Mica Carnot Institute

What Mica Carnot Institute does

Carnot MICA is a French public research consortium operating under the Carnot Institute label, specializing in functional materials, surfaces, interfaces, and related processes. It unites 15 member institutions — 7 research laboratories (ICPEES, IS2M, ICS, BIOS, INSERM Biomaterials & Bioengineering, IRCELYON) and 8 technical/technology centers (AERIAL, APESA, CRITT Materials Innovation, HOLO3, IFTH, UBSIDE, IREPA LASER, RITTMO) — to deliver end-to-end R&D from fundamental research to industrial application. The consortium's technology portfolio spans nanomaterials, femtosecond laser texturing, atmospheric plasma treatment, optical metrology (deflectometry, fringe projection), UV jet printing, XXL metal additive manufacturing, green polymers, reversible catalytic hydrogen storage (MASTORHY), and high-pressure hydrogen tank testing. It operates a unique-in-France hydrogen tank test bench and develops technology demonstrators across defense, mobility, health, environment, and luxury sectors.

The business model is a publicly funded non-profit research network: company accompaniment is provided free of charge to industrial partners, supported by the French Carnot label, ANR research grants, regional government co-funding, and EU FEDER funds. Revenue is generated through collaborative research contracts, technology transfer agreements, and R&D service engagements with industrial players. Each company receives a single dedicated interlocutor who coordinates access to multidisciplinary expertise and infrastructure across the consortium. Distribution is primarily domestic France, leveraging the Carnot Network's 39 institutes for national reach, with international visibility through trade show participation at Eurosatory, Pollutec, Bioket, JEC World, Luxe Pack Monaco, and Medi'Nov Connection.

Carnot MICA serves 8 strategic verticals — Chemistry and Materials, Mobility, Defense, Industry, Energy and Environment, Bioeconomy, Fashion and Luxury, and Health — supporting nearly 900 companies annually ranging from SMEs to large corporations. Named enterprise engagements include BIC (nano-inks), Velcorex/Emanuel Lang (bio-based flax materials), Chromatotec (PAH air sampling), APS Coating Solutions (PFAS replacement), and ComposiTIC (hydrogen tank development). The consortium is headquartered in Mulhouse, France, with key engineering/R&D presence at Université Bretagne Sud in Lorient, and was founded in 2011 with 11-50 direct coordinating employees.

Name

Mica Carnot Institute

Legal name

Carnot MICA

Website

https://carnot-mica.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

French public research consortium uniting 15 member laboratories and technical centers to deliver free R&D services in functional materials, surfaces, and processes to approximately 900 industrial companies annually across 8 sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mulhouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Collaborative R&D Partnership Services: Carnot MICA provides free accompaniment to companies, serving as a public research institute funded through the French Carnot label and public research funding. Companies receive scientific expertise, infrastructure access, and R&D collaboration at no cost, funded by government research allocations and the Carnot Network framework. Revenue is generated through collaborative research contracts, technology transfer fees, and R&D service engagements with industrial partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carnot MICA is a French public research consortium that provides free collaborative R&D accompaniment to industrial companies, specializing in functional materials, surfaces, interfaces, and related processes. It pools 15 member institutions (7 research laboratories and 8 technical/technology centers) to deliver end-to-end innovation projects from fundamental research to industrial application across mobility, defense, industry, energy and environment, bioeconomy, fashion and luxury, chemistry and materials, and health sectors.

