Country Overviews

Introduction

In France, the great majority of public transport research is coordinated at national ministry level. Key national transport research priorities include safety, energy and environmental issues as well as freight transport and accessibility. Total public funding amounts to Û300 million per year.

The largest single programme, accounting for about 20% of public expenditure on transport research, is Predit; the French inter-ministerial land transport research and innovation programme. The current Predit programme (Predit 4) is the fourth since its inception in 1990, and has a budget of more than Û400 million over five years. Most other public national or bilateral programmes are closely linked to Predit.

The two main transport research organisations in the public domain are INRETS (the national institute for transport and safety research), which deals with road safety, driving aids, transport networks and sustainability in a multidisciplinary way, and LCPC (the national laboratory for road research), which focuses on transport infrastructure.

Some regional research groupings exist, the oldest being the GRRT in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region (established in 1983). It is part of the RT3 network, which connects regional land transport research activities from seven French regions. Other regional research groupings also include competitiveness clusters which aim at generating synergies in the execution of innovative projects in the interest of one or more given markets.

Extensive research is also undertaken in the private sector, for all modes of transport. Automobile manufacturers, toll motorway operators, rail operators, public transit authorities, shipbuilders and others contribute to a large extent to innovation in the transport sector.

National Government Departments and Agencies

Ministry of the Environment, Energy, Sustainable development and Spatial planning / Ministère de l'Écologie, de l'Énergie, du Développement durable et de l'Aménagement du territoire (MEEDAT)

Ministry with responsibility for transport, infrastructure and maritime affairs.
www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr

Ministry of Further Education and Research / Ministère délégué à l'Enseignement supérieur et à la Recherche

www.recherche.gouv.fr

Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Employment / Ministère de l'Economie, de l'Industrie et de l'emploi

www.minefe.gouv.fr

ADEME - Environment and Energy Management Agency / Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie

www.ademe.fr

OSEO - serving entrepreneurs / OSEO - au service de l'entrepreneur

Group formed by merger of ANVAR - the French Innovation Agency, and BDPME - the SME Development Bank
www.oseo.fr

ANR - National Research Agency / Agence Nationale de la Recherche

www.agence-nationale-recherche.fr

Research and Technical Innovation Networks / Réseaux de Recherche et d'Innovation Technologique

In order to structure national technology research efforts funded by the Ministry of Research, 16 networks were set up in a wide range of scientific domains. Three such networks cover the field of transport: the Predit programme and the RGC&U and PACo networks (see below).

www.enseignementsup-recherche.gouv.fr/technologie/reseaux/rpredit.htm

PREDIT - Land Transport Research Programme / Programme de Recherche et de Développement pour l'Innovation et la Technologie dans les Transports Terrestres

PREDIT is a programme of research, experimentation and innovation in land transport, bringing together the ministries responsible for research, transport, the environment and industry, as well as government agencies ADEME, OSEO and ANR.
www.predit.prd.fr

PREDIT 1 (1990-1994)

PREDIT 2 (1996-2000)

PREDIT 3 (2002-2007) had a budget of around Û300 million in public funds. It was divided into 11 sub-programmes, clustered into six themes: mobility and territories, security and safety, goods transportation, energy and environment, technological integration, and policy.

PREDIT 4 (2008-2012) has a €400 million budget. The programme involves six groups ( "task groups") on six priority themes, each comprising several lines of research and innovation: energy and environment (GO1); quality and safety of transport systems (GO2); mobility in urban areas (GO3); logistics and freight transport (GO4); competitiveness of the transport industry (GO5); and transport policy (GO6).

RGC&U - Urban and Civil Engineering Research Network / Réseau de Recherche Génie Civil et Urbain

The RGCU network focuses on construction and civil engineering, including infrastructure for road and maritime transport, as well as underground construction. Funding for projects focuses on new materials, sustainability (recycling, noise reduction, etc.), construction processes, and maintenance issues. It is coordinated by the Ministry in charge of public works and transport.
www.rgcu.prd.fr

PACo - Fuel Cell Network / Réseau PACo (piles à combustibles)

The PACo network funds research for fuel cells for various applications (whether stationary or mobile), including pollution-free transport. It is coordinated by ADEME and CEA.
www.reseaupaco.org

PUCA - Urban Planning, Construction and Architecture / Plan Urbanisme Construction Architecture

The PUCA is a national programme in the field of spatial planning, housing, and urban renewal. As far as transport is concerned, it has recently funded research projects on urban mobility and on transport and inequality. It is coordinated by the ministry in charge of transport.
www.archi.fr/PUCA

