New institute fosters innovation and competitiveness

Lectra, a leading supplier of integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using soft materials—textiles, leather, industrial fabrics and composite materials—has announced its participation, as a member of the Founders’ Committee, in the creation of the Institute for Innovation and Competitiveness. The new institute was inaugurated on January 11, 2011, at the Paris campus of the international business school ESCP Europe, under the patronage of Christine Lagarde, French Minister of Economic Affairs. More than 500 participants attended the event.

A roundtable discussion led by Delphine Manceau, professor at ESCP Europe and director of the Institute for Innovation and Competitiveness, followed the inauguration, addressing “the role of innovation as a key factor in competitiveness.”

As a veritable think tank created and supported by ESCP Europe and the Europe+ Foundation, the Institute’s mission is to promote a broader vision of innovation. Its main activities center around thematic projects such as open innovation, co-creation, the role of design and creativity, the emergence of new business models, and the influence of patents and intellectual property.