Product overview

Carnot MICA is a French public research network (Réseau Carnot) specializing in functional materials, surfaces, interfaces, and related processes. The organization offers a multi-service portfolio organized around 7 core innovation pillars: Tailor-made Materials, Smart Materials, High-Performance and Sustainable Alternatives, New Technologies, Light-Matter Interactions, Testing/Durability/Performance, and Technology Transfer. The portfolio also includes technology demonstrators such as Nano-inks (developed with BIC), Magnetic Nanomaterials for depollution, Femtosecond Laser Texturing for antibacterial surfaces, Swall-E swallowing simulator with AI capabilities, Optical Defect Detection, Atmospheric Plasma Torch, Green Polymers, Methanization Pilot, Fast 3D Scanning, UV Jet Printing, XXL Additive Manufacturing, and Antimicrobial Spray Coating. Carnot MICA serves 8 strategic sectors: Mobility, Defense, Industry, Energy and Environment, Bioeconomy, Fashion and Luxury, Chemistry and Materials, and Health. The organization comprises 15 member institutions (7 research laboratories and 8 technical/technology centers) and supports approximately 900 companies annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tailor-made Materials (Matériaux sur-mesure)

Quantifiable outcome

• 95%+ PAH removal efficiency in water within a short time using magnetic nanomaterials
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

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

• Velcorex / Emanuel Lang GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The Alsatian textile company Velcorex (Emanuel Lang Group) and IS2M (a Carnot MICA member) launched the Bio@Tex joint laboratory in 2022, after winning a call for projects from the French National Research Agency (ANR). The LabCom aims to jointly develop new bio-based materials from flax for future industrial applications in mobility, furniture, nautical, aerospace, automotive, and medical sectors.
• UBSIDEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUBSIDE is a member organization of Carnot MICA and a key partner in hydrogen tank development, operating the unique-in-France high-pressure hydrogen tank test bench at Université Bretagne Sud in Lorient. Carnot MICA has supported UBSIDE's development since 2020, particularly in strengthening relationships with major industrial players. UBSIDE works with ComposiTIC on Type IV hydrogen tank development and thermoplastic composites.
• ISL (Institut de Recherche Franco-Allemand, Saint-Louis)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Franco-German Research Institute in Saint-Louis (ISL) collaborates with Carnot MICA on ballistic protection, specifically for the characterization of materials under ballistic impact in the complex-shaped ballistic plate project presented at Eurosatory 2026.
• BICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIC, the global writing instruments and consumer products company, partnered with IS2M (a Carnot MICA member) to develop nano-inks — plasmonic pigment-free sustainable inks. This strategic partnership has produced an innovative hybrid nanomaterial technology without traditional pigments or dyes, with applications across healthcare, sports, construction, coatings, anti-counterfeiting, and more.
• ComposiTIC (Université Bretagne Sud)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComposiTIC is a Carnot ARTS member at Université Bretagne Sud that jointly operates the hydrogen tank test bench with UBSIDE. For over ten years, ComposiTIC has focused on R&D, technology transfer, and training in composite manufacturing, supporting SMEs in transitioning to automated and robotic technologies. Carnot MICA facilitated the connection between UBSIDE and ComposiTIC.
• ChromatotecmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarnot MICA (ICPEES, IPCMS) is conducting a four-year ANR project with Chromatotec, a company specializing in air quality monitoring. The project focuses on PAH air sampling using a portable device based on magnetic nanomaterials that selectively trap, concentrate, and thermodesorb compounds for precise analysis in both air and water.
• CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CEA collaborated with ICPEES and IRCELYON (Carnot MICA members) during a PhD that developed the bio-based LOHC pair technology underpinning the MASTORHY project for reversible catalytic hydrogen storage. The CEA's earlier research provided the foundational results that encouraged further investigation by Carnot MICA researchers.
• RITTMO AgroenvironnementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRITTMO Agroenvironnement is a Carnot MICA member and collaborator, developing the methanization pilot plant for anaerobic digestion research. RITTMO's expertise in agricultural and environmental solutions complements Carnot MICA's materials science capabilities. RITTMO participates in Pollutec 2025 alongside Carnot MICA.
• ENGEES (École Nationale Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de l'Environnement)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerENGEES collaborates with Carnot MICA (ICPEES, IPCMS) on wastewater treatment applications for magnetic nanomaterials, extending the depollution technology beyond air purification to water treatment solutions.
• CetimcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCetim is part of the Carnot Cetim-MICA alliance coordinating a four-year research programme to develop anti-friction coatings as alternatives to fluorinated polymers. The consortium brings together three Alsatian CNRS laboratories (LIMA, IS2M, ICS), Cetim, and industrial firm APS Coating Solutions, with an investment of approximately €900,000.
• APS Coating SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPS Coating Solutions is an industrial firm participating in the Carnot Cetim-MICA alliance consortium for developing anti-friction coatings as alternatives to fluorinated polymers (PFAS). The four-year programme involves approximately €900,000 investment.
• 3BCAR, Chimie Balard Cirimat, I2C, Icéel, IPGG MicrofluidicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive other Carnot institutes (3BCAR, Chimie Balard Cirimat, I2C, Icéel, IPGG Microfluidics) joined Carnot MICA at the Bioket 2024 event to present a united Carnot Network offering for bioeconomy innovation. The collaboration covers biorefining, biomass management, bio-based products, industrial biotechnology, eco-design, processing, and recycling.
• LIMA, IS2M, ICS (CNRS Laboratories)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree Alsatian CNRS laboratories — LIMA, IS2M, and ICS — are part of the Carnot Cetim-MICA alliance consortium developing anti-friction coatings as alternatives to fluorinated polymers. The four-year programme is based on three PhD theses and involves approximately €900,000 investment, coordinated by the Carnot Cetim-MICA alliance.
• AiCarnot (Association des Instituts Carnot)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAiCarnot coordinates the Carnot Network of 39 institutes, fosters synergies between institutes, organizes exchanges, and promotes professional collaborative research. Carnot MICA is a member and operates under the Carnot Charter, which formalizes values of ethics, partnership quality, and professionalism.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fraunhofer Institute: Germany's flagship network of 76 applied research institutes, offering contract R&D to industry across materials, surfaces, manufacturing, and process technologies. Closest international analog to the Carnot model — same mission of bridging public research and industrial application through multidisciplinary consortia.
• CSEM (Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique): Swiss public R&D center specializing in microtechnology, surface engineering, and materials — comparable as a publicly funded institute bridging academic research and industrial application in advanced materials and surface treatment.
• CEA (Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives): French public R&D organization operating across energy, materials, health, and defense — a frequent Carnot MICA collaborator (e.g., on the MASTORHY hydrogen storage project via CEA's earlier research). Comparable as a publicly funded French research powerhouse with materials and hydrogen competencies.
• TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): Dutch applied research organization with similar contract R&D model serving industry across materials, energy, mobility, and health. Direct peer in the European public-applied-research category, with comparable industry partnership structures.
• Leti (CEA Tech): French applied research lab focused on micro/nanotechnologies and semiconductor/surface process technologies — comparable as a publicly funded R&D partner with industry-funded programs in advanced materials and surfaces.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finland's applied research organization with strong competencies in materials, bioeconomy, and sustainable industrial technologies. Comparable as a publicly funded multidisciplinary R&D partner serving European industry.

Emerging players

• ITENE (Instituto Tecnológico del Embalaje, Transporte y Logística): Spanish technology center providing applied R&D in packaging, materials, and sustainable polymers. Adjacent to Carnot MICA's sustainable materials and bioeconomy offerings, with comparable SME-focused R&D partnership model.

Broad incumbents

• CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique): France's largest public research organization — the parent body of several Carnot MICA member laboratories (IS2M, ICS, ICPEES, IRCELYON). A broader incumbent that supplies fundamental science to Carnot MICA's applied consortia.
• IRT (Instituts de Recherche Technologique) network — e.g., IRT M2P: French public-private research institutes focused on specific industrial themes (materials, processes, energy). Comparable to Carnot MICA as part of France's public R&D ecosystem supporting industrial competitiveness, though more narrowly scoped to specific technology domains.

Regional players

• Tekniker (Fundación Tekniker): Basque Country technology center with capabilities in advanced manufacturing, surface engineering, and materials — operates a similar contract R&D partnership model for regional industry, comparable as a non-French Carnot-equivalent in southern Europe.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CarnotMica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carnot-mica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mica Carnot Institute