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MEMO
ETPI Programme : European Technological Partnership
Institutes
Rationale: Partnership between public laboratories and companies in R&D are a good way to
capitalize more on public R&D to the benefit of economic development, i.e to fill the well-known
“death valley”. In France we have supported, under the Programme des Investissements d’Avenir,
the creation of 8 partnership institutes. This experience appears positive: mutualisation of equipment
and research programmes, easier association of SMEs, strong acceleration of research
programmes, easier sharing and management of intellectual property. But in many strategic sectors,
the right level is not one country like France, but Europe, to gather a sufficiently large partnership.
Scope: The ETPI programme should focus on sectors with high potential at international level,
where public laboratories and companies from several EU Members are able to design a
convincing partnership, with a robust business plan.
Financial Aid: Financial aids could be granted in the form of subsidies, with one key principle:
the public commitment (subventions + contributions from laboratories) must be kept at 50 %
max, and commitment (money) of companies at a minimum of 50% for 10 years. The financial
aids should then be stopped, the goal is indeed to reach a financial equilibrium thanks to IP and
financing of research program by companies (either founders or not).
Procedure and governance: The selection process should be competitive, based on the respect of
the rules, and on the economic potential of the proposed partnership, assessed by an expert team.
The call for projects could last 6 months, and the selection process 3 months, to generate the
beginning of investment at the latest one year and an half after the launching of the call for project.
Each 3 years the projects are assessed, and stopped if the intermediate targets (research
programmation, realization of private commitments, economics…) are not met.
Sizing: A typical ETPI would need on average 100m€ grants for 10 years. 10 ETPI could be
targeted. The whole program would amount for 1bn€, with a disbursement of around 200m€
the next 3 years.
Expected leverage: the direct leverage is 1 to 1, but of course the indirect leverage on economic
development should be much more important.
Examples:
‐ Creation of a European Technological Partnership Institute dedicated to
Hydrometallurgy: a large array of EU laboratories and companies are already working on the
design of ETPI-like project. The aim is to develop new process and technologies for more
efficient production-process and more independence of the European industries, regarding
critical raw material access. The Institute would allow boosting innovation for the companies
and laboratories involved. Its creation would be a concrete suite for the European Innovative
Programme Raw Materials.
‐ Big data applied to health care ETPI. The creation of a European Technological
Partnership Institute dedicated to this field would allow opening massive health care data,
with respect of deontological rules and personal life protection needed. Combined with big
data technologies, this Institute would allow massive innovation and individualized medical
care progress.
‐ Digital High Performance Computing ETPI. The objective of this ETPI would be to create a
pan European network of up-to-date High Performance Computing facilities, allowing an
access for both EU laboratories and companies to the integrated digital infrastructure
needed, considering the big data revolution.
ETPI Programme : European Technological Partnership
Institutes
Rationale: Partnership between public laboratories and companies in R&D are a good way to
capitalize more on public R&D to the benefit of economic development, i.e to fill the well-known
“death valley”. In France we have supported, under the Programme des Investissements d’Avenir,
the creation of 8 partnership institutes. This experience appears positive: mutualisation of equipment
and research programmes, easier association of SMEs, strong acceleration of research
programmes, easier sharing and management of intellectual property. But in many strategic sectors,
the right level is not one country like France, but Europe, to gather a sufficiently large partnership.
Scope: The ETPI programme should focus on sectors with high potential at international level,
where public laboratories and companies from several EU Members are able to design a
convincing partnership, with a robust business plan.
Financial Aid: Financial aids could be granted in the form of subsidies, with one key principle:
the public commitment (subventions + contributions from laboratories) must be kept at 50 %
max, and commitment (money) of companies at a minimum of 50% for 10 years. The financial
aids should then be stopped, the goal is indeed to reach a financial equilibrium thanks to IP and
financing of research program by companies (either founders or not).
Procedure and governance: The selection process should be competitive, based on the respect of
the rules, and on the economic potential of the proposed partnership, assessed by an expert team.
The call for projects could last 6 months, and the selection process 3 months, to generate the
beginning of investment at the latest one year and an half after the launching of the call for project.
Each 3 years the projects are assessed, and stopped if the intermediate targets (research
programmation, realization of private commitments, economics…) are not met.
Sizing: A typical ETPI would need on average 100m€ grants for 10 years. 10 ETPI could be
targeted. The whole program would amount for 1bn€, with a disbursement of around 200m€
the next 3 years.
Expected leverage: the direct leverage is 1 to 1, but of course the indirect leverage on economic
development should be much more important.
Examples:
‐ Creation of a European Technological Partnership Institute dedicated to
Hydrometallurgy: a large array of EU laboratories and companies are already working on the
design of ETPI-like project. The aim is to develop new process and technologies for more
efficient production-process and more independence of the European industries, regarding
critical raw material access. The Institute would allow boosting innovation for the companies
and laboratories involved. Its creation would be a concrete suite for the European Innovative
Programme Raw Materials.
‐ Big data applied to health care ETPI. The creation of a European Technological
Partnership Institute dedicated to this field would allow opening massive health care data,
with respect of deontological rules and personal life protection needed. Combined with big
data technologies, this Institute would allow massive innovation and individualized medical
care progress.
‐ Digital High Performance Computing ETPI. The objective of this ETPI would be to create a
pan European network of up-to-date High Performance Computing facilities, allowing an
access for both EU laboratories and companies to the integrated digital infrastructure
needed, considering the big data revolution.
