Defending Europe’s Future: Bpifrance’s Pascal Lagarde on Innovation, Investment and Sovereignty at Tech Tour Defence 2025
At the heart of Europe’s push for defence innovation and technological sovereignty, Bpifrance stands out as a powerful catalyst for change. As a key player driving France’s entrepreneurial and investment landscape, it plays a pivotal role in supporting defence, dual-use and deep tech growth at a vital time for the continent.
Speaking ahead of Tech Tour Defence 2025, Pascal Lagarde, Executive Director for International, Strategy and Development at Bpifrance, shares how the bank’s mission to empower entrepreneurs and accelerate innovation aligns with Europe’s growing ambition to build a stronger, more resilient defence ecosystem.
TT: Bpifrance is a “one stop shop” for entrepreneurs. When it comes to defence and dual-use tech, what role do Bpifrance and EuroQuity play in accelerating innovation and investment?
PL: Bpifrance operates under a clear doctrine: to be a partner for French companies throughout their lifecycle, a driver of innovation, and an enabler of regional and sectoral growth. In defence and dual-use, this translates into a complete “continuum” of tools co-developed with the Ministry of Armed Forces – from Definvest and the Defence Innovation Fund, to the Prêt Def’fi, Defence Accelerators, cybersecurity diagnostics, and export insurance.
In 2024 alone, Bpifrance channelled over €1 billion into the sector, nearly double the amount in 2018, and directly holds stakes in around 70 dual-use companies.
EuroQuity, through its partnerships and strong ties with the European Commission, private and public institutions, innovation agencies and other stakeholders, connects startups, corporates and investors across borders. Together, they accelerate innovation and investment while strengthening a resilient European innovation ecosystem.
TT: European Defence Week brings startups, investors, and policymakers together in Paris. Why is this the right time and place to strengthen Europe’s defence innovation ecosystem?
PL: The geopolitical context has shifted profoundly: the war in Ukraine, renewed NATO spending targets, and the need for European autonomy have created a strong momentum. Defence budgets are rising sharply, with France, Germany, and Italy intensifying support for their industrial bases.
At the same time, deeptech priorities such as AI, quantum, autonomy, and cybersecurity are reshaping the sector. Paris, as a political and industrial hub, is the ideal meeting point to connect startups, investors, military representatives and policymakers.
The European Defence Week comes at the right time to turn this momentum into a coordinated push for innovation and capability building.
TT: Cross-border collaboration is a strong theme of both Bpifrance and Tech Tour. What are some of the key opportunities and challenges for building a truly pan-European defence innovation platform?
PL: Cross-border collaboration is essential, if Europe wants a strong Defence Tech base.
The opportunity is to pool resources, create scale, and give promising start-ups access to wider markets. European funds like EDF and EUDIS, along with platforms like EuroQuity, provide frameworks to make this happen. But challenges remain: fragmentation of markets and regulations, slow joint programmes, and the dominance of larger primes over SMEs can hinder agility. The role of initiatives like Tech Tour and Bpifrance is to bridge these gaps, create trust between actors, and help build a truly pan-European platform where innovation can scale.
TT: How do you see the value Tech Tour Defence 2025 creates and its contribution to the long-term strengthening of Europe’s defence and innovation ecosystem?
PL: Tech Tour Defence 2025 is a key element of the European Defence Week and brings very tangible value: 60 carefully selected companies pitching to over 80 investors and experts, supported by structured matchmaking and curated sessions. But beyond deal flow, it creates long-term impact by embedding these innovators into the broader European Defence Alliance launched on EuroQuity. By linking entrepreneurs with capital, industrial partners, and EU programmes, Tech Tour Defence 2025 contributes to strengthening Europe’s defence innovation base: more resilient, more collaborative, and more competitive for the future.
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Since its creation, Bpifrance has stood as more than a bank — it is a partner, coach and catalyst for entrepreneurs determined to shape the future. With a range of initiatives and a rapidly expanding network of accelerators, Bpifrance continues to empower innovators to scale, export and thrive globally.
That same mission lies at the heart of Tech Tour Defence 2025 — taking place in Paris, 30–31 October 2025, as part of European Defence Week. The event will feature 60+ top-tier start-ups, 80+ investors, and over 200 curated One2One meetings, creating a high-impact arena for investment, partnership and collaboration.
Together, Bpifrance and Tech Tour are building the foundations of a more resilient, collaborative and competitive European defence ecosystem.
Interested in joining? Contact Natalia at natalia@techtour.com to learn more about opportunities.
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