A competitiveness cluster is a structure charged with building on the synergy between manufacturers, research laboratories and training establishments, in a geographical area grouping knowledge and skills in a specific area of business.

In 2004 France initiated an industrial policy to develop competitiveness clusters in order to provide structure within the area and increase the capacity for innovation.

Thanks to this policy the Media & Networks cluster was born in Brittany and Pays-de-la-Loire in 2005. These regions have an immense private and public research and development potential in the digital images, telecommunications and audiovisual domains. Three domains that have practically merged due to the convergence resulting from the generalization of digital techniques and Internet at high and very high bandwidths. United within the Media & Networks cluster, manufacturers, researchers and teachers have defined a development strategy with the objective of reinforcing an already highly dynamic sector and achieving maximum exposure for their work and for the area on the world stage.

Any corporate body (company, research centre, training establishment) whose registered office is in France or abroad can apply for membership of the cluster.

To be a member of the cluster, the body must fulfil two criteria:

• To be approved by the cluster's Council of Administration.
• To have paid its annual membership fee. 

Several criteria are examined for approval, including the closeness of the activities to the cluster's themes, presence in Brittany and Pays de la Loire, as well as the body's motivations.

To find out more, consult the page Join us.

Nowadays, the mobile telephone can be used to watch a television programme, a camera to make a video, a PC to listen to music. This phenomenon goes under the name of "convergence" referring to both "convergence of technologies" and "convergence of services". This convergence is essentially based on the generalization of digital techniques.

The expression Media & Networks symbolizes the close relationship that exists between the content that is transmitted (images or, generally speaking, multimedia contents) and the data transmission networks. The activities of the Media & Networks cluster cover all technologies in the digital imaging, networks and audiovisual fields. This global vision allows us to conceive of and develop the products and services of the future.