19-03-2012

Total commits to four R&D institute projects

Total is partnering four of the R&D institute projects covered by the French government’s Investissements d’avenir (Investing in the Future) stimulus program. The projects are being implemented by public-private partnerships that combine academic and business resources in France to prepare the energy future.

- In the area of photovoltaic solar energy, Total will be one of the leaders of the  IPVF project to create an R&D institute in the Paris region that will be one of the top five in the world for next-generation photovoltaic solar systems.

- In the area of low-carbon geotechnology, the Geodenergies project is designed to unlock additional value from mineral resource development and management via carbon storage, energy storage and geothermal energy processes.

- In the area of biofuels, the GreenStars project aims to develop next-generation biofuels and products from microalgae.

- In the area of energy efficiency, the PS2E project aims to set up a research, training and development institute in Saclay, outside Paris, to address the energy efficiency challenges of industrial infrastructure in urban areas.

Total, Actively Supporting Open Innovation
R&D is a cornerstone of Total's growth strategy, not only in its core oil, gas and chemical business, but also to prepare the energy future and continuously improve the way it addresses environmental challenges. The Group has increased its R&D capital expenditure by 37% in the last five years and is planning to spend €6 billion over the next five years.

“Public-private partnerships bring together several businesses and public laboratories. They allow us to pool our competencies to amplify our initiatives and to diversify our research focuses in areas that are sometimes very different from those typical of Total,” comments Jean-François Minster, Senior Vice President, Scientific Development at Total. “This approach is particularly well suited to areas where technologies are proliferating. Through these partnerships, we can more quickly integrate new knowledge in our products and industrial processes.”

These strategic partnerships reflect Total’s commitment to sustainably nurturing   France’s R&D and to strengthening the Group’s worldwide R&D partnership network. France is Total’s bridgehead for R&D and innovative technologies, accounting for more than half of the Group’s spending and teams in this area and nearly two-thirds of its R&D partners.