Competitiveness clusters and new approaches to public research: uncertainties in the development of the Triple Helix in France

The importance of proximity in the field of innovation has been highlighted, notably, in studies on the Triple Helix which emphasize the growing role of the third mission of the universities, namely, regional economic development. Using an empirical approach, we have attempted to gain an insight into the ways in which networks involving local economic and academic actors are created. This study focuses on France, where the State has recently promoted an aggressive policy designed to develop clusters and reform higher education and research by, amongst other things, setting up new regional bodies with a view to bringing together universities and creating centres of excellence networks at the local level. The study reveals the existence of a wide variety of configurations in the regions analyzed and, in spite of globally positive dynamics, highlights areas in which insufficiently well coordinated governmental approaches could be improved. The study also underlines a number of hitherto neglected aspects of the Triple Helix model: the model should take a less global approach to institutions, and analyses of the variety of possible links between science and innovation should be more nuanced. Lastly, the study highlights a profound transformation in the approaches taken by governmental agencies.