Innovation Playground #3 – There is a new sheriff in town!

That policy has certainly paid off, attracting to Paris-Saclay a broad partner ecosystem ranging from leading corporations like Total, IBM, Fujitsu or Servier to innovative startups like Astrome ; India’s high-speed telecommunications pioneer. In 2019 alone, Paris-Saclay hosted 29 projects including six R&D centers and five decision centers on its campus, notably in sectors like mobility, deep tech and industrial services. As Jérémy Hervé observes: “In terms of building and attracting projects, I think there is a clear acceleration”. Rightly so, as the project portfolio managed by Choose Paris Region for the Paris Region represents “30,000 potential jobs over the next 18 months, with more than 20,000 coming from reinvestment projects”, according to the agency’s CEO Lionel Grotto.

The university’s high marks in the Shanghai Ranking should continue to attract more innovative projects and companies. As Lionel Grotto recalls, “Paris Region is the top region worldwide for attracting foreign investment, according to the 2019 IBM ranking”. Building on this strategic position, Paris-Saclay stands to benefit from all that these investors can provide in terms of diversity, openness and jobs. “Clearly, we are telling the world that the place to be for recruiting the best talents is right here”, exclaims Jérémy Hervé.

Showcasing the country’s leading talent and expertise is one of the keys to Paris-Saclay’s success. As Lionel Grotto asserts, “There is a dynamic ecosystem and a lot of skills and talent already in place”. In Jérémy Hervé’s view, connecting these skills and talents is a crucial part of the path forward: “France has always been strong in fundamental research and mathematics, we simply had to organize to make that fact more visible. I think the success of the Paris-Saclay project relies essentially on having built a major academic and scientific hub. This year has shown that we are on the right path. But it’s only the beginning”.

In fact, Jérémy Hervé believes that the upcoming integration of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University into Paris-Saclay and its partnership with HEC Paris will clear the way to an even higher spot in next year’s Shanghai Ranking. Can things really get any better? At Paris-Saclay, the answer is a resounding yes!

Just between us

Inspired by the fins of fish and marine mammals, Paris-Saclay start-up FinX is revolutionizing marine propulsion by developing propellerless boat engines using hyperactive wave propulsion. This technology is both more energy-efficient (around 30%), easier to maintain, safer and more respectful of the marine ecosystem than conventional propeller engines.

In a major boost for the startup, FinX Founder and Chairman Harold Guillemen announced at the beginning of the summer that his company had finalized a fundraising campaign for a total of 600,000 euros. These funds will enable FinX to continue developing its range, which will receive a commercially launch this fall.