On October 18, the IRT SystemX hosted the 4th IRT Forum at EDF Lab in Paris-Saclay. There, Institutes of Research and Technology discussed their overwhelmingly positive outcomes, and b<>com's results were among them.
4 years after IRTs were launched in France, figures reveal how these innovation tools have pushed forward:
1500 employees, 540 industrial and academic partners, more than 100 technology transfers, 155 patents, involvement in 25 European projects, and good results in terms of technology transfers, new start-ups, and international strategic alliances. This record confirms that cooperation between the fields of academia and industry is working, and that the model is fulfilling its purpose. Among the announcements from Louis Schwetzer, General Commissioner for Investment, financial support for IRTs would be extended past 2019: "When you're building the future, you need to be able to see further, and those which know where they're headed will benefit.".
Honors for b<>com and {dive}:event
b<>com was given a prominent place among guests and speeches this morning in the EDF Labs amphitheater.
To illustrate its creativity and how IRTs have changed the game, b<>com spoke about {dive}:event, or how to break the rules by offering a unique immersive journey around user-centered innovation. According to Emmanuelle Garnaud-Gamache, director of international development and the event's producer, "we have the duty to innovate in all of our efforts, including when working on international outreach. From marketing to the experience itself. This risk-taking would not have been possible outside of a strong ecosystem like that of the IRT." The first edition of {dive} was a success in both its participation level and international impact, and the teams are already getting ready for 2017.
"Brittany is in good shape"
Sébastien Couasnon, a journalist for BFM Business and host of the morning's events, then spoke with Guillaume Arthuis, President of BBright, a small business in Rennes that specializes in new TV formats for the future and a member of b<>com. Arthuis said that b<>com, and IRTs in general, represent "an excellent growth accelerator" for a young company. BBright was able to incorporate a b<>com technology before it hit the market in one of its leading products, gaining an immediate business advantage. It only took 3 months from the first discussions to its introduction into the market! "The flexibility and attentiveness of our contacts were critical to our collaboration," said the President.
Finally, Vincent Marcatté, as Preisdent of the Association of IRTs, officially known as FIT (French Institutes of Technology) unveiled the brand-new website dedicated to IRT activity. It will be the showcase for this unique model of public-private innovation.
Watch the video introduction to the French Institutes of Technology
Meeting in 2017 in Lyon, for the IRT Forum organized by Bioaster.
