To conduct its research and development programmes, EDF R&D develops a large number of partnerships both in France and worldwide, the purpose of which is to maintain its expertise at the highest global level in the disciplines central to EDF’s concerns, and to supplement its internal reservoir of skills.
R&D’s partnership policy is embodied in a variety of ways, both nationally and internationally.
In France, R&D has entered into framework agreements with major public research organisations. The main academic partner in France is the French national research agency (CNRS): EDF renewed for five years its partnership framework agreement withCNRS in 2019. Over the past few years, R&D has also set up about fifteen laboratories on a joint basis with academic partners and technical or industrial centres. With them, it is participating in collaborative research projects funded by several national or European desks. Each shared laboratory offers an opportunity to establish a combined team in order to focus on a common scientific and technical problem, with a view to creating value, expertise and knowledge for all partners; this constitutes a major asset when taking part in cooperative projects. In 2020, the joint laboratory convention 4EVLab, which brings together La Rochelle Université’s Environmental Engineering Science Laboratory and CNRS to study building energy(building envelope, indoor air quality and energy efficiency, urban facilities and energy) was renewed. A new joint laboratory was also launched, bringing togetherEDF, Framatome and the Lyon National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) in the field of digital simulation of welding.
R&D also supports a few specially targeted teaching and research chairs.
R&D is also active within the Energy Transition Institutes (ITE), which have been setup pursuant to the Future Investments Programme, such as the Ile-de-France Photovoltaic Institute (IPVF), France Énergies Marines, which focuses on marine energies and offshore wind power, and Vedecom, which works on electric mobility.
EDF group is the driving force behind ConnexITy, an R&D programme aimed at connecting, through digital technology, players in the nuclear sector in order to simplify power plant operation, site preparation and design.
EDF is also a founding member of several European associations recognised at the EU level, such as Nugenia for nuclear power and EASE for storage.
Other developments include several partnerships within the Paris-Saclay campus ecosystem, including the SEISM Interest group on earthquakes, bringing together Centrale Supélec, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS, GRGM, EDF, and the Institute ofMechanical Science and Industrial Applications (Institut des sciences de la mécanique et applications industrielles, IMSIA) Joint Research Unit, bringing together ENSTA,CNRS, CEA, and EDF.
EDF’s R&D has also set up the Materials Ageing Institute (MAI), an international research centre on materials ageing that brings together, alongside EDF, most of the world’s major nuclear operators.
Internationally, since the early 2000s, EDF has had a research centre in Germany, EIFER, in collaboration with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). EIFER is the centre of reference for the hydrogen industry. In this respect it supports EDF group subsidiary Hynamics, dedicated to the commercial development of hydrogen solutions for industrial markets and heavy-duty mobility. EIFER teams are also fully engaged with topics relating to sustainable cities and territories, geothermal energy, and biofuels.
EDF R&D UK consolidates the Group’s positions in the British research eco-system, particularly through Strathclyde University in the field of renewables, as well as with Manchester University, Imperial College, the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and the University of Bristol in the field of nuclear energy. The centre provides direct support to the activities of EDF business units whether in the existing nuclear field(extension of AGR reactor lifespans, and decommissioning following EDF UK’s announcement to shut down several reactors), or in new projects with the installation of an antenna in Bristol to support the HPC project and help solve its environmental problems. The centre is also fully mobilised, in digital solutions for clients and offshore wind farm projects for which it is the reference centre for all the Group’s projects in France and abroad.
In Italy, Edison’s Research, Development & Technological Innovation Division (RD&TI) provides medium to long-term support for strategy and, in the shorter term, informs the development of new services and offerings from Edison. More especially, Edison’sR&D activity focuses on the following topics: smart homes and IoT, advanced photovoltaic cells, energy storage, and electric mobility (in particular,“vehicle-to-grid” and “vehicle-to-home” solutions). Staff and laboratories are located mainly on two sites, known as the Officine Torino and Officine Milano, situated in innovation spaces in the two Italian Politecnici (Milan and Turin), thus nurturing cooperation and firmly embedding Edison RD&TI in the world of innovation and research in Italy.
The Beijing centre is an asset in terms of participating in large-scale Chinese smart grid demonstration projects for smart grids (direct current, 5G), or nuclear facilities (see section 1.4.5.3.6.1 “Activities in China”). In 2020, with the support of R&D France departments, the centre made a major contribution to the launch of a new digital business by EDF China in partnership with Yuansuan. The centre also operates on areas such as sustainable cities and, more broadly, local multi-energy projects combining electricity, biomass and heating and cooling networks. It also provides support to the new renewable energy development entity established in China.
The United States R&D and innovation sector is one of the largest and most buoyant in the world. EDF group has had an R&D and Innovation center in Silicon Valley for several years, which supports its development in the USA and contributes to innovation in the Group. This laboratory’s research areas include direct support to the subsidiary EDF Renewables North America, as well as the analysis, thanks to a dedicated team, of technological and digital trends, market design and the assessment of new business models for the Group in the USA.
Singapore’s R&D centre mainly focuses on supporting the promotion and implementation of the Group’s know-how concerning sustainable cities and marketing the various solutions of the Group. In 2020, the Singapore Lab focused more especially on the industrialisation of microgrid solutions at competitive prices using renewable energy, developed and tested with its demonstrator on Semakau island off the coast of Singapore.
Intellectual property plays a major role in protecting the EDF group’s technologies and know-how from competition, and in leveraging these assets through licensing agreements.
EDF is keen to strengthen its industrial property portfolio in order to make the most of its capacity for innovation and technological expertise. The portfolio is comprised of patents, registered software and formalised expertise.
At the end of 2020, EDF’s and Enedis’ portfolio comprised 716 patented innovations, protected by 2,103 property titles in France and abroad.
The strengthening of the patent portfolio is a priority. The aim of this is to facilitateR&D cooperation, protect the development of EDF’s activities, contribute to EDF’s external image, boost the motivation of researchers, and provide maximum leverage for inventions.
In 2020, EDF filed 66 patent applications(1) (61 in 2019).
“EDF” is a registered trademark in over 90 countries. The Group’s name is a vital component of its image and its assets: the EDF brand, Internet domain names and logos are therefore constantly monitored, in order to protect them against any fraudulent use likely to jeopardise the Group’s image. Moreover, following the work to enhance the status of the “EDF” brand, the Company has entered into brand licensing agreements with those of its subsidiaries that use the “EDF” brand.
The Group has also registered a large number of other trademarks, in particular those relating to the business of its various subsidiaries.
At the end of 2020, the EDF group’s brand portfolio comprised some 558 names, protected by over 1,440 property titles, excluding the subsidiaries own portfolio.
(1) Enedis filed five patent applications.
