The French National Research Agency has just set up a space to foster cooperation between industry and public research laboratories.
On an initiative from Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the French National Research Agency (ANR) is setting up an online networking platform for companies with R&D needs and public research laboratories. Modeled after ANR’s public calls for projects, there is now a platform for calls for projects from industry.
This system aims to foster synergies between state research laboratories and industry, and according to Minister Valérie Pécresse, "this collaborative approach helps to promote the PhD in the corporate world where industry draws on the knowledge and experience of research teams."
Seven companies have already posted calls for projects. They are LFB, Roche, Sanofi, Gostai, HP, Orange and Renault.
Moreover, a new web portal will come on line in January 2010. "It will map out the skills found in public research, offer a calendar of public research-private research events, online help to identify a specific skill. It will be managed by the ANR in conjunction with OSEO, the CURIE network and the Association Bernard Gregory, among others," the Ministry of Higher Education and Research indicated.