Industrial policy is mainly sector based in France, moulding industrial specialization and often promoting "grand projects." It intended to make use of economies of scale, specifically in technologically sophisticated sectors and has been labelled as High Tech Colbertism. The European unification and the Single Market Programme has to some extent converted European industrial policy to the horizontal approach, banning sectoral activities, promoting framework policies, and a sound macro economic policy. The Lisbon strategy then designed a new agenda for growth which acknowledged a gap in competitiveness relative to the USA. In France new initiatives were launched in the past decade, which to some extent are echoing the French type of industrial policy. Regional cluster programs ("poles de competitivité") were introduced, an industrial innovation agency and a national research agency were founded and the Oseo program promotes small and medium firms. The history, preconditions and chances of the new initiatives are analysed.
Le dirigisme économique français relève de ces évidences peu discutées aussi bien par les acteurs que dans la littérature. Pourtant, une étude empirique systématique des politiques publiques industrielles montre que, hors le cas des « grands projets » où sont mobilisés par un Etat de passe-droit la commande, la recherche, le financement et l'entreprise publics au service d'objectifs de souveraineté, les politiques industrielles relèvent en fait de l'accompagnement de stratégies d'entreprises ou de la recherche de la paix civile. La mise en perspective historique n'infirme pas ce résultat, elle révèle des configurations contrastées de relations Etat-Industrie où l'administration économique agit davantage sur l'environnement de l'entreprise qu'elle ne pèse sur les orientations sectorielles des acteurs. Dès lors, la logique partiellement autonome de la rhétorique industrialiste devient objet d'étude.
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