Carnot ISIFoR

What Carnot ISIFoR does

Carnot ISIFoR (Institut Carnot ISIFoR) is a French public research institute founded in 2011 and headquartered at the Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (UPPA) in Pau, France. It operates as one of 39 certified Carnot institutes under the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and federates 11 academic research laboratories located across Pau, Toulouse, Bordeaux, and Anglet, drawing on a pool of 865 research full-time equivalents (FTE). A five-person operational team (Director Pierre Cézac, Deputy Director Daniel Brito, Operational Director Virginie Caturla, International Correspondent Peter Moonen, plus communication and quality functions) brokers company R&D partnerships across geosciences, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, applied mathematics, computational modeling, microbiology and environmental chemistry.

The institute's core product is contract research services delivered to industrial partners, structured in four engagement formats: short-term service provision (less than one year), multi-year research partnerships (1–3 years), CIFRE industrial doctoral agreements co-funded by ANRT, and access to specialized scientific equipment. Specialized platforms include the DMEX X-ray imaging center (with spectral tomographs, unique in Europe), PROCEN for optimized industrial processes, CARMICE for microbiological characterization, ECOMES for emerging contaminants and speciation analysis, G2MP for porous-media geomechanics, and CRG for geological reservoir characterization. Core technical themes span subsurface hydrogen (native exploration and underground storage thermodynamics), CO2 storage and CCUS (capture through valorization), deep geothermal energy, and environmental characterization including Radon-222 tracer-based soil contamination mapping.

ISIFoR generates revenue by brokering 157 contracts annually with industry (SMEs through large groups), earning €7.8 million per year from partnership research as disclosed on its homepage. End markets include oil & gas majors, energy companies focused on hydrogen/geothermal/biogas, CCUS developers, mining and metals companies, environmental services firms, and French SMEs/ETI mid-cap firms. Named customers include TotalEnergies, Engie, Air Liquide, Storengy, Teréga, Geostock, Tarkett, Safran Landing Systems and Shimadzu; strategic ecosystem partners include CNRS, BRGM, CEA, IFPEN, and several UK/Italian/Spanish/Namibian universities. ISIFoR carries the Carnot label (re-certified 2016 and 2020) and has held ISO 9001:2015 certification for research project management since December 2014.

Name

Carnot ISIFoR

Legal name

Institut Carnot ISIFoR

Website

https://carnot-isifor.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Institut Carnot ISIFoR is a French public research institute (Pau) that brokers contract R&D between 11 academic laboratories and industry in geosciences and subsurface engineering — hydrogen storage, CO2 storage, geothermal, and environmental characterization — across 157 contracts and €7.8M annual partnership revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geoscience Research & Development Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Oil & Gas Field Exploration Services (1382), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mineral Exploration & Geoscience Services (Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Resource Modeling) (IMAKAKAA), International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK)

Keywords

• Subsurface geoscience research
• Contract research services
• Georesource engineering
• Underground hydrogen storage
• X-ray imaging center

Headquarters

HQ city

Pau

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Contract research services: ISIFoR facilitates contract research agreements between its 11 academic laboratories and companies (from SMEs to large groups). Contracts typically run 1–3 years and cover joint R&D programs, innovation projects, and new product development. Research results are jointly owned proportionally to financial and intellectual contributions. Companies can benefit from CIR (Research Tax Credit) or CICo through the host establishments.
2. Service provision (short-term): Short-term service contracts (less than one year) leveraging ISIFoR laboratory expertise to address specific company needs such as analyses, measurements, advisory, and expert appraisal services. Deliverables are produced against a predefined specification and are the exclusive property of the company.
3. CIFRE doctoral agreements: CIFRE (Convention Industrielle de Formation par la Recherche) agreements finance company-sponsored doctoral thesis projects, placing the PhD student at the center of a research collaboration between the company and a laboratory. The salary cost is partially funded by ANRT (Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie).
4. Access to scientific equipment: Access to specialized, state-of-the-art research equipment (e.g., DMEX X-ray imaging center) for companies' specific purposes, either as standalone access or integrated within broader research collaborations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ISIFoR provides collaborative R&D services to companies in geosciences and subsurface engineering, connecting them with 11 academic research laboratories. Its core offerings include contract research partnerships (1–3 years), short-term expert services (under one year) such as analyses, advisory and expert appraisal, CIFRE doctoral theses co-financed with ANRT, and access to specialized scientific equipment including the DMEX X-ray imaging center.

