Author: Michał Podlewski, AI Trend Analyst

In recent years, artificial intelligence has become one of the most important areas of strategic competition between nations. Europe, although still catching up with the U.S. and China, is taking steps to build its own technological sovereignty in this domain. Among European countries, France has emerged as the frontrunner, showcasing an ambitious AI policy that combines public investment, talent development, support for startups, and an ethical approach to technology.

The following analysis outlines the key elements of France’s AI strategy, the factors behind its success, and recommendations for Poland, which, despite its potential, has yet to fully seize its opportunities.

National strategy and public investment (2018–2024)

In March 2018, President Emmanuel Macron announced a national strategy for the development of artificial intelligence under the slogan “AI for Humanity”, based on a report by mathematician and Fields Medal winner, Cédric Villani. The plan called for investments of €1.5 billion by 2022, of which €700 million was earmarked directly for scientific research. The main objectives of the strategy included the talent development, investment in research infrastructure, opening public data, and establishing an ethical framework. The French government treated AI as a priority, continuing its support in the following years. In 2021, an update to the strategy was announced as part of the France 2030 program, which allocated further billions for AI initiatives. Total public spending on AI between 2018 and 2024 exceeded €3 billion.

An important element of the strategy was investment in research infrastructure and talent development. As early as 2019, a network of four interdisciplinary AI institutes (known as 3IA) was established with an initial budget of €80 million. The goal was to bring together top researchers and leading AI research projects. The 3IA institutes (located in Grenoble, Nice, Paris, and Toulouse) connect universities with industry, conducting both fundamental and applied research, while also training PhD students and engineers. In the following years, the program was expanded. By 2024, a total of nine Centers of Excellence (“IA Clusters”) had been created, with combined funding of approximately €350–360 million. In parallel, computing capacity was significantly expanded: in 2020, France launched the Jean Zay supercomputer, dedicated to AI projects. Initially delivering 28 petaflops, it has since been expanded to 126 petaflops, providing national researchers with access to world-class infrastructure.

The government’s Future Investment Programs (PIA) have allocated additional funds for the development of AI. 45% of the national strategy budget went to the National AI Research Program (PNRIA), coordinated by the Inria institute. 180 new academic chairs and nearly 300 doctoral scholarships in AI-related fields were funded to attract and educate young talent. Programs have also been launched to increase the number of graduates in AI-related fields (thus, by 2021, the number of master’s degrees in this field had doubled compared to 2016). Educational initiatives such as Grande École du Numérique have also been created to retrain workers and develop digital skills of the population.

France has introduced mechanisms to facilitate the influx of foreign specialists, such as the “Passeport Talent” and “French Tech Visa” which offer simplified visa procedures for highly skilled workers, entrepreneurs, and investors in the technology sector. The “Choose France for Science” platform has also been launched. This initiative aims to attract international scientists to France by offering co-financing for research projects in key areas such as health, climate, digital technologies, and AI.

One of the most significant initiatives introduced by France was its open data policy, which enabled the implementation of more precise AI solutions. The government promoted the creation of data commons: a model based on data sharing and collaboration between companies and institutions, as well as the release of data for public interest purposes (e.g., for research or healthcare projects). The most prominent initiative in this area was the Health Data Hub, officially launched at the end of 2019. It integrates medical data from across the healthcare system and makes it accessible to researchers and AI startups, while maintaining strict privacy protections.

The Ministry of the Armed Forces also published its own AI roadmap. Minister Florence Parly announced a plan to integrate AI into the military, including investments of approximately €500 million by 2025 and the creation of a dedicated AI Defense Lab. In September 2019, a Ministry of Defense working group released a detailed report expanding on this strategy. This formed part of broader efforts to ensure that artificial intelligence also contributes to national security and defense.

In 2022, the second phase of France’s AI strategy was launched, focusing on the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence in key economic sectors (particularly in industry and for SMEs) as well as the development of solutions such as trustworthy AI, energy-efficient AI, and generative AI (including language models). A total of €400 million in direct support was allocated for research and development (R&D) in both the public and private sectors. This phase also included plans to further attract international experts through the “Welcome to France AI” program.