Deufrako - French-German Cooperation Programme / Deutsch-Franzšsische Kooperation / Coopération franco-allemande

Deufrako is a bilateral programme bringing together Predit with its German counterpart "MobilitŠt und Verkehr". Initially focused on railways, it has opened up to new topics such as telematics, urban transport, freight, and noise reduction. It is coordinated by the French ministry in charge of transport and the German federal ministry of education and research.
www.deufrako.org

PRIMEQUAL - Inter-organisational Research for Better Air Quality at Local Level / Programme de Recherche Interorganisme pour une Meilleure Qualité de l'Air à l'Echelle Locale

PRIMEQUAL is a programme closely linked to Predit, dealing with air pollution. It focuses on improving the understanding of the sources of air pollution, as well as their effects on health and the environment. It is coordinated by the ministry in charge of ecology.
www.primequal.fr

Civil Aviation / Aviation Civile

Research coordinated by the Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile covering themes such as civil aircraft construction, communications, navigation, radar surveillance and air traffic control.
www.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/html/actu_gd/rech_dev.htm and www.cena.aviation-civile.gouv.fr/english/index.html

Regional Authorities

GRRT - Regional Group for Research in Transport in Nord-Pas-de-Calais / Groupement Régional Nord-Pas-de-Calais pour la Recherche dans les Transports

The GRRT provides a networking platform for transport research, bringing together public authorities, universities and industry. It offers information, advice, networking opportunities and laboratory facilities. It also helps investors from abroad to plan and implement ground transportation business projects in the Pas-de-Calais region. It is coordinated by the regional authority.
www.grrt.fr

Competitiveness Clusters / Pôles de compétitivité

France decided in 2004 to combine the key factors of competitiveness into its new industrial policy. A competitiveness cluster is defined as an association of companies, research centres and educational institutions at regional level working in partnership (under a common development strategy), and that aim at generating synergies in the execution of innovative projects in the interest of one or more given markets. Out of 71 competitiveness clusters, the following 10 are relevant to transport: Aerospace Valley, Automobiles haut de gamme, I-Trans, Logistique Seine-Normandie, Mov'eo, Advancity, Véhicule du future, Lyon urban truck and bus 2015, SYSTEM@TIC and Mobilité et transports avancés.
www.competitivite.gouv.fr/spip.php

RT3 - Inter-regional Network for Technological Research for Land Transport / Réseau Inter-régional de Recherche Technologique pour les Transports Terrestres

Grouping of five regional transport research programmes and regional institutes (GRRT, GARTT, IRSEEM, IERSET and Pôle Alsace Franche-Comté).
www.grrt.fr/pdf/rt3/presentation_rt3.pdf

Public Research Organisations and Research Institutes

The ministry in charge of public works and transport coordinates a network of scientific and technical organisations (réseau scientifique et technique - RST) which performs research activities, supports the deployment of innovations, helps with the dissemination of R&D results, and prepares policy recommendations. Some of them are particularly active in the field of transport research.

INRETS - French National Institute for Transport and Safety Research / INRETS - Institut National de la Recherche sur les Transports et leur Sécurité

INRETS has a four-year internal research programme and is involved in many national and European projects.
www.inrets.fr

LCPC - Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées

LCPC has long-standing recognition both in France and abroad in the area of civil engineering and is developing its activities in urban engineering, infrastructure safety and operation, sustainability and risk prevention.
www.lcpc.fr

CETMEF - Centre d'Études Techniques Maritimes et Fluviales

CETMEF is active in the field of maritime safety, telecommunications for navigation, and hydrology.
www.cetmef.equipement.gouv.fr

Certu - Centre d'Études sur les Réseaux, les Transports, l'Urbanisme et les Constructions Publiques

CERTU is in charge of producing and disseminating knowledge, as well as providing solutions and recommendations on a broad range of urban issues.
www.certu.fr

Other organisations

Maritime sector

The French Institute of Navigation / Institut français de la navigation

The Institute of Navigation (IFN) is a non-profit making organisation. The main objective of IFN is to promote the sciences and techniques related to navigation, whatever the modes; maritime, ground, or aerial.
www.ifnavigation.com

Rail sector

SNCF - French Railways / Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français
www.recherche.sncf.com

Road sector

ASFA - Association of French Motorways / Association des Sociétés Françaises d'Autoroutes
www.autoroutes.fr