Product overview

ISIFoR is a Carnot institute offering collaborative R&D services to companies in geosciences and subsurface engineering. The institute operates through a network of 11 research laboratories and maintains multiple specialized research platforms (DMEX for X-ray imaging, PROCEN for energy/environment processes, CARMICE for microbiology, ECOMES for contaminants, G2MP for geomechanics, CRG for reservoir characterization). The core offering consists of research partnership services including service provision contracts, collaborative research projects, CIFRE doctoral arrangements, and access to scientific equipment—structured to accelerate industrial innovation in georesource engineering, energy transition, and environmental solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contract Research Services (Recherche Partenariale)
• Short-term Service Provision (Prestations de Services)
• CIFRE Doctoral Agreements
• DMEX X-ray Imaging Center Access

Quantifiable outcome

• 157 contracts per year with companies across 11 laboratories
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Comité RichelieucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2025The Carnot Network (which includes ISIFoR) entered into a partnership with the Comité Richelieu on 11 March 2025 to promote innovation among SMEs and mid-cap companies (ETI). The partnership aims to facilitate access to partnership R&D for smaller companies that may not have the resources to engage with public research directly.
• CNRS (INSUs, INSIS, INSMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNRS co-founded and co-sponsors the GDR HydroGEMM (Groupement de Recherche sur l'Hydrogène du Sous-Sol: Genèse, Modélisation Mathématique) alongside ISIFoR and other academic and industrial partners, providing institutional framework and funding for collaborative hydrogen subsurface research.
• BRGMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRGM (Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières) is a key EPIC partner in ISIFoR's ecosystem, collaborating on projects including CO2 storage, native hydrogen exploration (GDR HydroGEMM), and geothermal energy. BRGM and UPPA signed a framework agreement in January 2019 in geo-energy and environment.
• ShimadzucoreTechnology or IntegrationShimadzu licensed the UPPA–TotalEnergies–University of Oviedo patent for oxygen detection in petroleum matrices and biofuels, and developed a commercial mass spectrometry instrument (GC-2030). ISIFoR funded the initial research through successive Ressourcé projects. First commercial units delivered in 2023; full commercialization expected in 2024.
• TotalEnergiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term R&D partner in biofuel characterization research. TotalEnergies co-developed and co-patented the oxygen detection method with UPPA and University of Oviedo, tested Shimadzu's beta instrument, and is engaged in broader subsurface research (hydrogen, CO2 storage, CCUS) through ISIFoR's ecosystem.
• University of OviedomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic co-inventor of the oxygen detection patent, collaborating with UPPA and TotalEnergies on the ImCombMS project. A long-standing international research partner of ISIFoR/UPPA in analytical instrumentation for energy applications.
• CEAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives) is co-leading the PEPR Hydrogène décarboné program (€80M investment) and collaborating with ISIFoR researchers on underground hydrogen storage studies and Rayleigh-Taylor instability investigations.
• IFPEN (IFPEN RE Carnot)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFPEN (IFPEN RE Carnot) and ISIFoR collaborate through inter-Carnot projects such as H2STOCK2 (hydrogen storage in aquifers) and COMIQUE (rock physics replication in laboratory), combining complementary expertise in subsurface science and energy transition research.
• Storengy, Teréga, Geostock, CVA, Engie, Air LiquidemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThese major energy and gas infrastructure companies participate in the GDR HydroGEMM research group and broader ISIFoR ecosystem, engaging in collaborative research on underground hydrogen storage, geothermal energy, and subsurface energy transition technologies.
• Réseau CTI (Comité Traçabilité et Intégrité)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRéseau CTI and the Carnot Network (including ISIFoR) committed on 24 October 2023 to jointly accelerate the transition from research to innovation in industrial companies.
• Université de Namibie / Office Djiboutien de la GéothermieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISIFoR researchers collaborate with Namibian university and the Djiboutian Office of Geothermal Energy on native hydrogen exploration studies, conducting field measurements in Namibia and investigating geothermal/hydrogen co-production in Djibouti.
• Université d'Edimbourg / Université Heriot-WattminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISIFoR researcher Nicolas Beaudoin collaborates with University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University on Txm-R2 project (reservoir rock transformations), including doctoral mobility to Edinburgh for triaxial deformation experiments using Diamond Light Source synchrotron.
• Université de Turin (UNITA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-supervision (cotutelle) of OPTIMETH doctoral thesis between UPPA (LaTEP) and University of Turin (DISAFA) on biomethane optimization through coupled reactor systems.
• Association des Instituts Carnot (Ai Carnot)coreOthersISIFoR is one of 39 Carnot institutes federated by the Association des Instituts Carnot (Ai Carnot). Ai Carnot administers and promotes the Carnot network, manages the annual RDV Carnot event, and conducts network-wide communications, press relations, and industry engagement. Alexandre Bounouh has served as President of Ai Carnot since June 2023.
• AVENIA clustermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAVENIA is a competitiveness cluster for subsurface industries that co-organizes scientific webinars with ISIFoR and hosts the biennial Geodays business convention in which ISIFoR actively participates.
• Extra&ComajorGTM or Marketing PartnerExtra&Co is a Carnot network initiative bringing together institutes to support companies in the extractive industries sector. DMEX and ISIFoR joined Extra&Co in 2016 to expand collaboration scope.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SLB (Schlumberger): Global oilfield services and digital solutions company with major geoscience R&D capability. SLB is a broad incumbent competing for subsurface characterization and reservoir R&D budgets that ISIFoR also targets, but at much larger scale and with embedded global delivery.
• Halliburton: Global oilfield services company with extensive geoscience, drilling, and reservoir-evaluation R&D. Halliburton competes for similar subsurface and reservoir engineering R&D budgets as ISIFoR's oil & gas segment, though with much broader service portfolio.
• Viridien (formerly CGG): Global geoscience technology and consulting company providing seismic data acquisition, subsurface imaging, and earth science R&D services. Comparable to ISIFoR's reservoir characterization and geophysical imaging capabilities but at global scale and as a publicly listed entity.

