Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, French clusters have mobilized their teams and their networks to contribute and develop innovative solutions to fight the virus. We've seen many of cosmetic, agri-food or textile clusters diversifying their activities in order to produce medical equipment (masks, hydroalcoholic gels) or implementing platforms to draw up an inventory of companies and hospitals needs. Digital clusters also played their parts in making sure all of those who needed to work from home or to develop digital solutions to keep working were rightfully equipped. In France Clusters' last international newsletter (April 2020), we decided to show off a few examples of French clusters contributions and actions to fight the virus, here are some of them:

- The Strategy Committee of the Fashion and Luxury field, Competitiveness clusters EuraMaterials (material, Hauts de France region) and Techtera (technical textiles sector, Auvergne Rhône Âlpes region) and the IFTH, French industrial technical centre for textiles and clothing, have responded favourably to the DGE regarding coordinating the mobilisation of businesses in choosing the materials necessary for the realisation of protection masks intended for non-sanitary use in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.

- To confront the COVID-19 epidemic in France, cluster Silver Valley (silver economy field, Île de France region) offers solutions to improve the day-to-day of autonomous and dependant seniors who are isolated during the confinement period, as well as that of their carers.

- The cluster Spirits Valley (spirits sector, New Aquitaine region) is mustering its members and encouraging key players in the spirits field to supply pharmacists and hydro-alcoholic gel producers with ethanol.

- Cluster Polepharma (pharmaceuticals and health sector, Centre – Val de Loire – Île de France - Normandy regions) has published a press release calling the government to address the question of French sanitary independence. The business cluster also called on its members to urgently source medical protection equipment (masks, hydro-alcoholic gel).

- Cluster Montagne (mountain-tourism infrastructure, Auvergne Rhône Alps) is organising a job-fair for industrial businesses to meet with seasonal workers in ski areas struck by the current temporary unemployment ("chomage partiel").

- Cluster Digital Aquitaine (digital technologies, New Aquitaine region) is using a form to do a survey identifying actions and solutions offered by digital economy businesses in response to the problems arising from the current COVID-19 sanitary crisis.

- Initially reserved for members of the competitiveness cluster competitiveness cluster Cosmetic Valley (perfumes, wellbeing, cosmetics sectors, Centre Val-de-Loire, Île-de-France, Normandy regions) the IMPACT+platform dedicated to the exchange of Raw Materials and Packaging articles is made available to ensure a local link is made between the cosmetics businesses in each region and the hospitals urgently needing hydro-alcoholic gel to fight the COVID19 pandemic. 

- Members of competitiveness cluster Terralia-Pass (perfumes and cosmetics, South Provence – Côte d'Âzur, Auvergne-Rhône-Âlpes and Languedoc - Roussillon regions) are mobilising in the fight against the COVID-19, namely by scaling up the production of hydro-alcoholic gel.

- The accelerator C2IME (services to businesses, Great-East region) is launching a call for donations amongst its businesses for personal protection equipment for hospitals.

- The cluster Mecabourg (mechanics, metal-works and industrial CARROSSERIE sectors, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region) has mobilised through a donation of 700 FFP2 masks to the Fleyriat hospital complex in Bourg-en-Bresse.

- Competitiveness cluster Minalogic (digital technologies sector, Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes region) and its partners are mobilising to help and enable the businesses in their ecosystem and their collaborators to remain operational throughout the current crisis.

- Cluster Digital 113 (digital sector, Occitania) launched its digital solidarity action: "Solidarité Numérique" by putting forwards its members offering temporarily free solutions for businesses which would not otherwise have the means to equip themselves with the digital tools necessary to work remotely or to carry on their activity.

- Cluster AREA Centre Val-de-Loire (agro-food sector, Centre Val-de-Loire region) has launched the operation Coron'Aides, a regional support fund to link together businesses with a need and those who can meet it.

We're really inspired by the mobilization of our members! 

Click here to read our International Clusters Info of April 2020