Through the “University Cluster for Innovation” (“PUI” in French) call for proposals of the France 2030 plan, the French government aims to accelerate territorial innovation dynamics. The objective is to strengthen the economic impact of research sites and to meet the national ambition of creating start-up companies and generating breakthrough innovations. A total of 160 million euros will be allocated to this national deployment.
The “South Aquitaine Innovation” project, led by the University of Pau and the Pays de l’Adour with five other founding members (CNRS, INRAE, Inria, Aquitaine Science Transfert and Adera) and some 50 partners, has successfully passed the first selection phase, as have 20 other projects in France (out of 31 applicants). These projects come on top of the five pilot PUIs already selected. At the end of the final phase, which will take place in June, some 20 winners should be announced.
Our University Cluster for Innovation is in line with the dynamics of its founding members launched through our I-SITE (Science, Innovation, Territories, Economy Initiative ) “Solutions for Energy and the Environment.” It relies on the excellence of research conducted in our laboratories, on an exceptional instrumentation center (UPPA Tech), and on a set of actions in the field of innovation. The latter are already well established and range from student entrepreneurship to the support of start-up companies within incubators and local technology parks (Helioparc in Pau, Techopole Pays Basque, Domolandes/Agrolandes, Chemparc in Lacq), as well as the financing of innovation projects at different stages of maturity by Aquitaine Science Transfert.
The culmination of a long-standing public-private cooperation strategy
Our region is characterized by strong industrial and R&D activity. The economic stakes, which are combined with energy, environmental and social challenges, are the foundation of the public-private cooperation trajectory engaged for a long time by UPPA and its partners in the South of Aquitaine.
At this stage, to meet the expectations of France 2030, our University Cluster for Innovation proposes a revisited innovation strategy which is broken down into 15 actions falling under 4 major areas aimed at boosting innovation. These 4 axes are the development of awareness and training in innovation for all publics, the accentuated support of start-up companies, especially in disruptive technologies (deeptech), the intensification of partnership research, and the animation of the ecosystem of innovation.
