Institut Carnot I2C

What Institut Carnot I2C does

Institut Carnot i2C is a public research institute headquartered in Mont Saint-Aignan, Normandy, France, governed by Normandie Université and operating under six supervisory bodies (CEA, CNRS, ENSICAEN, INSA Rouen, Université de Rouen, Université de Caen Normandie, Université Le Havre Normandie). It federates 8 internationally recognized chemistry laboratories across Rouen, Caen, and Le Havre with approximately 500 researchers, engineers and technicians, and was awarded the Carnot label by MESRI in 2020. ISO 9001:2015 certified since June 2019, i2C structures its R&D offering around 5 expertise domains (Chemistry for Health, Cosmetics, Sustainable Development, Polymer Materials, Specialty Chemistry) and operates 7 technology platforms including C2i-OrgA, ACCèS, Cyceron, DruID, PISSARO, PRIMACEN, and Infranalytics, anchored by an equipment park valued at ~€40M.

Core technical assets center on the molecule: molecular synthesis and modification, chemical analysis (including ultra-high-field FT-ICR mass spectrometry), formulation of complex molecular systems, and polymer chemistry. Differentiated capabilities include flow chemistry and continuous processes, green chemistry and CO2 valorization, radiochemistry and radiopharmaceutical development, and a unique-in-France multidisciplinary platform (C2i-OrgA) combining organic synthesis technologies with analytical chemistry. The institute accumulated 300 rank A publications and 45 patents filed as of 2022, and supports training pipelines through the XL-Chem Graduate School and 3 affiliated excellence labels (LabEx SynOrg, LabEx EMC3, LabEx IRON).

Commercially, i2C operates a single-window (guichet unique) business model with sector-dedicated industrial partnership managers serving industrial enterprises through fee-for-service research collaborations, consulting, research contracts, collaboration contracts, technology transfer, common laboratories and industrial chairs, and training services. Revenue mechanics are diversified across 5 verticals with named enterprise clients including Sanofi, TotalEnergies, Yves Rocher, Soprema, Bostik, Groupe Roullier, Seqens, Aspen France, Orgapharm and Surfactgreen. The institute benefits from CIR and CICO eligibility for clients and from public co-financing through ANR/MESRI/Région Normandie. In FY2022, i2C reported €3.284M in global receipts including €1.725M in billable revenue, with additional scale provided through the 39-institute Réseau des Carnot referral network and partnerships with competitiveness poles (Cosmetic Valley, Pôle Pharma, Pôle Valorial, Bioeconomy for Change, Findmed) and federations (France Chimie).

Name

Institut Carnot I2C

Legal name

Normandie Université

Website

https://carnot-i2c.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Institut Carnot i2C is a French public research institute (MESRI Carnot label, ISO 9001:2015) federating 8 chemistry laboratories and 7 technology platforms across Normandy, providing fee-for-service R&D collaboration to industrial enterprises across health, cosmetics, sustainable development, polymers, and specialty chemistry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Chemistry Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Chiral / Asymmetric Synthesis & Complex Chemistry Services (HLAGAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

CMC & Pharmaceutical Development (Formulation/Process/Analytical Development) (HLAIALAD), Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL)

Keywords

• Contract chemistry research
• Molecular synthesis services
• Pharmaceutical R&D services
• Polymer formulation research
• Analytical chemistry services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mont Saint-Aignan

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Research Collaboration Services: Fee-for-service research collaborations with industrial partners across 5 expert domains: Chemistry for Health, Cosmetics, Sustainable Development, Polymer Materials, and Specialty Chemistry. Revenue generated through consulting, research services, collaboration contracts, and technology transfers.
2. Common Laboratories / Industrial Chairs: Long-term structured partnerships including shared laboratories and industrial chairs with dedicated doctoral/post-doctoral resources for medium to long-term collaboration deliverables.
3. Training Services: Training programs associated with collaboration activities, leveraging the research expertise of the institute.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Institut Carnot I2C is a public research institute that provides collaborative R&D services in chemistry to industrial enterprises. It federates 8 research laboratories and 7 technology platforms in Normandy, France, delivering contract research, consulting, technology transfer, common laboratories, and training across five expertise domains: Chemistry for Health, Cosmetics, Sustainable Development, Polymer Materials, and Specialty Chemistry.

Product overview

Institut Carnot i2C is a public research institute (Label Carnot, certified ISO 9001:2015) offering collaborative R&D services in chemistry through a platform-plus-services model. Its offering is structured around 8 research laboratories (CERMN, COBRA, GlycoMEV, LCMT, PBS, Radio-PETT, SMS, URCOM), 7 technology platforms (C2i-OrgA, ACCèS, Cyceron, DruID, PISSARO, PRIMACEN, Infranalytics), and 5 domains of expertise (Chemistry for Health, Cosmetics, Sustainable Development, Polymer Materials, Specialty Chemistry). The institute operates a single-window (guichet unique) model to coordinate industry partnerships, with collaboration modalities including consulting, research contracts, technology transfer, joint laboratories, and training. A portfolio of upstream R&D projects (e.g., DEEP-NRJ, API-Flow-CRIST, DATA-TOUCH) drives competency development aligned with industrial needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• C2i-OrgA Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 300 rank A publications (2022)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

