Making access to drinking water and electricity easier in West and Central Africa, is one of the priorities of the Agency for the Development of Businesses in Africa (ADEA).
To come up to these issues and promote partnerships between Africa and Europe, the agency took on the organisation of the Eurafric-Partners Forum, held from 18th to 21st October 2010 at the Lyon Convention Center. This edition will bring together African decision makers and European companies as potential partners. The program of those 4 thematic days features: B to B meetings, project meetings in order to bring the different participants face to face with each other, and conferences.
Savoie Technolac partners this event. Its collaboration project with 2IE from Burkina Faso will be presented on this occasion. TENERDIIS and the Eco-energy cluster will also speak at a high-level conference on business and research clusters, and Water and Energy clusters in Africa.
To check the program

Exchanging good practices, comparing points of view and know-hows, understanding other economic approaches for women entrepreneurs from Sénégal and Savoie to expand their experience is the main purpose of the «Bignona-Savoie Forum for Women Entrepreneurs».
This business exchange project organized by Pays de Savoie Solidaires, a resource structure in the field of international cooperation and solidarity, is based on reciprocity.
Two years and a half will be dedicated to that reflection. A trip to Senegal is planned for 2011. Then, the Savoie region will welcome Senegalese women.
A call for participation has just been launched in Savoie. There is still a few places left!
Savoie Technolac has got involved in this project as bringing support to women entrepreneurs is part of their priorities.
To learn more: http://www.paysdesavoiesolidaires.org/

Since 2008, the Georges Sand middle-school has opened a British comprehensive school section, an exception in Savoie. It welcomes 25 to 28 pupils per class: one third of the pupils have English origins, one third have a double nationality and the last third have other nationalities. Pupils are recruited from the whole region, via an entry examination. The programme tends to teach high level international culture. Linguistic exchanges and trips are part of the programme. Humanitarian projects in Burkina Faso and Ghana are also led on the pupils’ initiative, and in relation with the Savoie region’s actions in the field of international solidarity. A partner since the creation of these projects, Savoie Technolac has been striving to develop this section and make it known as it is part of the project of the international education course of Savoie.
To learn more

As one of the major French players in the photovoltaic field, FONROCHE masters the whole value chain, from the building of the modules in France, the conception of the central stations and the installation, down to the service delivery: financing, maintaining, exploiting and renovating.
Ever since its creation in 2008, FONROCHE has known such an activity growth that it decided to take over the Rhône-Alpes market. Since January 1st 2010, 10 people have been working on the premises of Savoie Technolac. This was a strategic choice with a view to settle down and assure a local service for the clients it has in the Rhône-Alpes region. FONROCHE also hopes to profit from the technological benefits of the Technopole in order to make an industrial market out of concrete applications born from innovative research.
The company has already signed 15 MWc of power with different clients from the Savoie region. In 2011, the company will speed up its activities. Technicians from engineering offices, project managers, technical and commercial business development managers, and a technical manager are currently being recruited.
To know more

To propose innovative techniques working for the safety of embankment hydraulic works, to diagnose their vulnerability to erosion and to watch them through fiber optic… Such are the many innovative know-hows mastered by geophyConsult, implemented in Savoie Technolac since March 15th. Patrick Pinettes, the director of the company, and his associate Cyril Guidoux had thought over creating this company for a year.

geophyConsult has two departments, the « Laboratory of erosion essays », based in Montpellier, and the « Department of fibre optic surveillance », a process coming as the result of a transfer of EDF technology, based on the Technopole. This was another occasion for Patrick and Cyril to benefit from the dynamics and support of Savoie Technolac. Since it was created, innovations have been developed with several French and European research laboratories and companies.

As a former researcher at the CNRS and a teacher at the university, Patrick gave a structure to  his company for it to have a strong link with the research. In the Autumn 2010, they will welcome a student doing a master’s degree and taking part in an internship program.

For more information: pinettes@geophyconsult.com or 06 85 81 79 68

From May 1st to October 31st 2010, the theme 'A better city, a better life' will be at the heart of six months of exhibitions and events during the Shangaï World Expo, a real forum of urban innovation and sustainable development.
Fully involved in this project, the Rhone-Alpes Region rallied lots of participants among whom ERAI and PIC (the constructive innovation pole of Bourgoin Jallieu).
One week, from June 7th to June 13th, will be dedicated to sustainable development and building-related energetic efficiency. The solar energy and building platform supported by the University of Savoie and the INES will be presented there. Other actors of Savoie Technolac will take part in round-table conferences, seminars and workshops about sustainable building and the importance of solar energy in architecture, among which Polytech, the LOCIE laboratory of the University of Savoie, the Patriarch architect office and the INES.   
Have a look at the program!

