France’s eight technological research institutes (IRTs) met on October 13 in Grenoble for the third National IRT Forum. This year’s meeting focused on the role of the IRTs in meeting tomorrow’s challenges. This year’s host was Grenoble’s IRT Nanoelec. France’s Commissioner-General for Investment Louis Schweitzer and Secretary-General for Higher Education and Research Thierry Mandon spoke at the event.
The third IRT forum brought in around 350 attendees. The IRT Village expo kicked off the day, with around 20 technology demonstrations representing the latest advances in the four fields deemed strategic for this year’s Forum: digital transformation, healthcare, transportation, and materials and processes.
In their speeches, the officials in attendance highlighted the accomplishments of France’s eight IRTs, their 180 research projects, and their contributions to recent EU Horizon 2020 projects. Secretary-General for Higher Education and Research Thierry Mandon said, “The IRTs represent the best in French-made innovation.” He stressed just how important it will be for the IRTs to establish an international footprint. “Raising the IRTs’ international profile will be crucial both to the IRTs and, more broadly, to France.” He also highlighted the need for the IRTs to work together and to reach out to young people and raise their awareness of careers in research, whether it is in the public or private sector.
French National Research Agency Director Michael Matlosz and France’s Commissioner-General for Investment Louis Schweitzer both urged public-sector research and private-sector businesses to continue to work more closely together—a trend that has gained traction over the past two years. Following the speech, IRT Association Chairman Vincent Marcatté and the SATT Association (a nonprofit bringing together France’s technology-transfer companies), chaired by Robert Benamou, signed a partnership agreement on behalf of their organizations, marking an additional step toward greater collaboration between the public and private sectors.
