR) between 2005 and 2007
• Almost 3.5 million euros awarded by the Single Interministerial Fund (Fonds Unique Interministériel or FUI) between 2005 and 2007
International Partnerships
Current
Participation in the Automechanika show, Turkey
Awareness program of 80 SMEs internationally within the Mécafuture association, bringing together the French mechanics clusters
ITER Action
Organization of ViaMeca Meetings – SATCAR 2007 – Clermont Ferrand
Participation stand at the Aerospace Trade Faire (Salon Aéronautique) in Bourget
Future
Development of contacts with Russia and the bordering countries with the Innovative Materials, Intelligent Products (Matériaux Innovants, Produits Intelligents or MIPI) cluster.
Development of Contacts with Germany for collaboration and technological transfers with the German clusters.
Appendix: Examples of Certified R&D Projects
|
Project Name and Subject |
Led by: |
|
ALICANTDE Improvement in the tolerance to damage of aluminium-lithium alloys. Understanding of the microstructure effects |
Alcan et EADS |
|
CELEVA Studying an electrode/electrolyte assembly to create a pressurised water steam electrolysis unit, of qq cm², to produce hydrogen |
Areva NP |
|
ARC 30% reduction in the size of valve springs for petrol or diesel engines, which will lead to a reduction in energy consumption: production, transport, use (fuel) and spring recycling |
HEF R&D |
|
LCM-SMART Innovative LCM (Liquid Composites Moulding) processes for complex composite parts |
Hexcel, SKF, Isojet Equipements |
|
VIRAGO Enabling the robotic precision control of robots or very high speed machines through rapid sequential acquisition vision |
Lasmea |
|
ZIRCOSPRAY Making possible the brazing of thin leaves of zirconium on a steel substrate through the development of a barrier sub-layer and a Cold Spray application process |
Carbone |
Contact
Invest in France Agency Paris
Laurent BERGEOT
Director, Territories Development
Send an e-mail
+33 1 40 74 74 11