This July 25 Emmanuel Macron, French Minister for Economy and Industry announced in Laval the new 9 French Tech Thematic Networks selected after the call for applications launched in January. Several EBN members in France are among the chosen ones.

In addition to the 14 cities and 4 territories already labeled as French Tech in 2014 and 2015, these new thematic networks bring together startup ecosystems scattered through the country and that have a topic of common interest. Over 100 projects were submitted, representing 37 territories. The new 9 thematic networks will be focused on:

• Cleantech & Mobility
• IoT & Manufacturing
• Edtech and Entertainment
• FinTech
• FoodTech
• HealthTech
• Retail
• Security Privacy 
• Sport. 

Several EBN Members are now successfuly part of these thematic networks in the regions of Laval, Toulon, Nantes, Aix Marseille and the Alps. 

On the release of the new Thematic Networks, Christian Travier, Director of the EU|BIC in Laval (Laval Mayenne) which hosted the visit of the French Minister for Economy and Industry last July 25th said: “This represents first a recognition of 20 years of investment and hard work for Laval To specialise in Real and Augmented Reality, and a great opportunity for increased visibility, extended network and growth opportunities for our startups.”

An overview of the this new initiative (in french) is available here.