The launching of the "Core Technology" action engaged by Normandie Développement materialises the 'territorial intelligence' approach that has been deployed in Basse-Normandie by the French State and the Region for several years as part of the regional economic intelligence scheme.

Under the fourth Contrat Etat-Région (2000-2006, contract between the French State and the regions), which grants broad public support to the organisation of research and transfer of technology, four scientific and technological hubs working as the interfaces between research and the corporate world have been set up: ICT (Imaging, and Information and Communication Technologies), Materials, Environment Control, and Agro Bioindustry.

This presentation of the four scientific and technological hubs, the prime movers in research and industry, and the ongoing programmes takes a close look at the ongoing work, and highlights the scientific and technological potential in Basse-Normandie.

Basse-Normandie, a region with advanced research and bold industry, a region with huge innovative capabilities, a region flexibly adjusting to buttress its position on tomorrow's markets - in other words, the economic reality of a region combining quality and innovation, the springboard to meeting the challenges of the twenty-first century.