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

• CEAcoreOthersFrench Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission - one of the 6 supervisory bodies (tutelles) of Carnot i2C providing institutional support and research backing.
• CNRScoreOthersFrench National Centre for Scientific Research - one of the 6 supervisory bodies (tutelles) of Carnot i2C providing institutional support and research backing.
• ENSICAENcoreOthersGraduate engineering school - one of the 6 supervisory bodies (tutelles) of Carnot i2C.
• INSA RouencoreOthersNational Institute of Applied Sciences Rouen - one of the 6 supervisory bodies (tutelles) of Carnot i2C.
• Normandie UniversitécoreOthersNormandy University federation - hosting institution and one of the 6 supervisory bodies (tutelles) of Carnot i2C.
• Université de Caen NormandiecoreOthersUniversity of Caen Normandy - one of the 6 supervisory bodies (tutelles) of Carnot i2C.
• Université Le Havre NormandiecoreOthersUniversity of Le Havre Normandy - one of the 6 supervisory bodies (tutelles) of Carnot i2C.
• Université de RouencoreOthersUniversity of Rouen - one of the 6 supervisory bodies (tutelles) of Carnot i2C.
• Réseau des CarnotcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarnot network of 39 institutes covering diverse scientific and technological domains, enabling referrals across the network when in-house skills are insufficient to address specific industrial needs.
• Cosmetic ValleymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetitiveness cluster for cosmetics - partner organization providing industry connections and collaborative opportunities in the cosmetic sector.
• Pôle PharmamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPharmaceutical competitiveness cluster - partner organization providing industry connections and collaborative opportunities in the pharmaceutical sector.
• France ChimiemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench chemistry industry federation - partner organization providing industry connections and collaborative opportunities in the chemical sector.
• ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche)coreOthersNational Research Agency - funding body supporting the institute through Investissements d'Avenir program, including XL-Chem Graduate School (ANR-18-EURE-0020).
• Région NormandiecoreOthersNormandy Region - supporting partner providing funding through Investissements d'Avenir program and RIN LABEL XL-CHEM.
• XL-Chem Graduate SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraduate School of Research aiming to become a reference training and research center in molecular chemistry at European level. Part of the EUR XL-Chem under Normandy Université pole 'Chimie, Biologie, Santé et Bien-être'.
• LabEx SynOrgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaboratory of Excellence in organic synthesis - since 2013, the largest ensemble of French organic synthesis laboratories. Composed of 4 laboratories including COBRA and LCMT belonging to i2C. Expertise from new organic synthesis methodologies to optimization of bioactive molecules in medicinal chemistry.
• LabEx EMC3coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaboratory of Excellence - Energy Materials and Clean Combustion Center, the only research center devoted to both energy materials and clean combustion. Federates 7 Norman laboratories.
• LabEx IRONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaboratory of Excellence - Innovative Radiopharmaceuticals in Oncology and Neurology. National network distributed across 8 cities for development of innovative radiopharmaceuticals and their transfer to clinical practice.
• FindmedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing industry connections in the pharmaceutical/healthcare sector.
• Pôle ValorialminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompetitiveness cluster - partner organization providing industry connections in the agrifood and biotechnology sector.
• Bioeconomy for ChangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean bioeconomy cluster - partner organization for sustainable development and bioeconomy collaborations.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Institut Carnot Chimie Balard Cirimat: Another Carnot-labeled chemistry research federation in Montpellier focused on molecular chemistry, materials, and sustainable processes. Directly comparable as a French public chemistry R&D partnership institute serving similar enterprise clients with overlapping platforms and Carnot funding mechanisms.
• Institut Carnot Curie Cancer: Carnot-labeled research federation focused on oncology from bench to bedside, including chemistry-adjacent translational work. Comparable as another Carnot public-private research partnership serving pharmaceutical/medical enterprises, though oriented toward oncology rather than broad chemistry.
• Sygnature Discovery: UK-based CRO specializing in integrated drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and in vitro pharmacology for pharma clients. Comparable focus on medicinal chemistry and synthesis services targeting pharmaceutical enterprises, with a private-sector commercial delivery model.
• NovAliX: French private CRO/CDMO specializing in drug discovery, organic synthesis, and cryo-EM services for pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients. Closest private-sector comparable in France, competing for similar chemistry outsourcing budgets with comparable specialization in complex synthesis.
• Institut de Chimie des Milieux et des Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP): French CNRS-affiliated chemistry research institute focused on catalysis, green chemistry, and process intensification. Comparable as a chemistry research entity serving industrial partners through joint laboratories and contract research in similar domains to i2C.
• Institut Carnot IFPEN Ressources Énergétiques: Another Carnot-labeled institute covering energy-related chemistry and process development. Comparable institutional model (Carnot label, MESRI recognition, partnership research) with adjacent chemistry/process expertise serving industrial clients — particularly relevant to i2C's specialty chemistry and sustainable development domains.

Broad incumbents

• Evotec: European-headquartered contract research organization offering drug discovery, CMC, and integrated pharma services. Competes with i2C for similar chemistry outsourcing budgets among European pharma clients, with broader integrated-service portfolio and public-company scale.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global leader in bioanalytical testing and contract laboratory services headquartered in Luxembourg with deep French roots. Overlaps with i2C across pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetics, and environmental testing — though Eurofins operates a much broader testing portfolio globally rather than partnership-research chemistry.
• Charles River Laboratories: Global CRO offering discovery, safety assessment, and manufacturing services to pharma and biotech. Comparable on the discovery/CMC chemistry services axis, but operates at vastly larger scale and with integrated commercial offering rather than academic-partnership model.
• Pierre Fabre: French pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetics company with significant in-house R&D, including medicinal chemistry and plant-based chemistry capabilities. Operates an internal research organization that overlaps with i2C's pharmaceutical and cosmetics chemistry offerings, though primarily serving its own product portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institutcarnoti2c

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institut Carnot I2C