France Business Information / Centres of Excellence, Universities, R&D
France is one of the most dynamic countries in the world in terms of research and development (R&D). With a high concentration of highly qualified R&D personnel, excellent public-sector research bodies, and a large number of new patents filed each year, France has decisive advantages in this respect.
Public-private partnerships in the research sector
• 71 innovation clusters: Key players such as public-sector R&D centres and educational institutions have been brought together with private companies within clusters to launch collaborative innovation projects.
• Outstanding public-sector research networks:
- France’s Specialised Networks for Advanced Research (RTRA) bring together a geographically tight cluster of research centres with a critical mass of top researchers to work towards common scientific goals.
- France’s Carnot Institutes are public-sector research bodies which have an active policy of pursuing collaborative research with socioeconomic stakeholders including private companies.
• Active government support: The French National Research Agency (ANR) supports research projects undertaken jointly by public sector laboratories and private companies; “OSEO Innovation”, the main provider of aid to innovative SMEs, and the Company Competitiveness Fund (FCE) both allocate funds to R&D projects carried out by innovation clusters; support for R&D can also be obtained through the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program for Research and Technological Development.
Modernising French universities
France is reforming its higher education and research establishments. The Law of August 10, 2007 on the “liberties and responsibilities of universities” changed the way universities are organized and run, making them more attractive and more open to the business sector.
Universities are now able to set their own scientific policy, budget, human resources policy and manage their real estate portfolios. They can recruit personnel more easily and more competitively, create new training courses, build partnerships and tap into funds from the university foundations that they now have the authority to create.
Prioritizing Innovation:
• Most French universities have chosen the “autonomy regime” (60% as of December 2009).
• A new university campus program has been launched to renovate and improve facilities at campuses with significant investments.
• €5 billion have been allocated by the French government through public-private partnerships to:
- create vibrant communities,
- unite the major campuses of the future,
- and raise their international profile.
Renovation work will be carried out at 12 major campuses: Lyon, Aix-Marseille, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Montpellier, Lille, Lorraine and three in the Paris region (Paris, Saclay and Condorcet-Aubervilliers).
It has recently been decided that this university modernization program is to be accelerated thanks to funds to be raised by the national bond in 2010: of the €35 billion that the French government intends to raise, €11 billion have already been allocated in support of existing funding to strengthen France’s plans to build world-class campuses of the future.
Private-sector research support
In addition to the research tax credit, attractive tax and social security exemptions are available for two types of business startups: innovative new companies (JEI) and new university companies (JEU).
Innovation Clusters
France has 71 innovation clusters, of which 17 are internationally recognised for their R&D contributions. Innovation clusters (pôles de compétitivité) bring leading businesses, universities and research institutions together in a single geographical area to work on collaborative cutting-edge R&D projects. France’s key clusters, grouped in terms of industry can be viewed in this section.
Advantages clusters offer investors:
• Valuable R&D partnership opportunities: Clusters offer foreign investors direct access to specialist networks of suppliers, subcontractors and clients in their sector. International investors are welcome to take part in cluster projects that are already underway and to initiate new ones; more than 400 foreign companies are already research partners in France’s clusters.
• Funding and tax credits for R&D: Financial benefits and tax credits that are available to French or European companies are also available to other foreign companies. Clusters received a total of €2 billion in support between 2006 and 2008.
Carried over for another 3 years (2009-2011) with considerable financing:
• €1.5 billion will be paid to companies participating in the clusters between 2009 and 2011 to help them complete their R&D projects.
• A further €500 million will also be paid out between 2009 and 2014 by the French government to finance several major projects, including the “Crolles 3” program at the Minalogic cluster which is coordinating a total public/private investment of €2.5 billion to construct a European nanotechnology research centre.
