CNRS Physics Strategy

Physics Toward 2030
Fundamental Research and Societal Impact
June 2024

Drawing on the work from each foresight workshop and contributions from the Institute’s Scientific Council, CNRS Physics has identified high-potential-impact themes that will receive special attention in the coming years. This strategy document explicitly identifies these challenges, marking CNRS Physics’ first commitment to the scientific community.
A scientific policy cannot be implemented without financial, human, and operational resources. Even in a financially constrained environment, CNRS Physics is committed to enabling the development of these high-impact themes. This strategy outlines two sets of actions: specific actions already launched in 2023–2024 and those planned for 2024–2025 to be deployed over the next twelve months.

Symposium: “Physics, a Science at the Heart of Societal Challenges”

In partnership with the OPECST (Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices), CNRS organized, for the first time, a symposium at the French Senate attended by scientists and members of Parliament, during which it detailed its strategy for positioning physics research as a crucial tool for supporting ongoing societal transitions.

A first roundtable allowed business leaders to clarify their relationships with academic laboratories.

Three brief presentations showcased discoveries made in academic physics laboratories with potentially major impacts in quantum technologies, health, and climate.

The second roundtable focused on the research community’s reflection on its own practices.

Download the CNRS Physics Foresight Report 2024 (FR)

Explore the CNRS Physique Prospectives chapters

Symposium presenting the CNRS Physique foresight project.

A presentation symposium for the entire community was held online on 12-13 September 2023. After a brief presentation of the foresight work carried out by the working groups, the community commented on and asked questions about all the texts that the various workshops had passed on to their contributors.

Providing solid foundations for technology transfer and innovation

Physics has always had a considerable societal impact. Many scientific advances have been transferred to technology that is now widely marketed in products such as computer chips, CD-ROMs or GPS systems. The CNRS Physics' research is often carried out far ahead of its later potential industrial applications. Nevertheless it remains a real source of innovation for major societal issues, particularly in the fields of health, materials, sustainable energy and data transfer.

The CNRS Pre-Maturation Program

Since 2015, the CNRS pre-maturation program has provided financial support and guidance during the early stages of development for innovative projects, in order to facilitate their transfer to industry or the creation of a company.

Innovation news from CNRS Physics

A discipline which is open to the whole world

CNRS Physics' international strategy promotes relations with the European Union and countries with high scientific potential, such as the United States, Japan and Canada. The Institute also maintains strong collaborative links with Russia and Singapore and has expanded these in recent years to India and to Latin America. CNRS Physics pays particular attention to all projects which promote the expertise behind French research, worldwide.

International influence

The CNRS's different tools enable CNRS Physics to give structure to the multitude and wealth of its research teams' international interactions.

The first main example of these tools is the International Emerging Actions initiative (IEA). There are currently 58 IEA running. On average, 66% of the CNRS Physics' publications are co-authored with international partners.

In addition, there are currently 12 International Research Networks (IRN, ex-GDRI) and 21 International Research Projects (IRP), whose respective objectives are to give a structure to networks of laboratories and of "laboratories without walls".

Finally, there are 6 International Research Laboratories (IRL, formerly called International Joint Units or UMI);

At the forefront of Horizon 2020

CNRS Physics laboratories are strongly involved in the construction of the European Research Area. From 2014 to 2016, they submitted 580 applications to the European Commission in response to calls for tenders in the framework of the Horizon 2020 program.

These applications covered subjects relating to scientific excellence (European Research Council, ERC), Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) and Marie Sklodowska-Curie projects.