Competitive intelligence as public policy in France: Making a difference in the SME sector.

This paper reports on an empirical study of the French Chambers of Commerce and Industry Competitive Intelligence programmes. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with the directors of 15 CI programmes from 4 regions of France. The findings show that tangible results have been achieved despite resistance from small businesses in regard to their Competitive Intelligence practices. The paper also identifies the public and private sector entities which were named as sources of advice for small businesses for their Competitive Intelligence needs. The insights elicited can help future initiatives by public/private partnerships in both CI programme design and implementation.