Research-innovation-technology policies in French Regions
Academic Advice Note issued by the National Academy of technologies of France (NATF)
Voted by the Academy in plenary session, July 4, 2012

Increased awareness by politicians of the role played by research, seen as one of the key factors in favour of innovation, has encouraged them to initiate a series of measures in this area, in particular at the level of France’s Regions.

An in-depth analysis of the budget commitments for research activities by the Regional authorities are on a par today – viz., same order of magnitude – with national financing of research projects. In year 2010, 826 M€ came from Regional authorities, 828 M€ from the National Agency for Research (ANR) and 50 M€ in favour of the Government’s “poles of competitivity”.

Given this situation and these figures, the National Academy of Technologies of France (NATF) examined how Research-Development, Technology and Innovation (RDTI) policies have been defined and elaborated by the Regions. To this end, a number of NATF Fellows were interviewed as were some external expert personalities. A set of conclusions and concrete proposals were drafted by the Academy in this context.