By Anna Larrouy
An industry that doesn’t build itself
Developing an autonomous surveillance robot, like THALAMUS, is about more than assembling components. It requires aligning technology, field use, regulations, industrial design and of course, funding. For a deeptech startup, innovation doesn’t only depend on a good algorithm or a working prototype. It also relies on an environment that can structure, connect, and support over the long term.
In France, and particularly in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the public-private ecosystem plays that role of catalyst. Glocal Robotics Europe is a good example: while we design, manufacture, and evolve the THALAMUS, we don’t do it alone.
A structured ecosystem serving innovation
Several structures played a complementary role in supporting Glocal Robotics’ technological projects. Each has acted at a specific level of the value chain, from local support to strategic backing and financing.
- Eurekatech, the Greater Angoulême technology hub, offers accommodation: Krysalide, operational support and financing assistance from the earliest stages of the project.
- Aquitaine Robotics, the regional cluster, federates players in the robotics sector and facilitates strategic networking between manufacturers, researchers and suppliers.
- ID4Mobility provides access to an inter-regional network on smart mobility, with opportunities for collaboration on French and European projects.
- ADI Nouvelle-Aquitaine offers early-stage support through innovation diagnostics, project structuring, and guidance toward public funding.
- Bpifrance and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region offer financial support through grants, calls for projects, and loans tailored to the needs of deeptech startups.
What does an ecosystem like this actually bring ?
A well-structured innovation ecosystem is above all a gas pedal. It reduces set-up times, provides targeted support and facilitates access to the right contacts at the right time.
In a field like security robotics, where development cycles are long and the technological challenges complex, such support can make all the difference. Especially in a large, economically vibrant region like Nouvelle-Aquitaine, where the potential for collaboration is significant.
- Speeding up setup : having access to a fully equipped workshop, suitable office space and links with other companies in the sector means you can concentrate on what’s essential: developing, testing and iterating. This is what Glocal Robotics Europe has found at Krysalide in Angoulême, as highlighted in this article: “Glocal Robotics Europe is already working with companies specializing in robotics and industrial design in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The move of its operations from Valence to the Technoparc Krysalide in Saint-Michel, on the outskirts of Angoulême, can only strengthen that dynamic.”
- Structuring financing : building a business plan, identifying funding schemes, applying to calls for projects, all steps in which ADI and Eurekatech have served as strategic partners.
- Expanding the network : the ecosystem facilitates introductions, whether it’s technical partners through Aquitaine Robotics, investors through regional economic missions or potential clients during international market explorations.
- Encouraging sectoral collaboration : through organizations like ID4Mobility, companies tap into a broader interregional network focused on mobility and security, ideal for collaborative projects and tech monitoring.
This kind of support doesn’t replace innovation, effort, or strategy. But it allows companies to move faster, with greater clarity, and less isolation. An ecosystem alone does not make a project successful. But in a demanding field like security robotics, it can play a decisive role by creating the right conditions around innovation: resources, guidance, connections. As Renato Cudicio, President of Glocal Robotics Europe, puts it:
“Not being alone when you start a project like ours is very important. Being surrounded by other entrepreneurs facing the same challenges helps you find solutions faster and lifts your spirits when you realize the battle will be tough.”