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A region on the move

1. A significant diversification of economic activities over the last 20 years
2. A commercial trend focussing on the presence of factory outlets and in particular Marques Avenue
3. A strong building industry
4. A high number of new firms
5. Some figures
6. A region belonging to 4 competitiveness clusters

1 – A significant diversification of economic activities over the last 20 years

Over the last 20 years, our region has experienced a new economic trend, which has contributed to expanding and diversifying its economic fabric. This has led to redefining the make-up of the industries present, meaning that our region is less affected by the difficulties encountered in the shoe industry. Thus, the challenge of moving from a mono-industrial economy to an economy made up of several industries is well on the way to success.

Leather industry :

The leather craft industry is being developed in particular with the arrival of the MANUFACTURE MAROQUINERIE DU DAUPHINE. The other firms (CLERGERIE, WOLSKI, DAUPHICHAUSS, LAURE BASSAL…) contribute, through their growth, to ensuring the comparative stability of this industrial sector in our region, which employs more than 800 people.

Food-processing industry: from 978 jobs in 1993 to 1271 in 2007.

The Romans Bourg de Péage district, already renowned for its ravioles, has also become a “centre of excellence” for industrial pastries and cakes. APPETIT DE FRANCE has become one of the top employers of our region. Other companies such as SAINT JEAN or DOUCEURS DE JACQUEMART also take part in developing this industry.

Mechanics : from 374 jobs in 1993 to 459 in 2007.

Mechanics and electro-mechanics have also inherited this strong local manufacturing tradition. An active network made up of SMEs is developing specific skills in sectors such as general mechanics, precision mechanics and specialist machines. These firms, such as KROHNE for precision instruments, or Veyret Technique Découpe for the manufacture of special equipment, are the major contributors to the development of this sector, also made up of active SMEs.

Plastics manufacturing: from 278 employees in 1993 to 522 in 2007.

Renowned firms such as BAULE or COURBIS have become leaders on their respective markets, through particular efforts made in terms of innovation. They are evolving on demanding markets such as aeronautics, nuclear power, the weapons industry, electronics or the motor industry.

Nuclear power :

between 1993 and 2007, the number of employees in this industry has remained stable. With AREVA, nuclear power remains a key activity for the Romans Bourg de Péage region (as an example, AREVA employs more than 800 people and generates 15% of the region’s business tax).

Services to companies,

a significant development in activities. The staff numbers for operational services have increased from 707 jobs in 1993 to 1308 in 2007.

2- A commercial trend focussing on the presence of factory outlets and in particular Marques Avenue

In 1993, the retail trade industry employed 1 542 people compared with 2 213 jobs in 2007. This sector is one of the largest employers in our region. It is made up of a large range of factory outlets concentrating on mid-range and up-market products.

3- A strong building industry

The building industry has experienced a significant increase in numbers, taking advantage of the strong development of the property market for both professionals and individuals, and has become the largest “employer” of our region.

4- A high number of new firms

The rate of new firms in the INSEE zone of “Romans Saint Marcellin” amounted to 12.1 % in 2007; this figure is higher than the rate of new firms in the Rhône-Alpes region which reached 11.9%. The INSEE zone of “Romans Saint Marcellin” is ranked as 9th out of the 27 employment zones making up the Rhône-Alpes region, due in particular to the essential work performed by the Local Initiatives Platforms in the region.

5- Some figures

Evolution of private paid employment per activity sector

Number of establishments per staff bracket

6- A region belonging to 4 competitiveness clusters :

Minalogic (nanotechnology industry)

The worldwide competitiveness cluster MINALOGIC, located in the Grenoble-Isère region, leads and fosters a major place of innovation and specialist skills, based on intelligent miniaturised solutions for industry, relying on the unique combination of micro- and nanotechnologies and embedded software.

Minalogic’s technology applies to all activity sectors, including traditional sectors, and responds to businesses’ quests for new value-added devices to enrich their products: health, environment, mobility, media, textile, etc…

Minalogic now enjoys the reputation of one of the world’s leading centres for both micro- and nanotechnologies (Minatec) and embedded software, possessing one of the highest numbers of worldwide researchers, in laboratories or public and private institutions efficiently linked to the companies.

It combines large groups and SMEs, research and training centres, the State and local and regional authorities, focussing on innovation, within a governance model that aims at developing synergies, working and innovating together.

Tenerrdis (Competitiveness cluster: New Energies Renewable Energies Technologies for Rhône-Alpes, Drôme, Isère, Savoie)

This cluster aims at :

• Developing the production of renewable energies (solar, biomass, hydroelectric) and ensuring their conversion into current and future energy carriers (electricity, heat and hydrogen).
• Optimising the use of these energies in the building and transport sectors, which represent more than 70% of final energy consumption in France and more than 50% of greenhouse gas emissions, and at developing the market for new sources of energy for embedded systems.

The cluster relies on the high potential of the Rhône-Alpes region in terms of solar energy, biomass, and hydroelectric power.

In this respect, Rovaltain is a strategic location for the cluster as it is to be the setting of a pilot platform for the gasification of forest biomass with a view to producing biofuels. This place will enable members of the wood industry to put their desires into practice, and to make Rovaltain a major zone in terms of using lignocellulosic (forest) biomass in France.

Trimatec applies technologies used in the nuclear and engineering sectors to environmentally-friendly processes

The themes of the Trimatec cluster focus on three main technological areas.

Processes for recycling resources aiming at improving the performance of the products made and at reducing their ecological impact, the treatment and processing of waste and materials generated from industrial transformation processes aiming at reducing their impact on the environment, and the technologies and processes used in renovating old industrial sites.

The Valence-Romans zone :

Focuses on the problems linked to the technical development of plant energy and green chemistry processes, and has spent the last 5 years developing innovative projects linked to the technical evolutions of plant energy: companies from the medical, food-processing and packaging industries are present at Rovaltain, totalling almost 150 researchers or staff members assigned to R&D. 

Applications on supercritical fluids already exist, stemming from technologies developed in the CEA laboratories (decontamination of plant materials, plant extraction of high value-added molecules, etc.).

The supercritical technologies generated from the CEA laboratories therefore encounter a real melting pot of applications in this region as they can be potentially transferred to all of the activities linked to the technical development of plant energy and to that of tanning leathers (particularly present on the Valence-Romans zone) and to the destruction of special industrial waste (SIW).

Furthermore, the Valence – Romans zone includes 124 lecturers-researchers within the Joseph Fourier University working on issues linked in particular to mathematics, biology, chemistry or physics. This university develops two Masters on issues linked to nuclear power :

Plastipolis (Plastics engineering competitiveness cluster)

The aims of the cluster :

Promote a dynamic image of the French plastics engineering industry.

Enable the French plastics engineering industry to find new applications through technological innovation.

Encourage the penetration of companies on new markets.

Acquire competitive benefits in terms of cost, quality and intrinsic properties of the products for all of the industry.

Ensure the widespread influence of the plastics engineering competitiveness cluster and the impacts on the whole of the French sector.