“A strong university is not a cost, but a vital investment for French sovereignty” | EUROtoday

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Lhe debate on technological sovereignty focuses on navy effort, industrial manufacturing or securing provides. However, the principle factor is occurring within the universities. We have modified occasions and the stream of innovation has reversed. Today, synthetic intelligence, quantum know-how, sensors and superior supplies primarily come from civilian analysis laboratories, largely combined between universities and nationwide analysis organizations (ONR), and construction technological energy.

Indeed, many applied sciences are based mostly on scientific foundations developed by college laboratories or public funds, corresponding to lasers, GPS or extra lately the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine towards Covid-19. More than 70% of so-called twin applied sciences – helpful for each civil and navy functions – emerge from open analysis. In the strategic subject of quantum, 80% of scientific publications come from universities. And civilian budgets for analysis and growth (R&D) in synthetic intelligence far exceed these of navy companies.

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Technological sovereignty due to this fact relies upon immediately on the scientific vitality of the nation, its capability to finance and construction basic and interdisciplinary analysis inside our universities and the ONRs. This actuality makes funds cuts and will increase in expenses within the increased schooling and analysis (ESR) funds not solely worrying, however strategically harmful.

By technique

These cuts, repeated yr after yr, immediately threaten France’s means to stay a scientific and technological energy, at a time when worldwide competitors is strongest on basic points for the longer term. Across the world, nations investing closely of their universities are usually not doing so out of generosity: they’re doing so out of technique.

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https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2025/12/19/une-universite-forte-n-est-pas-un-cout-mais-un-investissement-vital-pour-la-souverainete-francaise_6658651_3232.html