France has been reworking its university commercialisation efforts from the ground up in recent years. The 2011 investissements d’avenir (future investments) initiative has allocated €3.45bn ($4.46bn) to research commercialisation at public laboratories, public research institutes and public universities.
The aim of these regional technology transfer organisations has been to replace the fragmented structures previously existing in the country. As of September 2014, 10 such Satts are fully in operation, with a further two in the launch stages and funding allocated to another two. Individual funding for the organisations ranges from €36m for Conectus Alsace to €78m for Satt Lutech and for Satt Sud-Est.
The initiative has set itself the goal of commercialising 3,000 inventions and spinning out 500 companies within a decade. This may sound ambitious, but even with the project not fully launched nationwide, Satts have already identified more than 2,500 inventions that could be licensed, and have now licensed 100 such inventions to companies, up from 39 a year ago, filed patents for 372 inventions, up from 186, and have spun out 22 companies, up from 15. All these efforts have been supported with a combined €48m in funding.
A total of 160 institutions are now using a Satt as their technology transfer company. In fact, with the addition of two further Satts since our look at France’s efforts a year ago, staff numbers have grown from 293 to 358.
Personnel from Satt organisations have also worked their way to the top in other organisations, fortifying their influence in the French tech transfer scene. Olivier Freneaux not only heads Satt Sud-Est and the Satt association, but is also treasurer at Réseau Curie, a network connecting professionals from more than 160 research institutions, including universities, public laboratories and university hospitals, across France.
Meanwhile Nicolas Carboni,
president of Conectus Alsace, was elected president of Réseau Curie in July.Freneaux declares himself proud of the Satts achievements thus far, adding: “With the means put in place by the investissements d’avenir programme, the Satts do not have an international equivalent and our colleagues at foreign technology transfer offices have a very favourable view of the Satt model.”
The optimism and pride certainly seem warranted. The growth of the Satts may not be exponential, but it is proving to be steady despite the final two, Satt Gift Grenoble Alpes and Satt Paris Saclay, yet to be launched.
Conectus
Idinnov
Ouest Va lorisation
Satt Lutech
Satt Nord
Satt Sud Est
Toulouse Tech Transfer