— THE CEA AND ITS ECOSYSTEM —

Technology transfer

As a key player in innovation, the CEA is responsible for transferring the technologies it develops to support competitiveness, job creation and France’s technological sovereignty. It was one of the very first research bodies to encourage spin-offs, and for two decades has provided assistance and support for the creation of start-ups in cutting-edge technological fields.

IN FIGURES…

For 10 years
it has been one of the "Top 100 Global Innovators"

according to Clarivate Analytics, and the only French research body to appear in the 2020 Clarivate list.

Leading patent applicant
among research bodies in France

Leading French patent applicant
in Europe

670 new patents
applied for in 2019

6,980 active
patent families

70% of 216 startups
created since 1971 still active (90% after 5 years), representing a total of more than 4,000 jobs

5 startups
launched in 2019, including 4 managed by CEA employees

— The CEA pursues an active policy of transferring skills and technologies, which it mainly protects with patents and transfers to industry, in the key areas of energy, health, future mobility and the factory of the future, in response to societal and industrial challenges.

The CEA among the top patent applicants in France and Europe

— The CEA is one of the top patent applicants in both France and Europe, mainly in the fields of microelectronics (semiconductors), new energy technologies, instrumentation and health, addressing the current major transitions: energy, digital and medical.

These patents reinforce a foundation of globally recognised scientific excellence and strengthen the CEA’s portfolio, which already consists of 6,980 active patent families in these cutting-edge sectors.

On the strength of its expertise and the protection of its technologies, in 2019 the CEA entered into more than 900 partnerships with industrial companies ranging from startups and SMEs to mid-caps and large groups.

A dynamic approach to technology transfer

— The dynamism of the CEA’s technology transfer is also reflected in the granting of licences to its industrial partners and in its sustained support for the creation and development of startups based on its technologies, over more than two decades. In this context, the CEA relies on its investment funds managed by its subsidiary, CEA Investissement, and Supernova Invest, cofounded with Amundi in 2017.

In support of this mission, the Revenue Division has all the necessary expertise for technology transfer, in intellectual property, contracts and spin-offs, and knowledge of markets and industrial stakeholders, supplemented in 2019 by economic intelligence passed on by special teams within the CEA’s four operational divisions..

THE CEA ON ALL FRONTS

To ensure its most promising startups benefit from the best national and international exposure and to introduce them to new partners, for the fourth consecutive year the CEA attended CES 2019 in Las Vegas, with eight demonstrators covering five topics: electric mobility, renewable energies, connected health, blockchain and FoodTech. For the first time in 2019 it also took part along with six startups in the Viva Technology – VivaTech trade show in Paris, with two aims: to present their expertise in three main areas (big data and health, energy transition and industry of the future), and to meet students, who attended in large numbers on the final day, in order to attract talent.

Finally, with the same objectives, the CEA was in Lyon in September 2019 for the first Sport Unlimitech event, with six demonstrators including an autonomous cycle power meter system and a connected tennis racquet created by a startup specialising in sport gaming.

2019, an excellent year for startups
supported by the CEA

Breakdown of companies
set up by technological field

Breakdown of workforce
by technological field

With €90 million raised in total, Aledia is expanding and establishing its site in Grenoble to launch full-scale production of its 3D LEDs by 2021.

ISKN, which specialises in graphic tablet design, joined forces with Bandai Namco to develop a game for 6 to 12 year olds using "augmented interaction" technology.

A specialist in artificial intelligence applied to image processing in industry, ARCURE was successfully listed on the stock exchange in 2019 on Euronext Growth Paris.

Among the 16 most promising deep tech startups according to Bpifrance, and startup of the year according to E&Y, Nawa Technologies raised 13 million euros to accelerate the industrial production of its carbon nanotube supercapacitors.

Winner in 2018 of Bpifrance’s i-lab competition, Scintil Photonics reached a milestone by raising 4 million euros to develop innovative silicon photonics fully integrated circuits, which can exchange up to 800 Gbits per second.

The French medtech company that developed an endorphin stimulator, Remedee Labs raised 11 million euros in “Series A round” from Hardware Club, with participation from Habert-Dassault Finance, Partech, C4 Ventures, Supernova Invest, and private investors.

The French medtech company that produces a solution for automated type 1 diabetes treatment, Diabeloop finalised the largest raising of funds in Europe in therapeutic artificial intelligence of 31 million euros.

Wattalps raised €2.2 million to continue developing high performance modular batteries for vehicle electrification, which offer the same performance as combustion engines.