Direct peers

• IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN): French public R&D organization and fellow Carnot institute focused on subsurface, energy transition, and geosciences. IFPEN runs inter-Carnot projects with ISIFoR (H2STOCK2, COMIQUE) and competes for similar oil & gas, hydrogen, and CCUS research contracts in France.
• INERIS: French public institute for industrial and environmental risks, offering applied research, testing, and expertise to industry and public authorities. Comparable to ISIFoR as a French public expert institute providing contract research and consulting on environmental and subsurface-related risk issues.
• BRGM (Bureau de Recherches G\u00e9ologiques et Mini\u00e8res): France's public geological survey, with a 2019 framework agreement with UPPA covering geo-energy and environment. BRGM co-leads the GDR HydroGEMM research group with ISIFoR and CNRS, and competes for similar subsurface, geothermal, and mineral-resources R&D engagements.

Emerging players

• Ikon Science: Subsurface geoscience software and services firm specializing in rock physics, pore pressure prediction, and reservoir characterization. Comparable to ISIFoR's geophysics and reservoir characterization focus, but as a private technology-focused provider rather than a public research institute.

Regional players

• NGI (Norwegian Geotechnical Institute): Norwegian applied research institute specializing in geotechnical engineering, offshore geosciences, and natural hazards. NGI operates a comparable contract-research and applied-science model to ISIFoR but with primary focus on geotechnical and offshore engineering rather than subsurface resources.
• British Geological Survey (BGS): UK public geoscience organization conducting geological surveys, subsurface research, and applied geoscience for industry. BGS is a regional peer operating a similar public-research model to ISIFoR but in the UK market and with a broader national-survey mandate.
• GEUS (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland): Danish public geoscience research and advisory organization providing subsurface characterization and energy/mineral resource R&D. GEUS is a regional peer offering a similar public-research-institute model across energy transition and subsurface domains in Northern Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/carnot_isifor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institut-carnot-isifor

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Carnot ISIFoR