2. What are the French organizations?

Support for innovation in France had been entrusted to the Agence nationale de valorisation de la recherche (ANVAR), absorbed in 2010 by Oséo. Oséo Oséo Innovation, "the entrepreneurs' company", is the French public bank for financing innovative SMEs. Oséo Innovation was a French limited company, a subsidiary of Oséo, in charge of supporting innovation in France.

The main form of support for innovation since 2008 has been a tax incentive for R&D (tax credit). By comparison, direct support for innovation is declining slightly. It is provided either through a partnership between the State (via Oséo or other players), the regions, and the FUI fund for competitiveness clusters, or on a pooled basis by all players (specific funds) through Oséo.

Among the various...