Christian Poncet

Convergence between public research policies and industrial strategies

The present trend is for public research organisations to orient their programs towards industrial ends; industries are incorporating more knowledge in their innovation strategies; public policies incite a closing of the gap between the research institutions and the companies. These three observations contribute to the idea of convergence between public research policies and industrial strategies. This phenomenon is part of the history of modern science; it is based on an industrial logic (concentration, entry barriers), and has particularly marked the life sciences. The objective of this article is to demonstrate the way in which this convergence works, using as a base the construction of the new markets induced by genetic engineering, and on the behaviour of French research institutions in the face of these new challenges.