Laboratoire d'initiatives foncières et territoriales innovantes - LIFTI

What Laboratoire d'initiatives foncières et territoriales innovantes - LIFTI does

LIFTI (Laboratoire d'Initiatives Foncières et Territoriales Innovantes) is a French endowment fund (fonds de dotation) and think tank founded in 2016 by Marc Kaszynski and headquartered in Paris. The organization convenes public land establishments (Établissements Publics Fonciers), local and regional authorities, private developers, researchers, and legal professionals to advance French land policy and territorial innovation, with particular emphasis on friche (brownfield) reconversion, ZAN (Zero Net Artificialization) implementation, land data interoperability, and legal framework evolution.

Its product portfolio centers on knowledge and convening rather than software. Core offerings include the annual Assises Nationales du Foncier et des Territoires (a multi-day conference drawing 500+ experts with 33 debates across 11 thematic tracks); the Les Cahiers des Assises publication series; practical guides such as the Guide pratique de la reconversion des friches; the BDEI supplement and Annales des Mines special issues; and the Réseau des Inventaires Territoriaux des Friches (RITF). Work is organized through four standing committees — ODF (data), ECF (circular land economy), SFT (land and territorial strategy), and AED (legal evolution). No proprietary technology platform is operated; LIFTI coordinates research, dialogue, and standards work through events, working groups, and partner-led tool development (e.g., Cerema's Cartofriches).

LIFTI is a non-profit that does not sell commercial products. Revenue is generated through donations from founding members, expert contributors, and institutional partners, together with event participation fees and major-sponsor contributions from organizations such as Banque des Territoires, ADEME, OFB, SNCF Immobilier, and Cerema. The 9-person team operates under a board of directors, with Patrick Henry succeeding Marc Kaszynski as President in June 2026 and Sarah Dubeaux serving as Déléguée Générale.

Name

Laboratoire d'initiatives foncières et territoriales innovantes - LIFTI

Legal name

LIFTI - Laboratoire d'Initiatives Foncières et Territoriales Innovantes

Website

https://lifti.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LIFTI is a French non-profit think tank and endowment fund that convenes public, private, and academic actors to research land policy, brownfield reconversion, and territorial strategy in France, primarily through its annual Assises conference, publications, and four standing committees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Endowment Fund and Donations: LIFTI is a 'fonds de dotation' (endowment fund) that operates through donations from founding members, expert contributors, institutional partners, and corporations. The organization also generates revenue through event participation fees and membership support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LIFTI is a French think tank and endowment fund that convenes public land agencies, local authorities, private developers, researchers, and legal professionals to advance land and territorial policy. Its core offerings include an annual national conference (ANFT), thematic publications and practical guides (e.g., friche reconversion, ZAN, BDEI supplements), four specialized working committees (land data, circular economy, land strategy, legal evolution), and a brownfield inventory network (RITF). It does not sell commercial software products; its outputs are knowledge, convening, and policy influence.

