Technology transfer, Poitiers begins its development

Technology transfer at the heart of the debate. It can concern different aspects. Either it deals with new technologies or mature technologies that have already proven their worth. A transfer is not done in any way. The conditions for the latter must be put in place. Indeed, we must think about industrial property or sustainable and stable partnerships. It may also concern services or methods.

Thus, it is an exchange between two actors. It allows companies to adapt to the context faster with new skills. Then, actions to support research and innovation within companies are emerging. In particular, the French State has chosen the Programme d’Investissement d’Avenir. Since 2017, the 3rd part of the programme has been launched with a budget of €10 billion in three areas. Among the fields we find higher education and research, the valorization of research, innovation and business development.

For example, this program has funded Poetis. It is a Bordeaux project of laser bioprinting of living tissues. Poetis was the winner of the first phase of the World Innovation Competition in the personalized medicine category. To save money, technology transfer is at the heart of these programmes. This process is a regional issue. The aim is to make public research an engine of growth. It must focus on innovation as well as on the creation of value for digital companies.

 

Agence Aliénor Transfert, an acceleration company

 

In 2012, technology transfer acceleration companies (SATT) were established in the country. On a more local scale, saTT Grand Centre ceased operations in 2018 due to poor results. With costs and a significant size, Nouvelle-Aquitaine has decided to pool the fields of green chemistry, bio-health, transport and human sciences. The domains are found in the same place: the Aliénor Transfert Agency. It is a real ensemble with more than 45,000 students, 1800 researchers, 65 research laboratories and more than 20 technological platforms. Its launch on September 1, 2019 must be able to respond to a logic of territory. Indeed, it brings together different universities. Among the latter, that of Limoges, Poitiers, Isae-Ensma, the CNRS, the COMUE Léonard de Vinci and the Technopole Grand Poitiers.

Its field of intervention thus covers the northern territory of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, i.e. 1.9 million inhabitants. Its objectives are multiple. They are in the detection of promising projects in research laboratories but also in the facilitation of access for companies. Its implementation must therefore be able to create territorial conjugations. To this end, collaborations between companies and research must be pooled. It is also necessary to promote links between doctoral students and companies.

 

New Aquitaine, a close asset in the service of technology transfer

 

The example of the Aliénor Transfert Agency perfectly illustrates the will behind the already existing regional programme. According to El Mustapha Belgsir, vice-president of the urban community of Grand Poitiers and its technopolis, proximity is a crucial asset in supporting business innovation. Nouvelle-Aquitaine lists 34 cells and technology transfer platforms to promote public research. The Adera, is a private structure in the form of association law 1901 taxed. It has thus set up the “technology transfer cell” to respond more precisely to the needs of companies.

In parallel, La Rochelle University and SATT Aquitaine Transfert announced a partnership in May 2019. Indeed, following the Prime Minister’s decision to allocate 1.5 billion euros for the Investments for the Future Plan, it is appropriate to develop a business plan. It would allow collaboration in ip property management and transfer. More broadly, this partnership agreement responds to the project of La Rochelle University CampusInnov. The latter concerns the fields of real estate, entrepreneurship, technology transfer and business development. These various rapprochements thus echo a logic of coherence of innovation at the level of the New Aquitaine region.

 

Technology transfer acceleration companies have a central objective. It is a question of promoting the latter in public research towards companies. Pioneer of the dynamic “New Industrial France”, Nouvelle-Aquitaine has a double ambition. Indeed, in February 2014 the regional program “Factory of the Future” was born. The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region shows its desire to build a territorial marketing strategy in terms of excellence in regional research. However, action guidelines have yet to be reached. It may, for example, be relevant to highlight the pooling of SME research efforts. It must be said that it is the latter that form the main economy of the territory of the region.

Justine ANGIBAUD

Sources:

Leonardo da Vinci University’s official website

Adera’s official website

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