1. REALIS
A social innovation ecosystem in
the Languedoc-Roussillon region
25th april 2014
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2. The Languedoc-Roussillon region, key figures*
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• Population : 2 686 054 people
• GDP per person: 23 556 €
• Unemployment rate is 13,9% of the workforce
(4 points higher than the national average)
• 98 % of the entreprises are micro or very
small enterprises (less than 20 employees)
• Market (45,4%) and non-market services
(35,7%) sector represent 81,1 % of employment
• Enterprise creation rate is 17% (2 points
higher than the national average)
• Failure rate is 5,7% (national average : 3%)
• Social economy represents 12,5% of
employment (associations, cooperatives, mutual
societies, foundations)
* Source : INSEE

3. Who are we ?
The fruits of an alchemy
 The Regional Union of cooperatives
enterprises (URSCOP LR)
 The Languedoc-Roussillon Regional
Council (Languedoc-Roussillon
Region )
 The Regional Chamber of Social and
Solidarity Economy (CRESS LR)
 Avise, the French national body
promoting social enterprises and
innovation
 Partnerships with research institutes
(HSS) and technological innovation
incubators
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A team : « activists » in the social economy field
Regional and national actors
involved in the promotion of
social economy

4. The challenge of social innovation on a territory
 Developing (cooperative) economy by
supporting social innovation
 Developing potential for job creation
 Thinking about tomorrow’s economy
 Meeting unsatisfied needs
 Building links between the research
sector and collective interests of
territories
 Creating bridges between social and
technological innovation
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A shared willingness and converging
interests
Michel Barnier, European
Commissioner and Christian
Bourquin,Chair of the Regional Council
at Réalis Pole’s opening ceremony

5. A luck factor…and time
 2005 / 2006 : The Equal Programme
 2007 : Creation of Alter’Incub, 1st
regional incubator dedicated to social and
innovative enterprises
 2008 :
• 1st edition of Coventis, the social
economy business convention and
• Launch of Coeptis, 1st school of
cooperative management
• Alter’Incub, 1st non-technological
incubator eligible for Feder funds
 2009-2010 : Experimental work about the
opportunity to create a social innovation
regional Pole (PRIS)
 2011 :
• Creation of a social innovation
department in Transferts LR, the regional
development and innovation agency
• National working group to build a
reference model of social innovation
criterias (partnership with Avise)
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International Conference on Social
Innovation in Pole REALIS
 Sept. 2013 : Opening of the
Pole REALIS
 Dec. 2013 : First International
Conference on Social
Innovation in Montpellier

6. The regional social innovation ecosystem
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Multishareholder cooperative COEPTIS : the school of
cooperative management
Alter’Incub: Regional
incubator of social
innovation and collective
interest entrepreneurship
– URSCOP LR
REALIS : Social economy
entrepreneurship pole –
Languedoc-Roussillon region
COVENTIS : Social economy
business convention – CRESS LR
Social Innovation Regional Pole : support to the development of
regional entreprises’ projects – Transferts LR
Social innovation financing : trust fund (France Active), Innov’ESS –
Airdie LR and soon the Social Innovation Fund (Bpifrance)
Before creation During creation After creation
2008
2008
2009
2013
2013

7. REALIS, an active network for social innovation
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Impacts
Social innovation as:
 A strategic factor of growth and
competitivity for the territory
(SRI)
 The common thread of social
economy politics
 The construction of the
willingness to work together: a
multi-stakeholder dynamic
 Creativity in territorial
development
 REALIS rewarded by the
REVES* Excellence award 2013
* European network of cities and region for the Social and Solidarity
Economy
« Coup de Pousse » competition,
rewarding young innovative
entreprises in the Languedoc-
Roussillon region

8. REALIS, an active network for social innovation
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Prospects
Stabilizing the facilities of the REALIS network
(incubators, management school, business
convention…)
Keeping the lead in social innovation
Spinning-off : Alter’Incub, Coventis, …
Increasing our openness to european partners
(as social innovation is included in the 2014-20
programmation)
Pooling experience and good practices in social
innovation
Strengthening funding tools dedicated to social
innovation (bpi fund…) and lobbying for social
enterprises to benefit from the same financial
support as technological ones

9. Assets to launch a social innovation ecosystem
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A strong political will
A long-run mobilisation of heterogeneous stakeholders at the
local and national levels
The choice for participative dynamics led by a key actor (role
played by the URSCOP LR)
An entrepreneurial approach without reducing social
innovation to the social economy field
A built partnership between researchers and ground actors
The creation of specific programmes meant to stimulating,
accompanying, training, financing.
How to provide a framework to support social innovation ?

10. 10
Thank you for your attention !
Merci !
www.alterincub-lr.coop
www.scop-lr.coop
www.avise.org
www.coventis.org
www.creslr.org
www.laregion-realis.fr
www.coeptis.coop
Aurélie Mexandeau : amexandeau@scop.coop