Through Idylle, the CNRS offers life science laboratories a platform for innovation transfer

Scientists have a never-ending flow of ideas that they want to see developed to save time for colleagues or to make their experiments and results more reliable. CNRS, like the start-up accelerator Quattrocento, already supports research teams when it comes to moving from the research result to the proof of concept and then to market launch. However, technology transfer tools such as patent filing and transfer to a company are not always suitable for innovative research tools.

Life sciences laboratories are full of those tools. Imagine microscopy reagents, cell culture materials and molecular biology probes for instance. This is where Idylle comes in, founded within Quattrocento and supported by the Investments for the Future programme (PIA)1 led by the Secrétariat général pour l'investissement (SGPI). After two years of fruitful collaboration, the CNRS has taken a stake in Idylle, which will benefit from the financial support of the Banque des Territoires, the State's operator for the "University and Research Companies" action of the PIA, in order to accelerate the emergence of this new form of technology transfer of research results.

Idylle promotes collaboration between laboratories by identifying the best communities of designers and users for innovative research tools. It supports teams in transforming their technologies into robust and reliable research products. It handles all design, production, logistics and sales operations from the supplier lab to the customer lab.

"Our various activities, from the Rise start-up program to patent transfer, were already getting technologies from our laboratories to the market, but only for innovations that address a market large enough to appeal to manufacturers and investors. Today with Idylle we are opening new development avenues in the CNRS, from and for scientists. Using it will facilitate the swift dissemination and use of new research tools for biological sciences," said Antoine Petit, CNRS President.

"Our partnership with the CNRS offers us a preferred framework for easier and faster collaboration with researchers. Together, we want to empower them to circulate their research results more effectively, thereby generating new ideas and collaborations. On a large scale, this model helps to accelerate research by creating a truly circular knowledge-based economy!” said Mathieu Grisolia, Managing Director of Idylle.

Bertrand Fourquet, President of Quattrocento, added: "I am very proud of this very practical public/private partnership! It was a real pleasure to set up it with the CNRS supported by the Banque des Territoires. That happened naturally. This gives Quattrocento great satisfaction: Idylle will solve powerful research challenges and concrete economic challenges."

For more information: www.idylle-labs.com

• 1The PIA, which has been in place for 10 years and is managed by the Secrétariat général pour l'investissement (SGPI) reporting to the Prime Minister, finances innovative projects that contribute to the transformation of the country, sustainable growth and the creation of the jobs of tomorrow. From the emergence of an idea to the dissemination of a new product or service, the PIA supports the entire life cycle of innovation, between the public and private sectors, alongside economic, academic, territorial and European partners. These investments are based on a demanding doctrine, open selection procedures, and principles of co-financing or returns on investment for the State. The fourth PIA (PIA4) is endowed with €20 billion in commitments over the period 2021-2025, of which €11 billion will contribute to supporting innovative projects within the framework of the France Recovery Plan.