Laval Virtual Reality Cluster
About this good practice
In the 90's/2000's, Laval was an agricultural area, with limited emphasis on innovation & few students. Enhancing its attractiveness became essential.
As a result, Laval Agglomération (LA) developed a strategy to compete with other innovative & attractive territories. By supporting innovation & promoting immersive technologies, Laval has emerged as Europe's capital of Virtual Reality (VR).
Key initiatives, such as the creation of Laval Mayenne Technopole (LMT) in 1996, the selection of VR as a focus for innovation & the launch of the Laval Virtual (LV) international event in 1999, have fostered the development of a vibrant ecosystem.
The local authority's support has facilitated the creation of VR labs, specialized schools & companies & the growth of LV, Europe's biggest event for immersive technologies. Today, the Laval Cluster is recognized for its technological & educational expertise and its ability to unite public & private stakeholders.
The objectives of this strategy include stimulating innovation within local companies, increasing the region’s attractiveness by attracting high value-added activities, retaining & attracting talent, integrating students into the local ecosystem & developing high-level training & research infrastructures.
In summary, LA’s policy is built on 4 pillars: hosting innovative activities, attracting qualified professionals, anchoring students & developing higher education institutions.
Beneficiaries: students, companies, local/reg. authorities
Expert opinion
Resources needed
- Innovation: €4 M per year for innovation support (LMT + Laval Virutal + CLARTE + Schools), including €2 M for Virtual Reality
- Investissement : Building (Laval Virtual Center) and technical equipement : 5 M €
Evidence of success
Since 1999:
- 1 yearly international event:Laval Virtual, attracting over 5500 visitors,150 exhibitors & 50 speakers from more than 35 nationalities
- 5 XR research labs – 50 XR scientists
- 5 XR Master & Bachelors degrees– In 2024 :~250 students
- Students in Laval : 1999:772 - 2023: 6000 - 2030:10000
- LMT contributed to the creation of 200 Startups (approx. 1500 employees):~60 startups related to XR, ~30 are still running
- Today ~200 employees involved in the XR sector
- French Tech label
Potential for learning or transfer
The development of a technology cluster in other regions would offer numerous advantages:
- Boosting attractiveness & influence: by becoming an innovation cluster, the region would gain visibility and competitiveness on the national & international scene
- Business attraction: it would encourage startups, SMEs and major corporations to establish themselves in the area, thereby stimulating the local economy
- Acceleration of R&D: a specialized center would foster collaboration between laboratories, universities & companies, accelerating the development of new technologies and innovations
- Job creation: a new technology hub generates employment opportunities in a variety of sectors, from research & development to production and commercialization
Possible obstacles :
- Replication of the model remains difficult without a strong political will. The success of a cluster depends on the synergy between several key players: local authorities, companies, research labs & higher education
