V.Burger ©Phanie
© V.Burger ©Phanie

International competitive clusters

11 competitiveness clusters and over 60 clusters of international importance: developing business tourism in Bordeaux and its metropolitan area is all about creating platforms for exchange which build upon our greatest strengths and our economic dynamism, not least the fact that the metropolis created 11,000 new jobs in 2017.

Bordeaux Metropolis by numbers : 

  • 69,000 businesses
  • 450,000 jobs in the metropolitan area
  • 61,000 jobs in the healthcare sector
  • France’s top university hospital
  • 1,200 patents

Nouvelle-Aquitaine and the Bordeaux metropolitan area have seen consistently impressive annual growth in the digital economy over the past decade :

  • 14.8% annual growth
  • France’s 3rd most prolific metropolis for digital start-ups
  • 12,000+ jobs created
  • 2,500 businesses
  • 1,000 researchers. 
  • France’s leading region for healthcare IT

Not to forget the huge talent pool provided by the region’s many students and universities : 

  • 180,000 students in the region 
  • 88,000 students and 11,000 researchers in Bordeaux. 
  • 6 universities
  • The University of Bordeaux has ‘IDEX’ Initiatives for Excellence status, a government programme designed to support R&D and international development. 

Bordeaux and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region are breeding grounds for excellence in innovation and research, particularly in key sectors such as aeronautics and space, for which Bordeaux is the leading hub on the Atlantic coast. The region can also boast of its leading role in optics and laser technologies, and of substantial expertise in nano and biotechnologies, neurosciences, healthcare ICT, the wood industry and sustainable construction.  

The region and the metropolis are home to 11 competitiveness clusters, and here we take a closer look at three of them : 

Aerospace Valley :

It's the world’s leading competitiveness cluster for the aerospace industry, serving three sectors of great strategic importance: aeronautics, space and drone technologies. Ranked as one of the top 3 competitiveness clusters worldwide, it works to foster cooperative R&D projects as well as providing support to businesses in the sector. The cluster prioritises innovation to nurture the growth of its members. Aerospace Valley has received GOLD LABEL status from the EACI - European Cluster Excellence Initiative. 

Key stats : 

  • 825 members
  • 562 affiliated small businesses
  • 1,070 projects supported

Healthcare ICT :

HEALTHCARE ICT is a major competitiveness cluster spanning the whole Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Bordeaux metropolitan area. The Health Alliance Innovation cluster is the fruit of a collaborative initiative launched by a number of regional clusters specializing in biotechnologies, medical devices, cardiology, oncology, epidemiology and the pharmaceutical sector.  Its primary objective is to foster innovation in health technologies throughout the whole of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, working to boost the competitiveness of local businesses and the attractiveness of this dynamic territory, as well as developing the regional health ecosystem as a whole.

Key stats for the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region : 

  • 350,000 jobs (of which 6,000 in pharmaceuticals, 5,000 in cosmetics, 14,000 in the spa sector and 2,000 in e-health)
  • 350 doctors per 100,000 residents
  • 58 laboratories
  • 1,150 researchers

In the Bordeaux metropolitan area : 

  • 60,000+ jobs
  • France’s top university hospital
  • 2500 researchers
  • 35 research laboratories

The Xylofutur competitiveness cluster : 

XYLOFUTUR is a key asset for Nouvelle-Aquitaine, works to deliver solutions tailored to the development needs of its network of partners and SMEs in the wood industry. This includes an action strategy designed to identify and capitalise upon the opportunities provided by digital technologies, in order to boost the sector’s economic competitiveness at the national and international levels. France is the 4th most densely-wooded country in the European Union, and Nouvelle-Aquitaine is renowned for its vast forests of maritime pines. 

Key stats : 

  • over 30,000 employees
  • 2,200 businesses
  • Europe’s largest cultivated forest
  • Europe’s biggest agricultural region

Sources : Bordeaux Métropole, ADI-NA (Agence de Développement et d'Innovation de la Nouvelle-Aquitaine), Aerospace Valley, Alliance Innovation Santé, Xylofutur.