Significant funding was directed toward AI projects in critical systems (such as autonomous transport, healthcare, and energy) where trust in algorithms is essential. Initiatives launched during this phase included the Grand Challenge program for algorithm certification and AI Explainability competitions. On the data front, the Health Data Hub was further expanded to include new datasets (e.g., radiological image data), and sector-specific data spaces for AI were created, for example, in agriculture (satellite data for AgriTech) and transportation (vehicle data).

In September 2023, the Committee on Generative AI was established, bringing together leading scientists, entrepreneurs, and experts from various fields. Its role is to provide guidance on both fostering innovation (e.g., identifying research needs in neural networks) and addressing regulatory challenges (e.g., copyright issues related to AI-generated content).

In 2024, the Independent AI Commission (operating under the Ministry of the Economy) released a report with 25 recommendations for the further development of AI in France. These included proposals to increase investment in AI research, accelerate AI adoption among SMEs, expand computing infrastructure, and develop legal frameworks for Trustworthy AI. This report became the foundation for planning the third phase of the national AI strategy.

Also in 2024, the President of France launched a nationwide educational initiative known as “AI Cafés” (Café IA). The aim of the program was to raise public awareness about artificial intelligence by providing open-access educational materials and engaging citizens in the AI adoption process. By the end of 2027, the program is expected to reach 2 million French citizens.

It is also worth noting that the implementation of AI initiatives has been overseen since 2018 by designated national AI coordinators: “Monsieur IA”. The creation of this role ensured coherent and coordinated actions across different government ministries.

The strategy also identified four strategic sectors:

• Health (personalized medicine, early diagnostics)
• Transport (autonomous vehicles, zero-emission mobility)
• Security and defense (cybersecurity, multimedia data analysis)
• Environment (precision agriculture, monitoring tools for farmers)

In summary, since 2018, France has been consistently implementing a cohesive AI strategy, combining substantial public funding with initiatives focused on talent development, research infrastructure, and the industrial application of artificial intelligence. This long-term government commitment has laid a solid foundation for France’s recent achievements in the AI domain.

Development of the AI Startup Ecosystem in France

Alongside its investments in scientific research, France has actively stimulated the growth of its AI startup ecosystem. The government, public agencies, and the private sector have launched a wide range of initiatives to support technological entrepreneurship.

Bpifrance, the state investment bank, launched dedicated funds, competitions, and support programs for innovative AI companies. Thanks to these efforts and growing private sector engagement (including venture capital), investment in young AI firms soared: in 2021 alone, French AI startups raised €1.5 billion, more than double the amount raised in 2020 (€708 million). In the record-setting year of 2022, total AI funding rounds reached €3.2 billion. The AI sector accounted for 30% of domestic venture capital investment, the highest global share (for comparison: USA – 28%, UK – 25%).

A major boost came from the establishment of Station F in Paris, one of Europe’s largest startup campuses, which has become a hub for numerous AI ventures. Station F was created primarily thanks to a private investment by Xavier Niel, the French billionaire and founder of the telecommunications company Free, financing the project with approximately €250 million. France also hosts various accelerators and initiatives like La French Tech, offering mentoring, networking, and investor access at all startup stages. The initiative also simplified immigration procedures (e.g., the startup visa), helping attract international talent to the French tech sector.

France has placed strong emphasis on transferring innovation from labs to industry. The 3IA institutes and newer AI clusters were specifically designed to encourage academic spin-offs and collaborative R&D projects with industry. Co-financing mechanisms were implemented, e.g., for every €1 of private investment in an AI project, the government contributes €1 in public grants. This approach encouraged large corporations to collaborate with startups and universities. Examples include Thales and its cortAIx program for AI integration, partnerships between EDF, Total, PSA, and emerging AI companies. The Inria research institute also launched its own Startup Studio, supporting researchers in commercializing their work. As a result, the number of deep-tech companies founded by graduates and PhD students has been steadily growing.

The government also introduced regulatory sandboxes, test environments where innovators can trial AI solutions in a pilot environment with eased regulatory constraints. Additionally, the French Tech Tremplin program promotes equal opportunity, supporting entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds in tech. Annual events such as hackathons and AI competitions (e.g., the Global AI Challenge) continue to draw investor and media attention.

