A new ambition for investment and innovation in France

Researcher, Institutions

The French Prime Minister just announced a series of actions for investment and innovation (with the creation of Counsel for innovation), and new sources of funding and a new standard for competitiveness centres.

With several other ministers of her government, including Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe gave a speech in Metz on June 21 to complete the Major Plan of Investment (MPI) announced last September.

The MPI plans 57 billion Euros over five years, and aims at supporting innovation and research. It tackles four major challenges:

Climate change and carbon neutrality, by supporting thermal renovation and deploying sustainable energies;
Access to jobs through an investment plan in skills and a renovation of the first university cycle;
Competitiveness through innovation, as a continued part of the Investments for the Future Program to improve the relation between research and companies and support strategic courses
State reform through modernisation projects from public players.

In his speech in Metz, the Prime Minister stressed the main orientations of French policy in terms of innovation, and announced a series of new actions including:

The installation of Innovation Counsel to support the government in its strategic choices;
New sources of funding;
New actions to support competitiveness centre (launch of a new step in 2019) and other innovation environments.