Sylvie Retailleau, Minister of Higher Education, and Roland Lescure, Minister Delegate in charge of Industry, announced an additional investment of 500 million euros to bring out start-ups resulting from research (deeptech). A strengthening of investments that takes place within the broader framework of the France 2030 plan.
Experimentation phase validated for PUIs
These 500 million euros will be used in particular to set up 25 university innovation centers (PUI) with the aim of “to have behind each scientific discovery the reflex of innovation by being close to the research teams, at the scale of a university site, by providing the site with an innovation strategy, a unique governance and agile means”. The university innovation centers have been in the experimental phase since 2021 (Normandy University, Clermont Auvergne University, Sorbonne University, University of Strasbourg, University of Montpellier). 160 million are mobilized for this purpose.
A check for 65 million euros will also be used to accelerate the deeptech plan by strengthening existing actions (iLab, Bourse French Tech Émergence, Aide au développement deeptech) and implementing additional actions (creation of the Bourse French Tech Lab ), in conjunction with the laboratories to, initially, encourage and bring out more start-ups resulting from research.
The French Tech Émergence Scholarship is set up with the support of Bpifrance. The selected projects will come directly from the research laboratories and will receive an envelope of 120,000 euros each.
17 promising projects supported with equity
Finally, more than half of the sum will be used to strengthen the promotion of work resulting from research and thematic research programs (PEPR). Thus, 17 deeptech pre-maturation/maturation projects will be financially supported. These projects affect diverse and varied sectors, such as health, agriculture, artificial intelligence or climate.
“There are indeed many stages between scientific discovery and the uses that result from it”explains Sylvie Retailleau. “The measures announced today as part of France 2030 support researchers to take these steps more easily and quickly.” Finally, let us recall the objectives of the government, which hopes to bring out 100 unicorns and 500 deeptech start-ups per year by 2030.
According to government figures, there are 2,500 deeptech start-ups in France, or 8% of the total number of start-ups. Last year, these represented 28% of the total funds raised by French Tech.