All of these efforts have fueled the rapid growth and maturity of France’s AI startup ecosystem. Since 2018, several French AI startups have reached unicorn status (valued above $1 billion), including Dataiku and Mistral AI, a European leader in large language models (LLMs). Global tech giants have begun acquiring French AI firms. In 2023, Apple acquired Datakalab, and Safran bought Preligens, a defense-oriented AI startup, for over €220 million. By mid-2024, France had 16 AI-based tech unicorns, a clear indicator of the strength and maturity of its local market. All of this demonstrates that creating favorable conditions (access to capital, infrastructure, talent, and tax incentives) has allowed French AI startups to fully spread their wings.

France as a European Leader in AI

Thanks to the measures outlined earlier, France has taken the lead in the European race for artificial intelligence. The following data illustrates the scale of success of the French AI ecosystem.

France is home to 81 AI research laboratories, the highest number among all European countries. This high concentration of research units (at universities and institutes) translates into strong scientific productivity. According to the Scimago ranking, France ranks 4th in the world in terms of the number of AI-related publications, behind only global giants such as the United States and China. This means that at the European level, French researchers are among the most prolific and influential in the field.

France also ranks 3rd globally in terms of the number of AI researchers. Thanks to intense educational efforts, over 40,000 people in France receive AI-related education or training each year. The government aims to raise this number to 100,000 trained individuals annually. Additionally, over 4,000 AI specialists and researchers work in research institutions, a result of talent-attraction programs (including international recruitment) and the creation of new academic positions under the national AI strategy.

The number of French AI startups grew from around 180 in 2016 to 435 in 2019, and then to over 600 by 2023. Today, that number has surpassed 1,000, meaning it has doubled in just three years. Half of these companies are based in the Paris region, which, alongside London, has become the largest AI hub in Europe. French startups are also increasingly well-funded: in 2022, they raised a total of €3.2 billion, and in the more challenging 2024 environment, another €1.9 billion (second only to the UK). By 2021, 13,500 people were employed directly in AI startups in France, with another ~70,000 indirect jobs created.

Artificial intelligence has been the main driver of investment in France’s tech sector accounting for 27% of total startup funding. As emphasized in the French AI Report 2024, Paris has become a global AI center thanks to the presence of top engineering schools, state-supported tax incentives, and the operations of international tech companies such as Google, Meta, and OpenAI.

France has also become the European leader in attracting foreign investment in AI. For over five years, it has ranked first in Europe in the number of AI projects financed by foreign capital, confirmed by sources such as the EY barometer. Global corporations are more likely to locate their AI R&D centers in France than in other countries in the region. European AI branches have been established in France by Google (DeepMind), Meta (FAIR), IBM, Microsoft, Samsung, SAP, Cisco, Fujitsu, Uber, and, significantly, OpenAI. The presence of these giants brings not only investment and knowledge transfer but also international prestige that reinforces the entire ecosystem.

Among the most spectacular achievements is the fact that large language models (LLMs) have been co-developed or trained in France. Examples include LLaMA 2 and LLaMA 3, developed by Meta with major contributions from its FAIR lab in Paris, and the Mistral 7B model, an open-source LLM created by French startup Mistral AI and trained on local infrastructure. The Polish model Bielik was based on Mistral 7B.

All of these indicators confirm that France has emerged as Europe’s AI leader. It boasts cutting-edge research facilities, a rapidly growing startup market, and the trust of global companies and investors. In the Global AI Index, France climbed into the global top five in 2024, reaching 5th place worldwide. This position is the result of a deliberate national strategy and consistently executed actions since 2018.

AI Action Summit 2025

The AI Action Summit, held in February 2025 in Paris, symbolically marked a shift in the global AI narrative, from a focus on risks to concrete action for development. President Emmanuel Macron presented an optimistic vision of AI’s potential, emphasizing the need to mobilize new financial, human, and institutional resources.

During the summit, investment commitments totaling over €109 billion were announced for the AI sector in the coming years. This figure includes both public and private funds. For example The United Arab Emirates pledged €50 billion to build AI campuses and data centers in France. Brookfield Asset Management (Canada) committed €20 billion toward AI infrastructure in France by 2030. Bpifrance, France’s public investment bank, announced €10 billion in direct and indirect investments by 2029 in AI-focused companies (from startups to hardware and compute providers).

