The Val d'Oise measurement network celebrates its tenth year of existence, and is growing steadily. Joël Sahler, President of RMVO, explains the reasons for this success.
10 years of RMVO - already a success?
Joël Sahler: It's true that having been in existence for ten years is a remarkable achievement in itself. We were founded in 2002, and since then we've gone from strength to strength. Our membership is growing by around 15 % a year, despite the difficult economic climate and the turnover of our members. Today, 65 companies are part of our network, mainly SMEs.
The success of our network is largely due to the originality of our governance. Our members are the only ones who express their needs and choose the themes for our collective actions. So, at our meetings, it's the members who explain that they want to undertake this or that project. If the wishes expressed are shared by at least three people, it becomes a working group! Of course, other members can join in, but the minimum number of members is three. This working group then gives rise to a common offer. This approach has led to our ever-increasing participation in the Mesurexpovision and Sepem Industries trade shows, as well as our export missions, most recently to Dubai.
In short, we give them the strength of a network to achieve more collectively than they could on their own.
Are members mobilizing to ensure the network's long-term future?
Joël Sahler: We would like to thank our members for their exceptional commitment. To measure this involvement, we have measured the time given to the network by its members. In 2009, the counter read 1,700 hours. In 2010, it was 3,000 hours. For 2011, we expect to exceed 4,000.
How is RMVO evolving?
Joël Sahler: As our name suggests, we were founded in the Val d'Oise. We very quickly moved closer to our neighbor, the Yvelines, and today we have a real regional ambition, even if members from further afield are joining us.
The network's success has been recognized at national level, with the award of the "cluster" label.
But none of this would have been possible without the CCIV, which has given us its unfailing support since 2002, notably by providing premises and a coordinator, and by opening up to the Chamber's available services.
What does the future hold for RMVO?
Joël Sahler: Our objectives are very clear. We want to pass the 100-member mark in 2012. We are convinced that we need to build collective, sustainable actions to ensure the economic development of our members.
Interview by Nicolas Gosse
Learn more: www.rmvo.com