In line with the government's support for innovation and industrial recovery as part of the France 2030 plan, the theme of the 11th edition of Industry Week, which has just come to a close, was "Acting for an industry of the future." At the heart of this ambition, supporting innovation in SMEs and mid-cap companies takes on a strategic dimension in the current context of energy and environmental crisis. These are companies that the 13 SATTs, based in the heart of the regions, know perfectly well and support on a daily basis through their mission to accelerate the transfer of technologies from public research laboratories to companies. With the rollout of the Deeptech Diagnosis on behalf of Bpifrance since early 2022, the SATTs are further intensifying their actions aimed at SMEs and mid-cap companies with a view to supporting, through innovation, their development projects as well as their repositioning towards growth markets.
SMEs and mid-cap companies at the heart of SATT's mission
Recipients of 45% of the 1,500 licenses transferred by SATTs since their creation, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-cap companies represent SATTs' primary industrial partners, ahead of startups and large groups. This figure is particularly interesting when we consider that these SMEs and mid-cap companies, through their numbers and agility, represent the greatest potential for growth and jobs in the region. The SATT Network offers these companies, whose often small teams do not allow for sustainable internal innovation, the excellence of French deep tech: privileged access to 80% of academic research, a potential of nearly 17,000 breakthrough innovations identified in public research laboratories, and a portfolio of more than 2,500 innovative technologies and nearly 700 startups financed and supported by SATT throughout the country.
For companies wishing to grow or become more competitive through technological innovation, this is an opportunity to access the most promising innovations from French public research while limiting risks, since by financing their maturation, SATTs offer robust, industrializable, and protected cutting-edge technologies. Among the services offered by SATTs to SMEs and mid-cap companies are support for industrial strategies for collaborative innovation and technology research, the co-development of tailor-made innovations, turnkey technology transfer, and Deeptech Diagnostics. They enable SATTs to provide long-term support for the innovation dynamics of SMEs and mid-cap companies, promoting their socio-economic growth, the attractiveness of their regions, and the competitiveness and technological sovereignty of French companies.
• " We are now one of the few operators with a dual scientific and business culture, enabling us to be familiar with the innovations and technologies developed in our laboratories and to understand the market and companies, so that we can better meet the innovation needs of SMEs and mid-cap companies. We owe this unique position to the expertise of our teams, who work closely with companies and laboratories in the regions, but also to our positioning at the interface of all decision-maker networks, both locally and nationally. " Patrick Cazeneuve, President of SATT Toulouse Tech Transfer.
Supporting the development of SMEs and mid-cap companies
Since early 2022, the SATT Network has stepped up its efforts to support SMEs and mid-cap companies. New tools have been developed for them, such as the Deeptech Diagnosis operated by the SATTs on behalf of Bpifrance. This tool is intended for all companies with disruptive technological needs that wish to leverage technologies and/or academic research expertise in order to remain at the forefront of their field. The support includes an analysis of the company's specific innovation needs and an assessment of its ability to carry out its project, the identification of potential technologies and partners from public research, and the organization and formalization of the transfer strategy.
This six-month service, costing a maximum of €12,000 excluding VAT, which Bpifrance supports with a 50% grant, aims to encourage research partnerships between the public and private sectors and offer companies an outsourced R&D service and customized solutions. Since the beginning of the year, around 20 assessments have been carried out across France for SMEs such as Mecabess, a precision engineering company in the aeronautics sector based in the Centre region, and Guard Industrie, the French leader in cleaning and preservation of materials, based in Paris, Montreuil, and Toulouse.
Supporting SMEs and mid-cap companies in pivoting during times of crisis
In the midst of the successive health, energy, and environmental crises of recent years, more and more SMEs and mid-cap companies in the hardest-hit sectors are deciding to reorient their strategy in order to reposition themselves with a new product, a new target, or a new market. To support these companies, two SATTs – Toulouse Tech Transfer and AxLR – have launched an experiment called "Open Dive" in their region, the cradle of aeronautics and particularly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The approach consists of analyzing the company's assets, particularly in terms of know-how and equipment, and opportunities in new markets, identifying technologies and innovations within public research laboratories that can accelerate the pivot strategy and organizing the transfer. Since its launch, in partnership with the Occitanie Region, UFTMIP (Federal University of Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées) and CEA Tech, ten companies in the region have committed to this initiative.
Aéroprotec Group, a company specializing in surface treatment and painting in the aeronautics sector, is part of this initiative. In search of an innovative and robust marking solution as an alternative to the inks used for marking aeronautical parts, the company initiated a co-maturation project with the Laboratory of Physics and Chemistry of Nano-objects (LPCNO) at INSA Toulouse and SATT Toulouse Tech Transfer to develop a chemical marking that is invisible to the eye, tamper-proof, and readable by a simplified smartphone-type method for digital access to part data.
• "The aim of this innovation is both to modernize our company and move towards an Industry 4.0 approach, but also to diversify our business. We work in aeronautics, a sector that has been hit by successive crises. Opening up to other markets is essential for our company. Among the markets targeted with this new technology are the luxury goods industry, particularly to combat counterfeiting, but also the pharmaceutical and automotive industries. Isabelle Fabre-Francke, Scientific Director, Aéroprotec Services – Haure-Mirande Group.
Deeptech Meetings, a tailor-made event for SMEs and mid-cap companies
On December 15, the SATT Network is organizing the first edition of Deeptech Meetings. Aimed at microbusinesses, SMEs, mid-cap companies, and large groups, this 100% digital and completely free business day aims to boost companies' R&D by offering them preview access to all the disruptive innovations resulting from public research. The concept: an immersive experience offering access to more than 300 patented cutting-edge technologies, made available through the scheduling of nearly 1,000 business meetings via videoconference with SATT teams. More than 400 companies from all over France are expected to attend. Visit https://deeptechmeetings.fr