France

Nanoscience and the Nanotechnology Research Landscape in France

France has been developing intense research activity in nanoscience. The main players on the nanotechnology research scene in France include the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (Atomic Energy Commissariat or CEA). Initially devoted to research in nuclear physics, CEA is a public research body that has become a major actor in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. The Grenoble-based CEA laboratory LETI, and the CEA Saclay Institute for Matter and Radiation (IRAMIS) are key players in nanoscience research in France and Europe. The Institute of Physics of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (National Center for Scientific Research or CNRS), which is the largest public research organization in France, includes nanoscience and nanotechnology in its research priorities. French private companies have been active in the field of nanotechnology. While small companies and university spinoffs play important roles in local contexts characterized by strong ties between universities and industries, large firms such as Rhodia (which produces carbon nanotubes) or L'Oréal (which uses nanoadditives in some of its products) are major actors in the French nanotechnology landscape.

Nanotechnology was recognized as a national priority by the Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technical Choices (OPECST), a parliamentary body in charge of scientific evaluation. OPECST held hearings in 2003 about nanoelectronics, and released a report in 2004 about applications of nanoscience in medical domains. Both initiatives insisted on the importance of nanoscience for France to maintain its competitiveness in research and industry. Nanoscience and nanotechnology have indeed become priorities of the French science policy. In 2003, the overall amount of public funding for nanoscience and nanotechnology reached 360 million euros, which is a level comparable to the European countries that are the most dynamic in the field.

The organization of public support for nanoscience research has evolved. Since the late 1990s, national programs have coordinated public support of nanotechnology research and development. In particular, the Ministry of Industry funded collaborative projects through the Réseau Micro et Nanotechnologies, Micro and Nanotechnology Network, for an overall amount of 43 million euros. The Ministry of Research launched a program for nanotechnology research infrastructures in 2003. This Recherche Technologique de Base program has been implemented by CEA and CNRS. It supports six major research facilities centers across France, which are meant to provide research infrastructure in various nanoscience domains.

Before the creation of the French research funding agency called the Agence Nationale de la Recherche, (National [Page 258]Research Agency or ANR), in 2005, public programs of support for nanoscience projects were part of the Ministry of Research and managed by the research department (for nanoscience) and the technology department (for nanotechnology). A dedicated Nanotechnology Program (PNANO) was launched when ANR was created, in 2005, in order to propose grants for nanotechnology and nanoscience projects.

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