Referring to territorial innovation models, we studied Grenoble-GIANT, a geographical network. The past 60 years of investment (€2.81 billion) have catalyzed the concentration of knowledge resources toward economic specialization, SME competitiveness, knowledge spillovers, and economies of scope. Support of research centers and universities positively affects patent and spin-off development, strengthening economic growth. Our microeconomic methodology measures the economic effects of GIANT with respect to budget, employment and spin-off generation. The eight GIANT partners directly employ 7,500 individuals. In 2008, the annual direct economic impact was evaluated at €655 million, and the annual total induced economic impact was evaluated at €1.2 billion. Factoring in the economic impact of jobs in the microelectronics, software, and related industries/services, the total impact is approximately €3.2 billion. The originality of our study lies in the comparison between the amount of investment (€2.81 billion) and the annual total economic impact (€3.2 billion).
