Paul-François Fournier is Executive Director of Innovation at the public investment bank Bpifrance and, as such, one of the leading investors in technology companies such as quantum companies.
In March, Bpifrance increased its investment plan in deeptech start-ups from 1.3 billion to 2 billion euros by 2023. What are these deeptechs and why strengthen your support?
This term refers to start-ups that develop products or services based on disruptive technologies, which come out of labs and which will transform traditional industries. These technologies will help us meet the major challenges of climate change, health crises or reindustrialisation. Deeptechs are arguably the next wave of innovation. But they are different from other start-ups, and this is especially true of quantum. They are often born in research labs, make intensive use of technology and their development cycle is longer, from five to ten years. So they need more funding. This is why we have increased the Deeptech plan, launched in 2019. In 2020, Bpifrance financed 400 deeptech start-ups and invested directly in the capital of 68 others. We want to accelerate technology transfer and bring these start-ups closer to large groups, integrate them into the industrial ecosystem to accelerate innovation. They are intended to enter traditional industrial sectors, to work with them or to be bought by large groups that have the capacity to industrialize these technologies.
How do you intervene in the field of quantum?
Quantum is such a breakthrough that it is necessary to prepare the ecosystem for change, to help computer scientists to understand how to use this very particular technology, to teach them to “quantum code” and to provide them with the tools. Bpifrance invests in start-ups in the field through various mechanisms, but also in companies that will link current and future development ecosystems. We do more than invest. Since 2019, we have been organizing the international Quantum Computing Business conference. The most important thing is undoubtedly to establish links between start-ups and manufacturers. For this, we want there to be a place of exchange between the players in the sector, an accelerator or an incubator. In addition, Bpifrance is participating, with the National Research Agency and Inria, in the Quantum Plan, launched in January by the government.
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