Continuing our regional overview of technology transfer, this month we examine western Europe’s Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany.

France

Global innovation ranking: 20

Global competiveness ranking: 23

R&D spend as a percentage of GNP: 1.9%

French technology transfer is in the middle of a major upheaval from many inidividual units to the Société d’Accélération du Transfert de Technologies (Satt) system (see profile).

Implemented in 2011, the initiative has resulted in universities and research institutes funnelling tech transfer efforts…