Creation of a “presidential science council”, rapid rise of research organizations as program agencies, launch of a “act II of university autonomy”… Faced with a gathering of more than 300 French researchers and scientific leaders, gathered on Thursday December 7 at the Elysée, Emmanuel Marcon presented his “vision for the future of French research”. The day before, he discussed with around ten start-ups about future small space launchers and small nuclear reactors. Monday December 11, he will be in Toulouse to meet beneficiaries of France 2030 funding, at the end of this “sequence” dedicated to research and innovation.
Science and research, which makes it possible to “build growth”he recalled Thursday, constitute “an essential issue of sovereignty”. He has recalled the“strange defeat” that constituted the absence of a French vaccine during the Covid-19 crisis, and mentioned the “geopolitical competition” around quantum technologies and artificial intelligence.
After rejoicing at a prosperous year for French science with the Nobel Prize in physics awarded to Pierre Agostini and Anne L’Huillier, Emmanuel Macron wanted to share a “quick and lucid assessment”. He underlined a link always ” degraded “ between research and innovation, the fact that the sector is still suffering from the consequences of “chronic underinvestment”which led the country from sixth to ninth place in the world between 2009 and 2021, on scientific production indicators.
Weak private investment
He also recalled the measures undertaken since his first mandate, in particular the 2020 research programming law, which represents an additional investment of 25 billion euros over ten years. The public research effort places France, as a percentage of GDP, at the level of the United States or the United Kingdom, but still behind Germany, he agreed, without mentioning additional investment. On the other hand, he insisted on the fact that “the heart of difference” remains the weakness of private investment in R&D. He finally castigated the bureaucracy, “really a waste of research time and public money”.
Faced with these findings, Emmanuel Macron first announced the creation of a “presidential science council”. Made up of twelve members of the scientific community from different backgrounds, it will meet “at least once a quarter” to exchange with him, the“alert about malfunctions” or highlight new projects and themes.
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