Clusters2006 International Conference on Competitiveness to be held in Lyon, France

Lyon, France (08/10/06) – Clusters2006, This year’s international event on competitiveness, cluster initiatives and innovation system development takes place in Lyon, October 9 to 13, 2006. The ninth annual conference of The Competitiveness Institute (TCI) on cluster development and innovation system will focus on cluster governance and business involvement in cluster development.

Clusters2006 is organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Lyon on the initiative of The Competitiveness Institute (TCI) the leading international organization of cluster practitioners, in partnership with the Région Rhône-Alpes, le Grand Lyon and the French Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry, MINEFI.

“We are happy to have the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Lyon as a partner. The core values of the TCI annual event is the active discussions and exchange of ideas, as well as best practices, knowledge and experiences on methodologies for economic growth. Learning and sharing of information is critical. Lyon will have the right atmosphere and the right premises, to facilitate many creative discussions and high quality sessions with strong social networking,” says Lars Eklund, President of TCI.

“Lyon represents a genuine local site and a feeling of being part of a hot spot imbedded in a traditional European setting.”

At the Clusters2006 conference academics, business people, policy makers, consultants, and analysts will meet to have in-depth discussions and seminars on economic development and cluster-based development initiatives. TCI members and new participants join together to share ideas, build alliances and explore the best practices of economic development.

Clusters2006 will especially focus on governance and companies as cornerstones of cluster initiatives.

Every year The Competitiveness Institute (TCI) organizes a global conference to exchange experience, collect information and share best practices on innovation system development, cluster initiatives and competitiveness worldwide. TCI also organizes regional workshops and symposia on various hot topics. The conferences highlight the TCI members’ expertise and TCI as a facilitator for competitively challenging projects.

Information about the Clusters2006 conference, contact: Frederic Miribel, Project Leader, Lyon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, + 33 (0)4 72 40 57 89, miribel@lyon.cci.fr

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The Competitiveness Institute, TCI, is an international non-profit organization for economic development professionals, cluster practitioners and policy makers within agencies that support regional development. TCI is a global leader in knowledge management, benchmarking, governance and evaluation of competitiveness initiatives. TCI provides the leading international arena where cluster practitioners meet, government agencies seek hands-on competitiveness counseling, and global companies find high-quality partners, marketing analysis and matchmaking services by clustering experts. It is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, TCI has approximately 400 members in more than 40 countries. www.competitiveness.org.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Lyon (CCI of Lyon) The Chamber of Commerce of Lyon (Industry and Services Division) offers personalized advice to SMEs in search of finance or innovation assistance. CCI of Lyon is working on measures to encourage innovation. The missions are: To represent and promote the economy of the constituency in relations with the government and local authorities; Advise and assist businesses with their projects. Inform and train at every stage of the professional life; Create and manage the facilities necessary for the development of the local economy. http://www.cci-lyon.fr/