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Innovation at BRGM
A strategy designed to optimise the impact of BRGM’s activities
Leveraging the organisation’s key strengths: this is the guiding principle of BRGM’s Innovation strategy, implemented in 2024. The strategy incorporates all the tools and resources needed to translate the results of BRGM’s research and studies into tangible applications, from promoting its reservoir of historical knowledge and data to developing emerging concepts, by fostering partnerships and collaboration with innovation ecosystems and creating new economic activities.
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The innovation process at BRGM involves transforming the results of scientific research into useful, value-added products, services or technologies. Whether through industrial partnerships, licences or the creation of start-ups, this process encourages innovation in all its forms and strengthens the economic competitiveness of France’s industrial fabric. This also helps to underpin the acknowledgement of BRGM’s scientific expertise and ensures that there is a return on investment for the public resources mobilised.
In 2019, in order to achieve these objectives, BRGM put in place a process aimed at taking its innovative new concepts through to maturity. This “maturation” process is currently supporting the development of 43 projects, which are the fruit of a constantly fertilised culture of innovation and robust support practices. In 2024, in line with its scientific strategy (see this pages), BRGM adopted a genuine innovation strategy, reflecting its desire to transfer the value of its expertise into the economic world.
Six key areas
Since BRGM already provides its scientific expertise all over France and around the world, this strategy represents the natural extension of its research activities and public-policy support services, while also embracing the development of innovations produced outside the organisation. It is structured around six key areas: Developing an internal culture of innovation and entrepreneurship; Protecting and promoting the organisation’s intellectual heritage; Supporting the development of emerging concepts through to maturity; Innovating with companies and organisations from the socio-economic world; Participating in innovation ecosystems; Facilitating the development of new economic activities.
First and foremost, the implementation of this strategy involves consolidating existing actions and policies, such as promoting the development of an innovation culture, protecting intellectual property and supporting the development of patents or innovative concepts with economic potential. BRGM’s strategy also involves helping companies and organisations in the business world to develop innovations. Like the Carnot Institutes (French public-private research label), BRGM places innovation at the heart of its business partnership policy and aims to further develop its relations with agile players in the field of innovation (SMEs and start-ups), notably by organising an annual call for innovative projects. This openness to the business sector is also reflected in BRGM’s active promotion of open innovation, notably through the organisation of its annual TInnov event.
Finally, BRGM’s commitment to innovation is reflected through its policy of helping new companies to develop their activities, thanks to its support programme devoted to young innovative companies and, above all, the capital-investment capabilities of BRGM Invest, the Group’s investment subsidiary (see opposite).
Lodaim
A light, reliable and quick optical asbestos-detector
Developed from a patent filed jointly with the CNRS, Lodaim can now detect 95% of the asbestos contained in manufactured materials, directly on the work site. This transportable prototype performs an optical analysis of a sample of material, which is ground down by the device beforehand. Due to its specific properties, notably the presence of chrysotile, asbestos can be detected in just 30 to 40 minutes. Given the interest shown by the commercial sector, Lodaim will enter the pre-manufacturing phase in 2025.
Three start-ups in development
Thanks to the synergy between its innovation development process and the investment and support capabilities of its subsidiary BRGM Invest, BRGM provides a comprehensive support package for value-added projects, leading to the creation of innovative start-ups. Three start-ups are currently being set up. Lyncée develops advanced solutions in the field of traceability, enabling critical materials to be tracked and authenticated throughout the value chain. CaliCO2, set up in conjunction with the «4elements» start-up studio, aims to industrialise an innovative process for capturing CO2. Finally, a start-up is being set up with the partners involved in the European HiQ-LCA project. Dedicated to verifying data for battery Life-Cycle Assessments (LCA), it will help battery manufacturers comply with the requirements of the European regulation concerning these products.
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