Cosmetic valley
1994: Cosmetic Valley ASSOCIATION ESTABLISHED
Players in the beauty industry in Eure-et-Loir were the first to organise a network in 1994. Some 20 companies established professional association chaired by Jean-Paul Guerlain. With support from local authorities, an ambitious strategy quickly enabled Cosmetic Valley to carve out a solid reputation. Thanks to its “SPL” label (Système Productif Localisé or local production system) issued in 2000 by DATAR, Cosmetic Valley soon became one of the most dynamic skills centres in France. Between 1994 and 2000, Cosmetic Valley helped create 3,000 jobs locally.
2005: Cosmetic Valley ACQUIRES THE LABEL OF ‘COMPETITVENESS CLUSTER’
When the French state decided to implement a new economic policy to set up competitiveness clusters, Cosmetic Valley was naturally mandated by all operators in the territory to see through an ambitious project for a competitiveness cluster labelled as such in July 2005. The association then made a quantitative and qualitative leap; its terms of reference were extended from one department to six covering three regions, Centre, Ile de France and Haute Normandie. Universities and training institutes joined the cluster and contributed their expertise.