An independent Current AI Fund was also launched, with €2.5 billion earmarked for AI projects serving the public interest. France also plans to actively participate in EU-level initiatives such as EU AI Champions, a €150 billion program led by General Catalyst to boost the European AI sector.

Macron highlighted France’s access to low-cost, clean nuclear energy as a competitive advantage over more carbon-intensive models like that of the U.S. (“drill, baby, drill”).

He also stressed that investing in people is as vital as investing in technology: AI should improve quality of life (“AI au service de l’humanité”) and must go hand-in-hand with public education to ensure everyone benefits from this transformation. France aims to double its number of AI specialists by 2030, targeting 100,000 trained annually.

Another key announcement involved R&D investment. Macron pledged increased funding for basic and applied research (via ANR), as well as infrastructure. New data centers, AI labs, and industry-academic partnerships will be developed. The France 2030 “IA Clusters” initiative is set to transform French universities into global AI hubs through a distributed network of centers of excellence.

France also reaffirmed its commitment to ethical and sustainable AI development. Macron stated the country wants to lead in areas like energy-efficient AI, transparency, and AI for the public good—enabled by its green energy supply. Funding will focus on explainable AI (XAI) and socially impactful domains like healthcare, education, and environment. The final summit declaration, signed by 61 countries, promoted global cooperation, diversity, and AI for humanity and the planet.

Key Success Factors Behind France’s AI Leadership

From the analysis above, the following key decisions and actions enabled France to become Europe’s AI leader:

Early strategy adoption and strong public investment: France was among the first European nations to adopt a comprehensive AI strategy and backed it with billions of euros for research, education, and business support. Long-term funding ensured R&D project stability and incentivized private co-investment (1 euro private + 1 euro public).

Political leadership and top-level commitment: The personal engagement of the President and government gave the strategy momentum and prestige. AI became a high-level national issue, increasing its visibility and drawing talent and investment.

Creation of centers of excellence and collaborative networks: Specialized 3IA institutes and later AI clusters consolidated scattered research efforts. These regional ecosystems—linked to universities and businesses—focused on key domains (e.g., health, transport, environment) and fostered international collaboration (e.g., with Germany and Japan).

Talent development and brain drain prevention: France expanded AI education capacity, offered prestigious grants and chairs for returning scientists, and provided competitive career paths for young researchers. This helped retain talent and feed the AI labor pipeline.

Support for entrepreneurship and innovation commercialization: France created a startup-friendly environment through funding tools (Bpifrance, tax incentives), infrastructure (campuses, supercomputers), and networking initiatives (La French Tech). The government actively linked startups with industry, facilitated public procurement, and promoted French AI globally.

Global openness and reputation-building: France proactively attracted foreign investment and encouraged global companies to set up R&D centers locally. This was enabled by its research capacity, skilled workforce, and supportive policies. The presence of firms like Google, Meta, and OpenAI generated a positive flywheel effect, drawing more experts and investors. France also played a leading role in shaping EU ethical AI guidelines and participating in the EU-funded excellence networks.

Conclusion: France’s AI success is the result of coordinated, long-term policies: a bold strategy backed by funding, a connected science-business ecosystem, talent investment, and international engagement. These pillars gave France a sustainable competitive edge, positioning it among the global AI leaders, and as a model for other countries to follow.

Recommendations for Poland – How to Join the European AI Leaders

Despite growing awareness of the importance of artificial intelligence, Poland still has not fully realized its potential. To catch up with European frontrunners such as France, coordinated and long-term actions are needed on multiple levels. Based on France’s experience, the following recommendations can be formulated for Poland:

1. Adopt a Long-Term National AI Strategy with Strong Political Backing

France launched its “AI for Humanity” strategy as early as 2018, treating AI as a national priority. President Emmanuel Macron gave it political weight by emphasizing its importance both domestically and internationally (co-chairing global initiatives like GPAI). The report by mathematician Cédric Villani, though unofficial, became the foundation of French AI policy. Villani, as a government advisor and MP, played a key role in its implementation and remains a public voice for ethical AI.
Recommendation: Poland should adopt an updated, cross-ministerial AI strategy extending to 2030, anchored in its national economic development plan. A visible leader is needed, such as a national AI coordinator modeled after France’s “Monsieur IA.” A natural figure could be Prof. Piotr Sankowski. The strategy should receive explicit support from top political leadership (e.g., the president or prime minister) to ensure its continuity and relevance.

