Government incentives and a favourable overall context have made the French technology industry grow at a good pace.
Yann LeCun has earned the respect of the technology community and academia globally. This university professor and artificial intelligence specialist was requested by Facebook in 2013 to lead your AI efforts. Over the years this area has gained greater notoriety and so has LeCun.
French by birth and education, when LeCun talks about Europe and France he always highlights his great potential in the technological field. In recent years it seems that your country has definitely opted for this field. Artificial intelligence has been one of the most pampered aspects. The French government announced last year that it would invest 1,500 million euros until 2022 in this field. The idea is to generate new proposals and attract talent to the country.
France is also leading, along with Canada, an effort to promote an ethical approach to the design and use of technology. It has also boosted blockchain exploration. While in an attempt to gain some technological independence he has undertaken a project of height: the creation of his own courier service.
The French country has also pioneered the adoption of electric cars. Only Norway has surpassed France in numbers in this field. The French government has sought the creation of a network of charging points and the proliferation of alternative motor vehicles.
A boost to technological investment
LeCun is the best known case of French talent holding senior positions of responsibility in Silicon Valley. But he’s far from the only one. More and more French citizens they come to the mecca of technology to work in large companies or startups. Moreover, there are French companies, such as Scality object-based storage, that have made the leap to Silicon Valley.
This will be more common in the future because in France there is a substrate that favors an ecosystem of technological entrepreneurship. The government has launched measures that simplify the creation of a company online, has reformed taxation and facilitated the hiring process.
There are also new ways of accessing funding. This has improved considerably in France. Since 2014, French startups have raised the equivalent of 12,840 million dollars , according to CB Insights analysis. Only in the first quarter of this year have been 1,160 million, with what is expected a new record for 2019. If everything goes as indicated the figure will far exceed the 3,400 million last year.
France is currently the second largest investor in Europe, only behind the United Kingdom. The goal of the Gallic government is to have 20 unicorns by 2025 compared to the four you have today. In comparison, the United Kingdom has 16, China has 90, and in the United States there are 165.
Images: fneitzke, Sweet One
