The research demonstrator fund was granted to ADEME in 2008 under the French Grenelle Environmental Forum. This funding has shown that French companies and State laboratories are able to take up the challenge of a technological shift in response to climate change issues. Since it was launched, more than one billion euros worth of disruptive technology research projects have been submitted to ADEME. The Investissements d’Avenir (“Investments for the Future”) created under the National Loan scheme will make it possible to maintain the momentum of this research dynamic and go beyond demonstrators by providing companies with the support they need to take their new technology into the experimental phase and validate it into pre-industrialisation.
ADEME has been selected for several projects under the “Investments for the Future” programme: road, rail and marine vehicles for a total funding package of one billion euros; carbon-free energy, including renewable energies, CO₂ capture and storage (CCS) and buildings and energy converters for a total envelope of 1.35 billion euros; the circular economy to prepare for the industrialisation of waste sorting and recovery technology and eco-design and soil remediation for a total of 250 million euros; and finally a programme for the development of smart grids worth 250 million euros.
These considerable funds will be applied to converting the trials run using the research demonstrator fund in order to promote green growth in France and abroad.