2. Secure Significant and Stable Public Funding

France invested over €3 billion between 2018 and 2024, with more already committed through 2030.
Recommendation: Poland should drastically increase its public investment in AI via institutions like PFR, NCBR, or EU Recovery Funds (KPO). A 1:1 matching scheme is recommended: each private-sector złoty invested should be matched by the state. Multi-billion-złoty funding over 5–10 years is needed (covering both basic research and market applications). Long-term stability would help attract back Polish researchers from top foreign institutions.

3. Create AI Centers of Excellence and Expand HPC Capacity

France established four interdisciplinary 3IA institutes and a network of regional clusters connecting academia, industry, and startups.
Recommendation: Poland should create at least 2–3 such institutes (e.g., in Warsaw, Wrocław, Kraków), linked to high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure. The IDEAS NCBR Institute and its regional branches could be a starting point. Centers should focus on concrete applications and collaborate closely with private-sector partners.

4. Invest in Talent Development – Education and Specialist Recruitment
France doubled the number of AI graduates and launched incentives to attract foreign experts.
Recommendation: Poland needs an “AI Talents” program—featuring scholarships, research grants, simplified visa procedures, and PhD support. Updating university curricula and increasing stipends is crucial to retaining young researchers domestically.

5. Facilitate Data Access and Promote ‘Data Commons’

France launched the Health Data Hub and supported the creation of sectoral data cooperatives.
Recommendation: Poland should make public datasets (e.g., from the NFZ, Statistics Poland, environmental data) available in structured formats for researchers, startups, and SMEs. Medical data, in particular, holds potential to improve healthcare and provide a national competitive advantage.

6. Support AI Startups through Funds, Incubators, and Regulatory Sandboxes

In France, AI represents 30% of the VC market. Bpifrance launched billion-euro funds, and initiatives like Station F and the French Tech Visa accelerated startup growth.
Recommendation: Poland should increase funding via PFR Ventures and NCBR, launch AI incubators, and establish regulatory sandboxes with the involvement of UODO, KNF, and sectoral bodies.

7. Build AI Capacity in Government and Public Sectors
France is deploying AI in healthcare, defense, and public administration.
Recommendation: Poland should develop sector-specific AI strategies (healthcare, education, energy) and launch AI pilot projects in public offices (such as chatbots, fraud prediction, and automated analytics). Focus should be placed on niche areas where Poland can deliver high added value (e.g., health, agriculture, forestry, defense, game development).

8. Foster Trustworthy, Transparent, and Socially Responsible AI

France invests in explainable AI (XAI), ethics, and sustainable AI development.
Recommendation: Poland should embed AI ethics and safety into its research programs. The recently established Center for Trustworthy AI at Warsaw University of Technology is an excellent model that deserves stronger funding and strategic status. Growing this field will increase public trust in AI.

9. Launch a National AI Awareness Program

France is running the “AI Cafés” program, targeting 2 million citizens.
Recommendation: Poland should launch an “AI for Citizens” initiative offering workshops, educational materials, and outreach campaigns in community centers. AI basics should be introduced in schools and supported through local governments, cultural centers, and libraries. AI must be understood, accepted, and seen as a shared opportunity.

10. Engage Actively in EU and Global AI Initiatives

France hosted the international AI Action Summit.
Recommendation: Poland should increase its visibility in EU and UN initiatives by lobbying for AI hub locations, promoting domestic experts, and organizing events (e.g., an international autonomous drone hackathon) that position Poland as a digital innovator.

Final Summary

Poland has everything it needs: talented engineers, a dynamic IT sector, and strong universities. What’s missing is scale, courage, and a coherent strategy. It’s time for an ambitious, proactive national AI policy that builds a modern innovation ecosystem and retains talent at home.

If bold steps are taken now, Poland can not only close the gap, but become a full-fledged player in the European AI race: a creator of innovation, not merely a recipient.

 

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