inovallée, a success story

In France, the ZIRST (Zone pour l’Innovation et les Réalisations Scientifiques et Technologiques – Industrial Zone for Scientific and Technical Research) was one of the first areas whose vocation was fully dedicated to receiving technological and innovative companies, with the ambition to create bridges between the worlds of Research and Industry.

Here are the major stages of a smooth development from 1968 to 2008

1968, birth of an innovative idea

A few Grenoble visionaries dreamt about a French-style Silicon Valley or an equivalent of road 128 in Boston, with a dual ambition:

• encouraging development of cutting-edge technologies
• creating a bridge between universities, research and industry

1972, creation of the technopole with 3 organisation and management entities:

• ProZIRST SA (a project developer, wound-up in 1986),
• ProZIRST (Inter-company association of the ZIRST)
• Accreditation committee (in charge of enforcing its vocation)

Regional planning was entrusted to a joint union, the SADI. A new rental concept was implemented by the Town of Meylan to receive companies: the LOCAZIRST, offering services evolving into tenancy at will enabling extension of new companies as they grow.

1972-2004: a steady development

SAMES is the first company to set up office in the ZIRST which has benefited from research advances in electrostatics. The development of the park across Meylan then revolved around two main engines: Merlin Gerin and the C.N.E.T (Centre National d’Études des Télécommunications – French Telecommunications Research Centre). In 1988, extension of the ZIRST started on the neighbouring municipality of Montbonnot-Saint-Martin. The setting-up of the INRIA contributed to its start-up in 1996.

2005, a new face: the ZIRST becomes ino vallée

After going through the main crises of the end of the century without any major incident, a strategic turning-point loomed ahead. The marketing phase drew to an end. Success is all the more deserved as it results only from local investments, and the forthcoming battle is a matter of image. In 2005, an overall re-dynamisation programme was launched in cooperation with local authorities. A new name, new image and new stance. By becoming ino vallée , the cradle of the Isère technological vocation is now in the position of leader of the Minalogic embedded system and software group, the current Grenoble competitiveness centre, as well as of the Tenerrdis centre on renewable energies, which chose inovallée to set up its headquarters.