4. Conclusion and outlook

Tomorrow's regions will be even more confronted with rapid economic change: a territorial economic intelligence policy is essential to ensure their development, in partnership with industry, research and training players.

We have seen the importance of economic intelligence, of which competitiveness clusters are a prime example. It is an invaluable tool for promoting and enhancing strategic efficiency and economic performance, which depend on our collective ability to produce knowledge that is shared by all players. Indeed, it is knowledge of our economic environment that contributes to the detection and emergence of key activities for economic development. In the event of a strategic surprise, we must have the means to react and regain the initiative: this will only be possible if we have the means to anticipate.