The Aérocentre cluster in Centre-Val de Loire region, France, is a network of companies in the aeronautics sector which meet through events that foster synergies between them. They benefit from the support of the cluster to boost their innovation and recruit the best talents.
- 16 January 2020
Aérocentre’s mission is to create a collective intelligence network by encouraging meetings between companies in the aeronautics sector and different institutions, which over time get to know one another and work together to act, innovate and create business.
The Aérocentre cluster seeks to develop and sustain the aeronautics sector in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Today, over a hundred companies are members, which makes the region a leader in France’s aeronautics industry.
Launched in 2018, the operation sought to deploy the Aérocentre’s activities, focusing on four major areas: economic development and business, innovation research and technology, industrial excellence and human involvement.
Representing the sector and encouraging meetings
Aérocentre provides companies with support for their commercial development in France and abroad, to increase their production and improve their industrial performance, and for R&D projects. Aérocentre organises aeronautics gatherings in the region that bring together those involved in the sector, as well as ‘speed-dating’ events to create business opportunities.
The organisation and its members also take part in international exhibitions, such as the Paris Air Show in France, the MIDEST (the international show for industrial subcontracting know-how) and Eurosatory (the first international land and air-land defence and security industry trade fair).
A project centred around innovation and humans
Another objective is to boost innovation. Aérocentre carries out monitoring and research concerning new technologies. The aim is to enable its members to develop innovative products, or even create start-ups. Working groups are also organised on the theme of the industry of the future. The ‘24 hours of innovation’ event brings together students, engineers, professionals and innovators, to work on aeronautical subjects. Teams form on the day of the event and participants have 24 hours to develop innovative solutions in response to the themes and subjects proposed by companies in the sector.
The Aérocentre cluster is also a project centred around humans and skills: today, 10 000 employees in the sector are represented within the Aérocentre community. There is an annual monitoring of needs and skills, to ensure that offer and demand are aligned within the sector. The aim is to improve recruitment in the sector and make sure talent is not overlooked. For this mission, Aérocentre can draw on the region’s Aeronautics for Employment Development (ADER) programme, which supports human resources and promotes jobs in the sector, while helping to increase its visibility to young people by raising their awareness about careers in aeronautics.
Total investment and European funding
Total investment for the project ‘Developing and sustaining the aeronautics sector in the Centre-Val de Loire region’ is EUR 574 840; the European Regional Development Fund contribution is EUR 157 420 through the ‘Operational programme for the Centre-Val de Loire region’ cooperation programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority of ‘Acting to preserve industrial and artisanal jobs’.