Innovation Europe > Collaborative Europe > Innovation France

The global innovation index for Innovation France remains stable and above the EU average over the last four years, even though a slight decrease in its position appears for 2007. The overall performance of the country ranks Innovation France number 15 in the group of “innovation followers”, just behind the group of “innovation leaders” (comprising Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the UK, for instance). Innovation France can be compared to Luxembourg, Ireland, Austria, the Netherlands and Belgium.

Many policy efforts have been deployed in Innovation France these last years to face innovation challenges. One of the major challenges in Innovation France deals with the need to increase synergies between public and private research with a view to increase the private-sector expenditure on R&D. Indeed, with 2.08% of its GDP devoted to R&D expenditure in 2007, Innovation France continues to proportionally reduce its R&D expenses and to move away from the 3% Lisbon objective (2010), both in terms of the overall rate and in terms of the distribution between private and public expenditure. After an increase during the period 2000-02, the rate of expenditure on R&D continues to fall. The French ratio is above the EU-27 average. Innovation France remains in sixth position following Sweden, Finland, Germany, Denmark and Austria with regards to R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP (Gross Expenditure on Research and Development/GDP).

Main innovation challenges for Innovation France
1. Increase synergies between public and private research.
2. Improve investment in non-technological innovation (organisational innovation, ICT, design) in SMEs.
3. Improve IPR use by SMEs.

Action
The year 2007 was marked by the streamlining of existing measures and systems, both at the national and regional level. The government marked an increased focus on SMEs. The election of a new president marked the beginning of structural reforms in Innovation France, such as the university system reform, which is the first step towards a major reform of the French public research system. The evaluations of two major innovation support schemes (the competitiveness clusters and the Young Innovative Company support scheme) proved that the policy implemented in Innovation France was of good rationale and quality and needed to be pursued.

More information on each country is available in the EIS report and its thematic papers which are available on the INNO Metrics website (www.proinno-europe.eu/metrics). Detailed information on policy measures and governance is available at the INNO Policy TrendChart website (www.proinno-europe.eu/trendchart).