At a time when France is presenting a Military Program Law unparalleled in recent years, when threats are both becoming clearer and more elusive, and when we hear talk of war economies and necessary alliances, the question of the effectiveness of public policy in terms of defense innovation takes on all its importance.
The aim is not only to secure our equipment, technologies and means of action in the field, but also to maintain our technological capacity and credibility at global level, in a context of massive armament by the major military powers.
The Institut Montaigne has set up a working group to examine existing administrative instruments for supporting and developing innovative defense technologies, and to formulate recommendations aimed at strengthening the French defense technology innovation ecosystem. A long-standing player in the transformation of the aerospace and defense sector, Eurogroup Consulting has joined this group, co-chaired by Julie Burguburu and Marwan Lahoud, as rapporteur.
The conclusions of their work are published in a report "Defence innovation: instruments to be strengthenedwhich develops 6 key recommendations.
6 RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN THE FRENCH DEFENSE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM
Recommendation no. 1
Develop a long-term roadmap (25-30 years) for defense innovation, regularly adjusted on the basis of consultations with the players concerned and evaluations of the projects supported. In today's global context, a forward-looking, innovation-focused approach is essential.
Recommendation #2
Improve the attractiveness of the defense sector for innovation talent and expertise, by setting up an "innovation reserve" in partnership with companies.
Recommendation 3
Optimize the impact of the Defense Innovation Agency by strengthening its action beyond the project initiation phase.
Recommendation No. 4
Ensure a continuum between the State and innovation players, to ensure that innovation is widely disseminated. A more inclusive purchasing culture, from start-ups to major corporations, is essential for scaling up.
Recommendation no. 5
Explicitly direct part of public innovation funds and acceleration strategies towards supporting dual technologies.
Recommendation no. 6
Organize French responses to European defense innovation tenders more effectively, to maximize the chances of success.
WORKING GROUP COMPOSITION
Chairmen
- Julie Burguburu, General Secretary of the TF1 Group, ADER member
and Cercle Fontenoy - Marwan Lahoud, Managing Director of Tikehau Capital,
President, Private Equity
Working group members
- Michaël Agbohouto, Principal, Eurogroup Consulting (rapporteur)
- Jean Belin, holder of the Chair in Defence Economics, IHEDN, lecturer, University of Bordeaux
- Laurent Collet-Billon, co-president, La Place stratégique, former delegate general for armaments
- Vice-Admiral Arnaud Coustillière, President, Pôle d'Excellence Cyber,
creator of the DGNUM at the Ministry of the Armed Forces, former (and first) general officer for cyber defence - Benoît Deveaud, Vice Provost for Research, École Polytechnique
- Jonathan Guiffard, Senior Fellow, Institut Montaigne
- Faÿçal Hafied, Managing Partner, Klymb (rapporteur)
- Olga Kokshagina, Associate Professor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, EDHEC Business School
- André Loesekrug-PietriPresident and Scientific Director, Joint European Disruptive Initiative (JEDI)
- Diana Mangalagiu, Professor, Neoma Business School, Associate Fellow, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
- François Martin, Head of Space and Defense Business Unit, STMicroelectronics
- General Denis Mercier, Deputy Managing Director, Fives, former Air Force Chief of Staff, former Supreme Allied Commander for NATO Transformation
- Xavier Pernot, partner in charge of the litigation-arbitration-mediation department, Jeantet
- Grégoire de Saint-Quentin, former Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Senior Vice-President of Preligens
- Adeline Taravella, Associate Director, Eurogroup Consulting (rapporteur)
People interviewed
- IGA Patrick Aufort, Director, Defense Innovation Agency
- Éric Autellet, major general of the armed forces
- Gilles Babinet, Vice-President, Conseil national du numérique, Co-founder, Isotope Energy
- Nicolas Berdou, Investment Director, Fonds Innovation Défense and Definvest, Bpifrance
- Bruno BerthetCEO, ARESIA
- David Bertolotti, General Secretary and General Counsel, Eutelsat
- Antoine de Braquilanges, General Manager, Helsing France
- Nicolas Chaillan, Founder of Ask Sage, former Chief Software Officer, U.S. Air Force and Space Force
- Emmanuel Chiva, Delegate General for Armaments, former Director of the Defense Innovation Agency
- Jean-Pierre Clerc, Head of Armaments Purchasing Department, French defense procurement agency (Direction générale de l'armement)
- Stéphane Cueille, President, Safran Electrical & Power
- Jean-Philippe Dufour, Program Director, HyPrSpace
- Thierry DupouxVice President, Innovation, Safran Electronics & Defense
- Alexandre Dupuy, Director of Public Affairs, Communication and Trade France, Nexter a company of KNDS
- Marc Fontaine, President, Helsing France
- Clément Galic, Co-founder & CEO, Unseenlabs
- Denis Gardin, Director Innovation and Future Technologies, MBDA
- Éric Grivel, Assets + project manager for Université de Bordeaux, Prof. at Bordeaux INP
- General Guy Girier, Defence Advisor to the Executive Director, Airbus
- Arnaud Guérin, CEO, Preligens
- Sir Christopher Harper, Air Marshal, Royal Air Force
- Christian Jacques, Director of Innovation, Arquus
- Cyril Kabbara, Co-founder, Chairman & CEO, Shark Robotics
- General André Lanata, former Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, NATO
- Air Force Lieutenant General Jean-Marc Laurent, Executive Head of the Defence & Aerospace Chair, Sciences Po Bordeaux
- Sébastien-Yves Laurent, University Professor at the Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Bordeaux
- Jean-Vincent Legrand, Vice President, R&T and Business Development, Defense Division, Safran Electronics & Defense
- Hervé Le Guyader, author, ENSC delegate for relations with NATO's Allied Command Transformation
- Frédéric Le Lidec, Strategy Director, International Industrial Development, Naval Group
- Olivier Lesbre, General Manager, ISAE-SUPAERO
- Bertrand Lucereau, Chairman, Secamic, Honorary Chairman, Comité Aéro-PME du GIFAS
- Alexis Mabile, Director of Innovation and Digital Transformation, Nexter a company of KNDS
- François Mattens, co-founder and vice-president, Défense Angels
- Jean-François Morizur, Founder & CEO, Cailabs
- Guillaume Muesser, Director of Defense and Economic Affairs, Groupement des industries françaises aéronautiques et spatiales (GIFAS)
- Éric Papin, Executive Vice President, Chief Technical Officer, Naval Group
- Cédric Perrin, Senator, Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces Committee, Senate
- Colonel Sébastien de Peyret, Defense Innovation Agency, former director of Battle Lab Terre
- Guillaume Scottez, Director of Innovation and Corporate Venturing, Eutelsat
- François Pintart, Director of Operations, Direction Générale de l'Armement
- Benoît Rademacher, Director of Armaments and Defense Economics, IRSEM
- Olivier Ruas, Vice President, Strategy, Innovation and Technology, Safran Electronics & Defense
- Burkard Schmitt, Director of Defense and Security, European Aerospace and Defense Industries Association (ASD)
- Adrien Schu, lecturer in political science, University of Bordeaux
- Massis Sirapian, Deputy Head of Open Innovation, Defense Innovation Agency
- Philippe Valéry, VP, Technical Operations, Thales
- General Benoît Vidaud, Director, Army Technical Section
de Terre (STAT)
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