Product overview

LIFTI (Laboratoire d'Initiatives Foncières et Territoriales Innovantes) is a French think tank and endowment fund focused on land policy research and advocacy. The organization does not offer a unified software product but operates a portfolio of knowledge products and services including: the annual Assises Nationales du Foncier et des Territoires (ANFT) conference; Les Cahiers des Assises publication series; thematic guides such as the Guide pratique de la reconversion des friches; and the Réseau des Inventaires Territoriaux des Friches (RITF) network. LIFTI organizes its work through four specialized committees (ODF for land data, ECF for circular economy, SFT for territorial strategy, and AED for legal evolution) and produces publications synthesizing research and best practices for public, private, and academic stakeholders in land and territorial planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Assises Nationales du Foncier et des Territoires (ANFT) Annual multi-day national conference in Nancy convening 500+ land policy experts across 11 thematic tracks and 33 debates, with 160+ speakers, targeting public land actors, private developers, researchers, and local authorities.
• Les Cahiers des Assises Series of 10 themed booklets that make accessible the reflections and discussions held at the ANFT conference, covering local taxation, land strategies, urban exodus, coastal erosion, and urban renewal.
• Guide pratique de la reconversion des friches Practical guide for project leaders and landowners on converting brownfield (friche) sites, presenting a transversal and multidisciplinary approach to land redevelopment.
• Réseau des Inventaires Territoriaux des Friches (RITF) Network coordinated by LIFTI that gathers territorial actors implementing brownfield inventories, sharing actions, best practices, and methodologies for identification and characterization of brownfield sites.
• Renouveler les stratégies foncières territoriales (Publication) Publication exploring territorial land strategy approaches, bringing together specialists from soil science, water management, real estate, evaluation, notaries, local authorities, agricultural sector, and industry.
• BDEI – Bulletin du Droit de l'Environnement Industriel Supplement Supplement to the BDEI journal publishing 11 articles from rapporteurs covering ANFT sessions on topics including agricultural soils, brownfield management, land strategy, and terrain profitability.
• ODF – Organiser la Data du Foncier (Data Committee) Specialized working committee focused on organizing and improving land data quality, including work on DVF (Demande de Valeurs Foncières) data interoperability and standards.
• ECF – Economie Circulaire du Foncier (Circular Economy Committee) Working committee addressing circular economy approaches to land use, including brownfield rehabilitation, environmental compensation, and sustainable land management.
• SFT – Stratégie Foncière et Territoriale (Land Strategy Committee) Working committee on territorial land strategy frameworks, ZAN (Zero Net Artificialization) implementation, and planning tools for sustainable land use.
• AED – Acteurs de l'Évolution du Droit (Legal Evolution Committee) Working committee focused on legal aspects of land policy, including expropriation law reform, property rights, and regulatory frameworks for public land utility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Definition of 'friche' proposed by LIFTI was incorporated into French law (loi Climat et Résilience)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Banque des TerritoirescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Banque des Territoires is a key strategic partner co-organizing the Forum LIFTI Chaire Aménager le Grand Paris events. The partnership focuses on exploring socio-ecological values in urban development and land economics.
• Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025OFB partners with LIFTI on integrating biodiversity considerations into land strategies. Contributed to LIFTI publications on land-biodiversity nexus and is a sponsor of the Assises 2025.
• SCETmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025SCET collaborates with LIFTI on publications including the ZAN implementation guide and economic models of urban development. SCET is a sponsor of the Assises 2025.
• EODD Ingénieurs ConseilsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025EODD, led by Laurent Galdemas, co-pilots LIFTI's Circular Land Economy committee and contributed to the friche reconversion guide. Major sponsor of Assises 2025.
• SNCF ImmobiliermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025SNCF Immobilier is an active LIFTI member contributing to working groups on friche inventory and land data. Charlotte Girerd serves on the LIFTI Board. Major sponsor of Assises 2025.
• Réseau National EPF d'ÉtatmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The national network of public land establishments collaborates with LIFTI on land policy and is a sponsor of the Assises 2025.
• CeremamajorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Cerema developed the Cartofriches tool based on LIFTI's methodology work on friche inventory and manages the national friche inventory platform.
• ADEMEmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025ADEME (Environment and Energy Management Agency) sponsors the Assises 2025 and collaborates on sustainable land and environmental topics.
• DS AvocatsmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025DS Avocats hosts LIFTI Board meetings and partners on the legal committee work, including the compensation ecology cycle of workshops.
• Chaire Aménager le Grand PariscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Academic chair co-organizing forums with LIFTI on the economics of urban development and land values. The collaboration brings together researchers and practitioners to address urban development challenges.
• TesoraminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Tesora, specializing in environmental engineering and polluted soil management, is a LIFTI member contributing to the Circular Land Economy committee and friche reconversion discussions.
• FedEpl (Fédération des Entreprises Publiques Locales)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023FedEpl signed a partnership convention with LIFTI to collaborate on land and territorial development issues affecting public local enterprises.
• Sol&CominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Sol&Co, specializing in urban soil science and biodiversity, is a LIFTI member contributing to soil-related discussions and the circular land economy committee.
• CitadiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Citadia, a major urban planning consultancy, joined LIFTI to contribute to land strategy and ZAN discussions through the working groups.
• CRAAFTminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023CRAAFT, a land strategy and urban programming agency created in 2022, joined LIFTI to participate in environmental friche working groups.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• France Urbaine: Association of large French cities and metropolitan areas advocating on land, housing, and urban policy. Comparable to LIFTI as a French advocacy body operating through events, publications, and policy influence on territorial issues.
• Institut Paris Région: Île-de-France urban planning agency producing research, studies, and frameworks on land use, housing, and mobility. Comparable to LIFTI as a French research/advocacy organization producing publications for public authorities on land strategy.
• FNAU (Fédération Nationale des Agences d'Urbanisme): Federation of French urban planning agencies. Comparable to LIFTI as a national network convening public-sector actors on land and planning issues, with similar publication and event-based GTM.
• Cerema: Public agency for territorial risk, environment, mobility, and land-use expertise. Comparable to LIFTI as a fellow French land policy expert body; Cerema partnered with LIFTI to build Cartofriches and could play a substituting or complementary convening role.

Regional players

• FPI France (Fédération des Promoteurs Immobiliers): Federation of French real estate developers. Comparable to LIFTI as a French industry federation convening land and development stakeholders, with overlapping members (developers, local authorities) on ZAN and friche issues.

Emerging players

• I4CE (Institute for Climate Economics): French think tank producing economic analysis on climate and land-use transitions. Comparable to LIFTI as a French non-profit translating research into policy recommendations, with similar funder-driven model.
• Institut de l'Économie Circulaire: French non-profit think tank promoting circular economy practices, including on land and brownfield reconversion. Comparable to LIFTI as a French circular-economy advocacy body overlapping on the ECF (circular land economy) agenda.
• POPSU (Plateforme d'Observation des Projets et Stratégies Urbaines): Research platform on urban planning projects and strategies, hosted by Plan Urbanisme Construction Architecture. Comparable to LIFTI as a French research-program operator producing publications and forums on land and urban policy.

Broad incumbents

• Banque des Territoires: Caisse des Dépôts subsidiary financing local development and land projects. Comparable to LIFTI as a strategic partner and a broader institutional player with the capacity to absorb convening functions on land policy if it chose to.
• France Stratégie: Government attached body advising on long-term French policy. Comparable to LIFTI as a French policy research/advocacy body publishing reports and influencing legislation, with a much broader mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCB2iLStoCG2_SijKbJhCYOg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laboratoire-d-initiatives-fonci%C3%A8res-et-territoriales-innovantes-lifti

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Laboratoire d'initiatives foncières et territoriales innovantes - LIFTI