The Clusters of Greater Paris are committed to becoming references in their domain and to supporting economic development, while rationalising and containing urban expansion.
Initiated by Christian Blanc, former Secretary of State for the development of the Greater Paris Region, this initiative stems from the will to transform Paris into a knowledge metropolis and to place it in a position to attract high tech industries, public and private R&D labs as well as first rank academic institutions. The development of these clusters across the Greater Paris Region is to be facilitated by Grand Paris Express.
Beside Paris, bound to retain an unparalleled attractiveness, Greater Paris relies on seven new thematic competitiveness clusters:
- A Research and Innovation cluster on Saclay Plateau, with Europe’s first science and technology campus;
- An International Trade and Events cluster at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport;
- A Life Sciences cluster from Villejuif to Evry, with the Cœur d’Orly project;
- A Digital Creation cluster in Saint-Denis Plaine Commune;
- A Financial Services cluster in La Défense;
- An Airspace cluster in Le Bourget area, oriented towards the airspace industry and business tourism;
- A Sustainable City cluster around Cité Descartes in Marne-la-Vallée.
In order to consolidate these competitiveness clusters over the long term and to orchestrate their deployment around Grand Paris Express, the French state and the relevant local administrations have defined territorial development contracts (Contrats de Développement Territorial, or CDTs). This contractual approach determines, for each territory that is concerned, objectives and priorities in terms of urbanism, housing, transportation, economic growth and environmental protection.