In order to adapt itself to the real needs of the companies on breeding grounds, the accompaniment program of Savoie Technolac called La Base Academy diversifies its real estate offers.
Indeed, certain start-up activities do not necessitate a constant occupation of the premises. What is more, the Open-Space offer proposes six companies, supported by La Base Academy to share 43-sqm-spaces in which to take up residence. The premises are all furnished and given internet access. Common spaces and conference rooms are also available in order to make the atmosphere at work warm and friendly.
Situated in the Lama Building, Open-Space will be completed by mid-June. The Plasteo company, dedicated to promoting wastes, will be the first one to benefit from it.
To learn more: Sébastien Caignard

The first edition of Polytech Savoie’s new summer school will be taking place from August 30th to September 3rd on the theme of intelligent systems and renewable energies: ENERSI 2010. Happening within the scientific pole of Savoie Technolac, it is designed for PhD students, researchers and companies. This training course is part of several projects launched on the occasion of a partnership between Savoie Technolac, the University of Savoie, the INES, and the International Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (2ie) of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). It also benefits from the financial support of the Countries of Savoy Assembly (APS). On these grounds, this edition will welcome the Bukinabè students and participants.
The global objective of this partnership is to gather the strengths of the two poles of excellence in order to develop the solar field in Europe and Africa making it easier for students and researchers to move about and do their research.
More to come: a common master’s degree with Polytech Savoie and 2ie for the fall 2011.
Contact Technolac: Marie Popkowska

To welcome new research workers and to have them benefit from the best working conditions, such is the project of the National Institute for Solar Energy (INES).
A new structure known as Linx 3 will help expend the laboratory activity dedicated to solar mobility. It will be completed in 2010.
Established  near the Gazelle buildings, Écureuil will open up at the beginning of  2011. It will concentrate on photovoltaic activities in thin layers.
The Inca area devoted to experimentations on buildings with low energetic consumption is progressively setting up as well and the future emblematic building of the INES, meant to host the management staff and the activities of Buildings and   Polymer Materials for the study of solar energy including the labs LOCIE and LMOPS of the University of Savoie, will be ready near the end of 2011.
Other extensions are planned for the future, as part of the INES 2 and of the INES Agora.
The INES benefits from financing measures voted by the General Council of Savoie and from the support of Savoie Technolac, which contribute to promoting the emergence and development of innovating industry in the country.
Website

To benefit from the attractive territory of Savoie and from the privileged support conditions offered by Savoie Technolac? This is what motivated L’sol, a Spanish design and engineering office specialised in renewable energy projects and more particularly in solar photovoltaics for the roofs of industrial and commercial buildings, wishing to set up a subsidiary in France and to establish itself within the technopole.
Feasibility study, conception, administrative procedures, installation, commissioning and potential exploitation or maintenance under electronic surveillance, these are real turnkey projects that L’sol proposes.
For the time being, the company is starting up and working on several projects at the same time as it is juggling its establishment in France.
Welcome!
To learn more

The Savoie Technolac extension project begins. The technopark will extend its surface by 400.000m² on the south part of the park. In the same time, the occupancy rate of the ground should be multiplied by four. The urban development preproject presented last week, preserves the environmental high-quality and the conviviality of Savoie Technolac.

The Incubator’s new premises, specifically dedicated to innovative enterprises in the new and renewable energy sources sector, with particular focus on solar businesses, will be inaugurated this autumn. A multi-functional building, where reception/event areas, modular offices and workshops, and areas for demonstrations and project presentations are available in order to resolve the logistical problems new innovative companies sometimes face.. As well as providing premises, the incubation programme includes customized coaching, financial engineering and technical support, in cooperation with the Savoie CleanTech Business Angels and the National Institute for Solar Energy which is ideally located just across from the Incubator. So far, two companies have graduated from the programme and the Solar Business Incubator concept has just won the European Business Network (EBN) competition in the category “Small but global business”.

The Savoie Technolac Inter-company mobility plan - “Mobilac” - is a programme of action to accompany the resident organisations in changing their transport habits. The aim is to encourage people to choose alternative, cleaner modes of transport than cars for travel between home and work and work-related travel. All the actions are geared towards optimising public transport, car sharing, the setting up of a car pool, encouraging the use of bicycles and walking and the improvement of services during the lunch break.
Further info from: www.savoie-technolac.com “green is good” section.

A new inter-company crèche was inaugurated with 55 places for children between 2½ months and three years old. Some of the staff are English-speaking, to facilitate the integration of foreign residents. This is a first in France, as the service is primarily intended for very small companies located within the park.