Good practice:

RDI policy : Ambition Research Development – Next generation

In Centre-Val de Loire, a Call for Expressions of Interest “Ambition Research Development 2020” was launched in May 2012, with a maximum of € 10 million per project over 4 to 5 years. 5 RDI programs were funded and showed some evidence of success.
Nevertheless, these programs didn’t really lead to an increase of the permanent staff in laboratories to conduct RDI projects in close collaboration with companies. Furthermore, due to a large amount of money received, the RDI teams didn’t really apply to European Fund in order to foster their capacities. In addition, there was an insufficient visibility and control of the technology transfer activities. Above all, the economic impact of the RDI was carried out.
A new phase was launched: ARD CVL (2020-2023).
Now, there is no more direct requirement to increase permanent staff on ARD domains, because the instrument has no incentive effect on the research workforce, which is managed at the national level.
Nevertheless, to foster the economic impact of RDI, only the projects with actual company partnerships are funded.
Furthermore, there are new requirements for each ARD program to improve:
- Partnerships : the ARD program should propose a strategy and a roadmap for national and European partnerships (based on laboratory level identification of opportunities + global analysis)
- Higher Education : there must be a cooperation between HEIs and companies to define business-oriented Master curricula for 2023-2027

30 million € coming from the regional funds (in the majority) and ERDF have already been raised are planned
The HR involved in the management of these projects is twofold :
- In the regional council (2 people)
- In each ARD program funded through a coordinator (1-2 people)

The open innovation process has been improved in the CVL region :
- Now, R&D should provide socio-economic impacts.
- The new version allows the integration of the company needs in the R&D through 2 main topics, the European partnership and the co-building of curricula in HEI.
- A new instrument is designed: ARD+ with strategic and funding contributions from one or several large companies. 2 ARD+ are expected: one on Microelectronics and another on environmental engineering.

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These types of projects have a structuring effect on the research and innovation world in the region. They concentrate public funds on topics in line with the regional challenges and competencies. They promote a partnership approach in some domains that are the starting point of an innovation ecosystem.
They promote a focus on social and economic impacts. Therefore, the region and its players must be coached on the importance of responsible innovation and how it can be linked to better and safer innovation.
The factors affecting the transferability are mainly related to the motivation of the policymakers to put in place a new approach and methods, in addition, having a budget availability to cover the type of investments projects may wish to promote.