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• NOVEMBER 2011 - N°8

  Eco-construction through the eyes of… Patrice le Tellier, project leader on the board of the pôle d’excellence BTP and Christian Traisnel, director of the centre of expertise working towards the development of eco-technologies, CD2E.

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• JUNE 2011 - N°7

  Our world has never gone through such technological acceleration. Who could have imagined that one day we would be able to create and share images with a mobile phone? This digital revolution is only in its infancy and yet it is already turning the ‘world of the image’ upside down. To meet the expectations of a mobile and gadget-fond public which does definitely not intend to remain passive, the image industry must evolve and rise to the exciting, but complex, challenges. To do so, the creative industry will have to call on and combine diverse talents, who until now had never been used to working together. The first collaboration of its kind resulting from this transformation, a call for proposals in digital technology published by J’innove in partnership with the Pôle Images received a total of 73 proposals and resulted in a selection of 45 projects. Pôle Images, a member and a major player in the J’innove en Nord – Pas de Calais network, intends to turn the Nord – Pas de Calais region into a key European hotspot for the cultural and creative industries.

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• NOVEMBER 2010 - N° 6

  Nord-Pas de Calais welcomes innovative companies. That Nord-Pas de Calais has much to offer new companies is now an established fact. A recent study for L’Entreprise magazine ranked Lille the number one French city of over 500,000 inhabitants for entrepreneurs. The city has an ideal location, a culture of entrepreneurship, a tightly-woven network for science and technology and excellent facilities. The Nord-Pas de Calais region emphasises its support for innovative business start-ups in its Regional Innovation Strategy. Innovation projects are liable to receive financial backing at each stage in their development, from the set up phase to marketing and distribution. This well-rounded support package is comprised of a network of various actors: generalist or specialist incubators (textile, logistics, ICT, digital images, eco-businesses), sectorspecific structures for particular skills, hives, nurseries, company manager clubs, specialised finance bodies etc.

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• JUNE 2010 - n° 5

  The concept of new materials is a particularly complex one. Apart from traditional materials (glass, cardboard, metal, plastics and textiles, etc.), it encompasses new areas such as multi-functional, eco-designed and bio-sourced materials, "new raw materials" derived from recycling and even clean energies and processes. These are the five major technological fields which are currently the focus of industrialists and the research community. In the Nord-Pas de Calais, there is genuine synergy between industry and research in this area. Companies are particularly well represented in the region, with heavyweights such as Roquette, Arc International, the cardoard manufacturers of the Aa valley and a large number of SMEs...

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• MARCH 2010 - n° 4

  Having been a prime base for the textile industry for two centuries, it is now seeking to develop technical textiles. The region is home to around 450 companies employing an average of 40 workers each. This essential structural transformation means these SMEs are able to safeguard jobs while withstanding the current crisis. They are continuing their quest for innovative technologies and are even managing to rival major competitive nations such as China at this level...

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• NOVEMBER 2009 - n°3

  The Internet has become a key medium for industry and households alike. Over the course of a decade, the tool has grown rapidly in popularity throughout the world. More specifi cally, there has been substantial growth in e-commerce with businesses that successfully practice it experiencing economic growth into the bargain. Across Europe, it is estimated that online purchases will generate revenues of €129 billion in 2009 and €263 billion in 2011. Even though France has not quite been left behind, it only ranks eighth in Europe in terms of e-consumer...

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• SEPTEMBER 2009 - n°2

  In the 21st century, nutrition has become one of the biggest challenges for public health. In western countries, increasingly sedentary lifestyles, in conjunction with an abundant supply of food and, in many cases, dietary imbalances, are leading to new pathologies, including cancers, osteoporosis, obesity, diabetes and dyslipidemias (i.e. hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia), many of which play a signifi cant role in the emergence of cardiovascular diseases. By way of indication, two million French people are affected by type 2 diabetes and 20 million are overweight, with the highest concentration of these in the Nord-Pas de Calais region...

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• MAY 2009 - n°1

  Nowadays, we have all come to believe that innovation and R&D are strategic issues. Sources of profitability and competitiveness are the essential components for company growth in a world economy. This trend requires certain unavoidable qualities from all those parties involved: reactivity, flexibility, adaptability, ability to train, to invest, select and appropriate outside knowledge, as well as to carry out steps on a partnership basis, both in France and beyond its frontiers. The information economy is now under way and nothing more can stop it...

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