Valorisation of research results in the PEPR SPLEEN programme

As part of the SPLEEN programme for the decarbonisation of industry, the exploitation of research results is a major strategic lever for transforming scientific excellence into concrete benefits for society, the economy and national sovereignty.

Funded by the France 2030 Plan, the PEPR SPLEEN for Industrial Decarbonisation aims to structure future sectors around priority scientific themes, drawing on strong synergies between research laboratories, industrial players and public institutions. This valorisation process translates knowledge gained from fundamental research into technological innovations, operational solutions or new uses, with applications that have great potential to accelerate the decarbonisation of industry. It contributes directly to the competitiveness of strategic sectors, the development of a knowledge-based economy and the creation of skilled jobs. Beyond this economic impact, it ensures that scientific advances respond to major contemporary societal challenges by bringing research closer to the concrete needs of citizens and territories. This approach is based on rigorous governance, attentive to issues of intellectual property, technology transfer and fair recognition of scientific contributions.

In the specific context of a PEPR, valorisation is built on a logic of co-construction between researchers, socio-economic partners and public actors, in order to create a coherent, agile and impact-oriented innovation ecosystem. Finally, it enhances the attractiveness of the institutions involved, their international visibility and their capacity to carry out large-scale scientific projects with an industrial focus. Thus, in the SPLEEN programme for the decarbonisation of industry, valorisation is not simply an end in itself, but a structuring pillar of the mission: to make research an active driver of industrial transition and low-carbon technological sovereignty for France.

Presentation of the CACTUS consortium

The CACTUS consortium, winner of France 2030, has total funding of €22 million to support the pre-maturation and maturation phases dedicated to the National Strategy for Accelerating the Decarbonisation of Industry. It complements the PEPR SPLEEN programme and addresses a subsequent (potential) phase in the development of its projects as they reach technological maturity.

This technological valorisation plays a key role in transferring research to the socio-economic world. By transforming research results into concrete innovative solutions, it supports the development of products, processes and services. To meet the challenges of decarbonising industry, the government specifically supports this dynamic through funding mechanisms dedicated to creating value from public research:

funding for the pre-maturation (TRL 2-3) and maturation (TRL 4-6) phases.

The CACTUS consortium, bringing together some twenty partners for Decarbonisation Acceleration and Transfer to Industry, is the winner of the France 2030 ‘Maturation/Prematuration’ Call for Projects.

It aims to support technologies that enable the large-scale decarbonisation of French industry.

In terms of industrial decarbonisation, the projects identified address the following areas:

• Process energy efficiency
• Process decarbonisation
• Process electrification and energy mix decarbonisation
• CO2 capture, transport, storage and utilisation

CACTUS’s objective is to establish links with promising projects developed within the framework of the PEPR SPLEEN programme, while supporting the development of innovations originating from academic laboratories and public research institutes. To this end, it intervenes during the pre-maturation and maturation phases of technologies, which enable a solution validated in the laboratory to be transformed into a prototype-scale demonstration or even a proof of concept. This process also includes the implementation of an appropriate intellectual property strategy (patents, know-how, software registrations, etc.), which is an essential prerequisite for the transfer of technology to an economic player.

Funding from the programme is allocated according to the maturity and progress of the project, in terms of its potential for commercialisation and transfer. It can reach up to €80,000 in the early stages (TRL 2-3) and €400,000 in the later stages* (TRL 4-6). It requires co-financing from the partner institution or commercialisation structure.

What are the selection criteria?

The project is presented to the CACTUS scheme through the support structure that accompanies it.

Supporting documents for recovery facilities

*The programme is funded by France 2030 under reference numbers ANR-21-MATP-0601 and ANR-21-MATP-0602.

What’s next ?

Researchers can also launch start-ups that form new innovative industrial ecosystems, which can then receive support through grants from ADEME (BCIAT, Décarb Flash, ZIBaC, DEMIBac and IBaC PME calls for projects) or Bpifrance.

Glossary of research results exploitation

Patents : Exclusive rights granted for a technical invention. They enable a research organisation to protect its innovations and grant third parties the right to exploit them through licences.

Detection : An upstream stage of commercialisation, aimed at identifying research results with potential for application or transfer. It often involves close collaboration between researchers and commercialisation departments.

Innovation ecosystem : Network of public and private stakeholders (laboratories, public research institutes, companies, SATTs, incubators, competitiveness clusters, local authorities, etc.) that cooperate to promote the emergence, development and dissemination of innovations.

Innovation : The process by which an idea, invention or research result is transformed into a new and useful product, service, process or business model, bringing significant added value to a market or society.

Licence : A contract whereby a research organisation authorises a third party (often a company) to exploit a technology protected by intellectual property rights, subject to defined commercial exploitation conditions (royalties, exclusivity, etc.).

Maturation : Development phase aimed at making a research result usable by removing technical, economic or legal barriers. It includes proof of concept, prototypes, market studies, etc.

Prematurly : A preparatory stage prior to commercialisation, allowing the potential of a research result to be assessed (applicability, technical feasibility, IP positioning) before committing more significant resources.

Intellectual property (PI) : All rights (patents, software, trademarks, designs, etc.) that enable the protection and security of research results with a view to their commercialisation.

SATT (Technology Transfer Acceleration Company) : French structures created to support the promotion of public research. They are involved in the detection, filing and management of intellectual property, the maturation of projects, and facilitate relations with economic actors.

Start-up of research (ou spin-off) : A company founded to exploit the results of academic research. It is an important vehicle for technology transfer and innovation to the market.

Technology transfer : Process of transferring results, expertise or innovations from public research to socio-economic actors (businesses, local authorities, etc.) in the form of contracts, licences or business creation.

TRL (Technology Readiness Level) : A scale from 1 to 9 used to assess the maturity level of a technology, from fundamental research (TRL 1-4) to industrialisation (TRL 7-9). It is a commonly used management tool in commercialisation projects.

Valorisation : All the steps taken to transform research results into concrete impacts: economic, industrial, societal. It relies on tools such as patents, partnerships, transfers, and business creation.