CNRS Innovation
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| CNRS Innovation | |
|---|---|
| Name | CNRS Innovation |
| Type | Research commercialization office |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Parent organization | Centre national de la recherche scientifique |
CNRS Innovation CNRS Innovation is the technology transfer and innovation unit of the Centre national de la recherche scientifique, created to accelerate the transfer of public research to industry and society. It connects laboratory discoveries with industrial partners, start-ups, and public stakeholders across France and internationally, operating within the wider landscape of French and European research organizations. CNRS Innovation coordinates with research institutes, regional agencies, and funding bodies to translate scientific outputs into products, services, and intellectual property.
Overview
CNRS Innovation sits at the intersection of the Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Ministry of Higher Education and Research (France), Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, and regional innovation ecosystems such as Île-de-France. It serves laboratories affiliated with institutes like the Institut des Sciences Biologiques and the Institut de Physique, and liaises with national stakeholders including Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Bpifrance, and European actors such as the European Research Council and Horizon 2020. The office engages with major industrial players including TotalEnergies, Sanofi, Airbus, Dassault Systèmes, Thales, and multinational corporations seeking academic collaboration.
Mission and Activities
The mission of CNRS Innovation encompasses protection of intellectual property, facilitation of industry collaborations, and support for entrepreneurship among researchers. Key activities include patent filing in coordination with the Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle, licensing negotiations with conglomerates like Schneider Electric and L'Oréal, and structuring collaborative research agreements with firms such as Renault and Veolia. CNRS Innovation also organizes training and incubation programs in partnership with incubators like Station F, accelerators such as Euratechnologies, and technology parks including Silicon Sentier. It contributes to national strategies alongside bodies like Direction Générale des Entreprises and regional councils in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Occitanie.
Technology Transfer and Partnerships
Technology transfer is conducted through mechanisms such as exclusive and non-exclusive licensing, joint laboratories with industry partners like Safran and BASF, and collaborative platforms with institutions including CNES and Inserm. CNRS Innovation negotiates spin-off creation with investors from venture capital firms like Partech Partners and corporate venture arms such as Bpifrance Le Hub. Strategic partnerships include cross-border collaborations with Fraunhofer Society, Max Planck Society, Imperial College London, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It also manages intellectual property portfolios coordinated with legal entities including Eurazeo and technology transfer networks such as SATT (Sociétés d'accélération du transfert de technologies).
Funding and Support Programs
Funding and support channels involve coordination with grant providers and investors: domestic sources like Agence Nationale de la Recherche, France 2030, and Bpifrance, as well as European schemes such as European Innovation Council and European Investment Fund. CNRS Innovation assists researchers in applying to competitive programs including Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, ERC Advanced Grant, and collaborative calls under Horizon Europe. It directs support toward seed funding, proof-of-concept grants, and matching funds in collaboration with regional actors like Région Île-de-France and philanthropic foundations such as the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller.
Innovation Infrastructure and Facilities
The unit leverages infrastructure spanning national platforms and large-scale facilities: national research infrastructures like EMBL-linked platforms, the SOLEIL synchrotron, the Institut Laue-Langevin collaborations, and competence centers such as Carnot Institutes. Partnerships extend to shared facilities at universities including Université de Strasbourg and Université Grenoble Alpes, and to tech-transfer structures such as SATT Grand Est and SATT Sud-Est. CNRS Innovation also engages with innovation campuses like Saclay Plateau de Saclay and international hubs including Station F to provide access to prototyping workshops, clean rooms, and pilot-scale laboratories.
Notable Projects and Spin-offs
CNRS Innovation has overseen commercialization trajectories that led to spin-offs and collaborations in fields from materials science to life sciences. Examples of areas with impactful outputs include quantum technologies linked to research groups collaborating with Air Liquide and Quantinuum, bioengineering ventures intersecting with BioMérieux and Horiba Medical, and energy storage projects associated with EDF and Forvia. Spin-offs emerging from affiliated laboratories have attracted investors such as Idinvest Partners and strategic partners like Pfizer and Sanofi Pasteur. CNRS Innovation has facilitated technology transfers for projects recognized by awards like the Grand Prix de l'Innovation de la Ville de Paris and participation in international showcases including CES and BIO International Convention.
Governance and Organization
Governance is structured to align with the Centre national de la recherche scientifique’s administrative framework, involving liaison with research directors, laboratory heads, and institutional officers. CNRS Innovation coordinates with oversight bodies such as the Ministry of the Economy and Finance (France), the Audit Commission of CNRS-equivalent committees, and advisory boards that include representatives from industry partners like Atos and Capgemini. Operational units collaborate with regional SATTs, university technology transfer offices (TTOs) including those at Université Paris-Saclay and Aix-Marseille Université, and national coordination networks such as Réseau Curie and professional associations like Association Française des Directeurs de la Recherche et de la Technologie.