France Telecom's commitment
The creation of competitiveness centres is part of France Telecom's strategy.
The steady increase in the Group's R&D budget corresponds not only to a wish to
master major technological breakthroughs in the sector, but also to the desire
to establish itself as a local development player in France and Europe. One of
the first steps was to form strategic partnerships and solid collaborations with
local authorities (Innovative Départements).
This participation in the Competitiveness Centres will allow it to strengthen and give a new dimension to this strategy:
- by strengthening and boosting industrial and academic partnerships:
- by involving local authorities in the comprehension and direction of R&D in their area early on in the process;
- by allowing public financing and financial benefits to be obtained for the selected projects.
There are numerous expected benefits for France Telecom:
- improve time-to-market by making the most of these new ecosystems;
- access new sources of financing for R&D projects;
- create new partnerships;
- assert its role as a corporate citizen by becoming heavily involved in local development;
- bolster its image as the leading company in the R&D sector in France and Europe.
Centres are sources of innovation and growth
This participation will allow the carrier's R&D to:
- work upstream with local authorities, particularly where testing is concerned,
- create new collaborations,
- strengthen established partnerships,
- develop field testing.
This partnership approach is thus an opportunity for France Telecom to expand its innovative capacity, explore new markets and strengthen its skills in key areas.
