Regional action policy

DGA works in many regions in France and as an employer and substantial investor in these regions contributes to their growth and development. It implements a regional action policy allowing it to increase its role in economic development, adapt more closely to its regional environment and promote the construction of a European defence policy to local and regional authorities.

Who does what?

DGA’s regional action policy is coordinated and led at the central administration level by the D4S sub-directorate for security and economic intelligence and SMBs (ISP). DGA/COMM takes over for the communication aspect. It is adapted to each region in which DGA operates.

In addition, DGA works hand in hand with the regional delegates for industrial and defence restructuring (DRRIRD), both at the national and local levels. The delegates’ task is to lead and coordinate regional organisations involved in economic and social support measures accompanying the restructuring of the defence sector and related industries.

Lastly, DGA implements a policy and takes measures to support SMBs in the development of innovative projects of interest to the defence sector. To this end, it has set up partnerships and carried out joint actions with DGE (the French Ministry of Economy and Finance General Directorate for Enterprise) and the industrial development divisions of the DRIRE (regional directorates for industry, research and development reporting to it) and with OSEO INNOVATION and its regional representatives.

What actions?

  Participation in economic development activities to strengthen the industrial fabric at the regional level, focusing particularly on small and medium-sized businesses. For example, the opening of DGA evaluation and testing facilities gives the regional economy a significant boost.

  Participation in regional events to increase awareness of DGA’s acquisition policy, especially the ways in which DGA helps industry to innovate. An example of this is the Delegate General’s personal involvement in a number of major regional events:

• Participation in the debate on the economic impact of defense in Aquitaine. This took place on June 2, 2004, with the Bordeaux Aquitaine Aeronautics and Space association (Bordeaux Aquitaine Aéronautique et Spatiale: BAAS), and was attended by many manufacturers in the aeronautics, defense and space industries.

• Participation in meetings/debates with local representatives of the economy and institutions, such as the debate on "images and networks", an illustration of the economic impact of the Defence industry in Brittany, on 7 November 2005, organized by MEITO (Mission pour l’Electronique et les Télécommunications de l’Ouest) attended by many people from these industrial sectors, and the opening of the SSI symposium (information systems security) organized on 8 November by CELAR on the theme of "modelling and security" and attended by 200 people.

• Opening up to the scientific community: DGA and its centres are actively involved in research for innovation in the defence sector and are well represented in regional research structures. For example, CELAR is a member of the scientific interest group "new electronic and telecommunication technologies" (GIS TECHNET), which brings together 10 research organisations, including the CNRS, to develop the partnership between DGA and research laboratories in western France. DGA also plays an active role in training-through-research activities by funding 135 new theses every year (350 in progress).

DGA masters a considerable number of dual technologies and areas of expertise and takes an active part in cluster policy. For example, twelve DGA test centres (DE) and technical expertise centres (DET), all its state-supervised schools and ONERA (French aeronautics and space centre) participate in one or more clusters. DGA is a member of GTI (interministerial working group) and calls on its specialists to carry out technical-industrial expert evaluations. It is the leading organisation in the 7 clusters below:

  2 world-class clusters (Systém@tic in the Greater Paris region and Aéronautique Espace Systèmes Embarqués (aerospace and embedded systems) in the Aquitaine/Midi-Pyrénées regions),

  2 marine clusters with international ambitions (Brittany and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur),

  3 national clusters (Route des lasers in Aquitaine, Photonique in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Elopsys in Limousin).

DGA is also on the teams of GTI representatives for 3 other world-class or future international clusters (Minalogic and Lyonbiopôle in the Rhône-Alpes region and Images et réseaux in Brittany) as well as 5 national clusters. The Defence sector also contributes to the management of the world-class cluster, Solutions communicantes sécurisées (secure communicating solutions) in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur through DRRIRD-PACA.