The Paris region innovation lab

A dynamic economy

Disruptive innovation based on five strategic drivers

Paris-Saclay offers an exceptional density and variety of potential partners and resources, ranging from the multidisciplinary laboratories of Université Paris-Saclay to industrial players in strategic economic sectors, and from the large shared scientific facilities and infrastructures to the network of incubators and maker spaces.

Acting as an accelerator for business projects, open innovation operates through ambitious collaborative public-private programs in areas such as complex systems (IRT SystemX), connected mobility (VeDeCom), energy efficiency (PS2E) and photovoltaics (IPVF). The Systematic Paris Region, Movéo and Optics Valley competitiveness hubs, all heavily involved in the regional cluster, are ideal settings to nurture partnerships between large groups and SMEs.

Industrial and scientific partners are also developing a wide range of initiatives to promote the local dynamic for innovation and technology transfer. These include industrial research chairs, programs devoted to entrepreneurship and innovation, collaborative platforms and shared institutes in cutting edge fields. A Technology Transfer Accelerator Company (SATT) – Université Paris-Saclay TTO – is helping transform public research results into innovation for companies by supporting projects throughout their journey: through development, registering of licenses and patents, and onto start-up creation.

Start-ups as key actors of innovation

Paris-Saclay forms a vibrant and growing ecosystem for start-ups.
In terms of support programs, Université Paris-Saclay has developed a wide range of actions targeting students and researchers with plans to launch their own businesses.

These actions are conceived in the Paris-Saclay Student Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department (PEIPS). To assist creators in realizing their project with maximum security and visibility, a dedicated “student entrepreneur” diploma has been up and running since September 2014.
The geographical proximity of large industrial groups and public research centers fosters the emergence of new project initiators who find in Paris-Saclay an ecosystem conducive to developing their start-ups.

Université Paris-Saclay: A top-tier research university

Université Paris-Saclay is a significant driving force in the development of industry and innovation, particularly in hi-tech fields.
It offers a wide range of courses, from bachelor degrees to doctorates, all of a high international standard. A quarter of Université Paris-Saclay students and researchers are from overseas today, and the development of new partnerships with other international universities will see this shift to one third by 2020.

As a global outreach research university, it carries a coordinated research strategy focusing on fundamental science, as well as social and economic issues. 10 interdisciplinary thematic departments foster synergies between laboratories and cross-fertilization between scientific cultures to advance the great scientific and innovation challenges of the day.

The value of Université Paris-Saclay’s scientific potential is well recognized, as evidenced by its Nobel prizes, Fields medals, its output of publications and successful responses for European calls for projects (Advanced Grant ERC).