Rapport 24-01. L’innovation en santé : une action volontariste de l’État face à la complexité de son organisation

Abstract

Like innovation in general, innovation in healthcare meets the criteria of novelty with a leap of inventiveness that cannot be predicted by the state of the art. Its specific nature relies on the strict constraints inherent in its application, in particular the compliance with bioethics principles and the specific regulations governing research and innovation in humans. Public support for innovation has been steadily strengthened over the past twenty years, through the “Programmes d'investissement d'avenir” (PIA) from 2010. However, the proliferation of agencies, calls for proposals, and technology transfer offices has led to a disorganization of the system, detrimental to efficiency. In addition, the increase in funding via the PIA is not consistent with the steady decline in resources allocated to basic research in biology and health, which is at the root of innovation. If innovation is to reach the patient's bedside, and should contribute to France's healthcare sovereignty, it is essential (i) to strengthen and coordinate the continuum of funding from basic research to seed capital for innovation projects, and then to the development capital; (ii) to simplify by reducing the number of national and local technology transfer bodies; (iii) to encourage private investment in biology and health, notably through tax incentives; (iv) to shorter contractual terms; and (v) to support for research infrastructures open to start-ups and high-risk projects.