Pôle AVENIA

What Pôle AVENIA does

Pôle AVENIA is a French competitiveness cluster (pôle de compétitivité) and non-profit association (loi 1901) headquartered in Pau, with additional offices in Paris and Nancy. It is the only French competitiveness cluster exclusively dedicated to subsurface industries (filières du sous-sol), serving a member ecosystem of 215+ organizations spanning large energy and mining groups, SMEs/ETIs, research institutions, and federative structures. The cluster focuses on accelerating collaborative innovation across seven vertical domains: Oil & Gas, Geothermal energy, Geological Storage (CCUS), Mines & Quarries, Hydrogeology, Natural Hydrogen, and Geotechnics.

AVENIA's core offering is convening and innovation facilitation services rather than a software product. Its product portfolio includes: (i) tiered membership subscriptions scaled by organization size; (ii) annual flagship events GEODAYS (B2B convention with 200+ participants and 1,500+ B2B meetings) and the 24h de l'Innovation hackathon; (iii) seven thematic Innovation Clubs (EOR, Geothermal, Environment, Digital/Drilling, Fiber Optics/Laser, Energy Management, AI/Data) with ~20 participants each; (iv) project labeling and European funding coordination services; (v) the earth2 program for subsurface hydrogen promotion; and (vi) "La Fresque des Ressources du Sous-Sol," a 2024-launched educational workshop tool. The cluster has labeled 279 projects and facilitated financing for 202 projects, channeling hundreds of millions of euros in collaborative R&D.

Revenue derives from membership fees (scaled across PME to Grand Groupe tiers), Gold and Platinum sponsorship packages, event participation fees, and European project coordination fees (Horizon Europe, Interreg, COSME). The organization is governed by a Bureau led by President Pierre Brossollet (also Arverne Group) and Director Thibaut Heimermann, with large enterprise representatives (TotalEnergies, TEREGA, Storengy, ERAMET, SLB) playing active governance roles. Key partnerships include BRGM (national geological service), IFPEN, UPPA/ISIFoR Carnot institute, and participation in multiple H2020/Interreg/COSME consortia including PilotSTRATEGY, PIXIL, and Geo-Energy Europe.

Name

Pôle AVENIA

Legal name

Pôle AVENIA

Website

https://pole-avenia.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pôle AVENIA is the only French competitiveness cluster dedicated exclusively to subsurface industries, serving 215+ member organizations across Oil & Gas, Geothermal, CCUS, Mining, Water, and Hydrogen verticals through membership services, innovation clubs, project labeling, and flagship events like GEODAYS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Pau

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from member organizations. Fees vary by company size (PME with different thresholds, ETI, Grands groupes, research organizations, institutions). Members include large groups, SMEs, research institutions, and support structures.
2. Sponsorship Packages: Gold (Or) and Platinum (Platine) sponsorship tiers offering benefits including directory visibility, event discounts, free registrations, and newsletter exposure.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue from event participation fees including GEODAYS, 24h de l'Innovation hackathon, and regional events. Includes fees for companies submitting innovation challenges and students participating.
4. European Project Coordination: Participation in European funding programs (Horizon Europe, Interreg, etc.) for project coordination and management in subsurface industries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Pôle AVENIA is a French competitiveness cluster that delivers innovation facilitation services for subsurface industries. Its core offering centers on annual membership subscriptions that connect 215+ member organizations (large groups, SMEs/ETIs, research institutions, federative structures) across Oil & Gas, Geothermal, CCUS, Mining, Water, Geotechnics, and Hydrogen, supplemented by event organization (GEODAYS, 24h de l'Innovation), thematic Innovation Clubs, project labeling for access to public and European funding, and educational tools such as La Fresque des Ressources du Sous-Sol.

Product overview

Pôle AVENIA is a competitiveness cluster dedicated to subsurface industries in France. Rather than offering a traditional software product, it provides a portfolio of innovation facilitation services including: La Fresque des Ressources du Sous-Sol (an educational workshop tool), annual events (GEODAYS business convention and 24h de l'Innovation competition), thematic Innovation Clubs for collaborative brainstorming, the earth₂ program for subsurface hydrogen promotion, and project labeling/support services. These services are interconnected as part of AVENIA's mission to foster innovation and networking across subsurface industry sectors including Oil & Gas, Geothermal, CCUS, Mining, Water, Geotechnics, and Hydrogen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GEODAYS: Annual business convention dedicated to subsurface industries, bringing together actors from industry, research, and innovation.
• 24h de l'Innovation au Centre de la Terre
• Fresque des Ressources du Sous-Sol
• Club Innovation

Products and services

• AVENIA Annual Membership Tiered annual subscription for organizations (PME categories: <20, 20–99, 100–250 staff; ETI >250; Grands Groupes >5,000; research and training organizations) that provides access to the cluster's network, Innovation Clubs, project labeling services, member directory visibility, and event discounts.
• GEODAYS Annual Convention Annual B2B convention gathering the entire geoscience and subsurface ecosystem in Pau for conferences, 1,500+ B2B meeting appointments, exhibitions, and sessions on industrial, energy, and territorial challenges.
• 24h de l'Innovation au Centre de la Terre Annual 24-hour innovation competition where companies (€500–€3,000 HT scaled by size) submit subsurface challenges and student teams (€15/student) propose solutions across Oil & Gas, Mines & Quarries, underground storage, geothermal, groundwater, and new gases.
• earth2 Hydrogen Program Program dedicated to promoting subsurface hydrogen (natural and stored), covering exploration, geological storage, lobbying, and communication activities related to the emerging natural hydrogen sector.
• Innovation Clubs (7 thematic working groups) Thematic working groups (approximately seven clubs covering EOR, Geothermal, Environment, Digital/Drilling, Fiber Optics/Laser, Energy Management, AI/Data) bringing together around 20 industry and research participants per club for collaborative brainstorming sessions.
• Project Labeling and Funding Support Service Service supporting collaborative innovation projects with labeling for financing, connection to national (French) and European funding sources (Horizon Europe, COSME, Interreg, H2020), and project monitoring support.
• La Fresque des Ressources du Sous-Sol Collaborative educational workshop tool developed in 2024 to raise awareness among the general public, businesses, local authorities, and schools about geoscience challenges, subsurface resources, and their role in energy and ecological transitions, offered in a classic interactive workshop format and a faster 'rencontres' event format.
• Gold (Or) and Platinum (Platine) Sponsorship Packages Annual Gold (Or) and Platinum (Platine) sponsorship tiers offering graded visibility and event benefits: directory and Assemblée Générale visibility, newsletter exposure (Platinum), discounts or complimentary passes for GEODAYS and RDV des Régions, and complimentary 24h de l'Innovation challenge topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 279 labeled projects managed by the cluster
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• PilotSTRATEGY (H2020)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 20215-year European project (10M€ total budget) for CO2 geological storage pilots in strategic European regions (Paris Basin/France, Lusitanian Basin/Portugal, Ebro Basin/Spain).
• Geo-Energy Europe (COSME)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018European project (Phase 1: 200K€ budget, 75% COSME funding; Phase 2: 450K€ budget, 90% COSME funding) focused on internationalizing SME offers in deep geothermal technology.
• PIXIL (Interreg VA POCTEFA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Cross-border collaborative project (65% FEDER funded) making the Pyrenean region a reference for subsurface characterization technology, particularly geothermal energy promotion.
• UPPA (Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour) / ISIFoR Carnot InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Pau and Pays de l'Adour, home to the ISIFoR Carnot institute, is a key research partner represented by Christophe Derail who serves as Vice-President of AVENIA. The partnership supports collaborative research in geosciences and subsurface engineering.
• IFPEN (IFP Energies Nouvelles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFPEN is a major public research organization focused on energy transition, contributing R&D expertise and participating actively in AVENIA programs and innovation clubs.
• TotalEnergiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor energy company actively involved in AVENIA governance and events. Representative Luc Pauget serves on the Bureau as Secretary. Company participates in Open Innovation events during GEODAYS.
• TEREGAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGas infrastructure operator led by Jean-Loup Minebois (current President of AVENIA Bureau). Active in hydrogen storage projects (HYGEO) and geological storage initiatives.
• BRGM (Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational geological service, key research partner for geosciences, groundwater, mining, and geological storage topics. Provides expert committee support to the cluster.
• STORENGYmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary of ENGIE specialized in underground gas storage and geothermal energy. Representative Laurent Escare serves on AVENIA Bureau. Active in CCUS and hydrogen storage projects.
• ERAMETmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMining and metallurgy group focused on critical raw materials. Participates in mining innovation initiatives and AVENIA governance.
• SLB (Schlumberger)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOilfield services company providing technology and expertise. Participates in Open Innovation events and GEODAYS.
• France Energy TeammajorGTM or Marketing PartnerExport brand grouping French competitiveness clusters and clusters dedicated to hydrocarbons and energy topics. Includes AVENIA, Bretagne Pole Naval, EVOLEN, NEOPOLIA, and RACE for international promotion.
• AXELERAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompetitiveness cluster for chemistry-environment. Joint webinars organized on carbon trading systems and CCUS topics.
• Expertise FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench international technical expertise agency. Joint webinar on Australia opportunities for subsurface industries, including FACET (Franco-Australian Indo-Pacific Energy Transition Center).
• GEFISSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean project focused on societal acceptability of geothermal energy development.
• Carnot ISIFoRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarnot institute for subsurface geosciences, co-organizer of the Environment Innovation Club with AVENIA since 2016.
• ARMINES / MINES ParisTechmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center in geosciences, drilling, and training. Pau branch operates unique drilling test center in Europe (equivalent to 5000m depth conditions).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• RACE (Regroupement des Acteurs du Cluster de la Mobilité): French competitiveness cluster for mobility and automotive industries. A co-member of the France Energy Team with AVENIA, running the same French pôle de compétitivité business model including tiered membership, project labeling, and European funding pipelines.
• EVOLEN: French competitiveness cluster for the oil & gas equipment and services industry. Operates under the same pôle de compétitivité model as AVENIA, is a co-member of the France Energy Team export consortium, and overlaps significantly on subsurface O&G members and projects.
• AXELERA: French competitiveness cluster (pôle de compétitivité) dedicated to the chemistry-environment ecosystem. Directly comparable as it operates the same French cluster model, runs innovation programs, hosts joint webinars with AVENIA on CCUS and ETS topics, and competes for similar EU project and public funding.
• Cap Digital: French competitiveness cluster for digital content and services. A peer pôle de compétitivité using the same funding, labeling, and member-engagement model as AVENIA, though focused on a different industrial vertical.
• Systematic Paris-Region: French competitiveness cluster for digital, AI, and deep-tech industries. Operates the identical pôle de compétitivité framework as AVENIA, with tiered membership, innovation hubs, and significant Horizon Europe project flow — useful for benchmarking operating practices at much larger scale.
• NEOPOLIA: French competitiveness cluster for naval, maritime, and offshore industries. A co-member of the France Energy Team alongside AVENIA, operating the same French cluster model with membership fees, innovation projects, and European funding access.
• Bretagne Pôle Naval: French competitiveness cluster for naval/defense shipbuilding. Co-member of the France Energy Team alongside AVENIA, sharing the same French competitiveness cluster model, regional anchoring, and EU project execution capabilities.
• IAR (Industries & Agro-Ressources): French competitiveness cluster for industrial biotechnologies and bio-based materials. Operates under the same pôle de compétitivité model as AVENIA, providing a useful peer reference for managing public funding cycles and SME-focused innovation programs.

Emerging players

• EAGE (European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers): European professional association for geoscientists and engineers in the subsurface domain. Comparable on audience and topics served to AVENIA, but operates an international membership/conference model rather than a French regional cluster model — useful for benchmarking geoscience community engagement.

Others

• Carnot ISIFoR Institute: University-linked Carnot research institute for subsurface resources, co-located with AVENIA in Pau and co-organizer of the Environment Innovation Club. Thematically aligned with AVENIA's research-to-industry mission and a key academic partner rather than a competing cluster.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@poleavenia6865
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pole-avenia
• Instagraminstagram.com/poleavenia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Pôle AVENIA