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Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission

Logo: Webmaster CEA, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons4

French research organisation

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) (French: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives) is a French public government-funded research organisation in the areas of energy, defense and security, information technologies and health technologies. The CEA maintains a cross-disciplinary culture of engineers and researchers, building on the synergies between fundamental and technological research.2 It employed about 22,100 people in 2024.1 Its revenue was $2.4 billion in 2018.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1945Founded1
  • Industryresearch and development in other physical and natural sciences1
  • HeadquartersParis, France1
  • Websitewww.cea.fr
  • Legal formnational public industrial or commercial establishment without a public accountant1
  • Kind of organizationPublic body1
  • LEI969500CIRTENJTDWF6593
  • StatusActive3
  • LEI statusLapsed (not renewed)3
  • Registered address25 RUE LEBLANC, 75015 Paris, France3
  • Registered withNational Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, 7756850193

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The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) (French: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives) is a French public government-funded research organisation in the areas of energy, defense and security, information technologies and health technologies. The CEA maintains a cross-disciplinary culture of engineers and researchers, building on the synergies between fundamental and technological research.2

Corporate structure

Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission sits at the top of its group. 88 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission Paris, France
    • Astroparticle and Cosmology Laboratory Subsidiary · 13th arrondissement of Paris, France
    • Biologie Végétale et de Microbiologie Environnementales Subsidiary · Saint-Paul-lès-Durance, France
    • Biology of Cancer and Infection: from Molecular Mechanisms to Technological Applications Subsidiary · Grenoble, France
    • CEA Fontenay-Aux-Roses Subsidiary · Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
    • CEA Grenoble Subsidiary · Grenoble, France
    • CEA Paris-Saclay Subsidiary · Saclay, France
    • Center for nuclear science and for the science of matter Subsidiary · Orsay, France
    • Centre de Compétences NanoSciences Ile-de-France Subsidiary · Paris, France
    • Centre de recherche Saint-Antoine Subsidiary · 12th arrondissement of Paris, France
    • Centre de Recherche sur les Ions, les Matériaux et la Photonique Subsidiary · Caen, France
    • Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications Subsidiary · Talence, France
    • Chrono-Environment Laboratory Subsidiary · Besançon, France
    • Cognitive Neuroimaging Subsidiary · Gif-sur-Yvette, France
    • Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit Subsidiary · Gif-sur-Yvette, France
    • Computer Science Department, École normale supérieure Subsidiary · 5th arrondissement of Paris, France
    • COMUF Subsidiary · France
    • Department of particle physics Subsidiary · France
    • Digiteo Labs Subsidiary · Gif-sur-Yvette, France
    • Direction de la recherche fondamentale Subsidiary · Gif-sur-Yvette, France
    • Direction de la recherche technologique Subsidiary · Grenoble, France
    • Direction des Applications Militaires Subsidiary · France
    • Direction des sciences de la matière Subsidiary · Gif-sur-Yvette, France
    • Direction des Sciences du Vivant du CEA Subsidiary · Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
    • Direction des énergies Subsidiary · Gif-sur-Yvette, France
    • Département d'Electronique des Détecteurs et d'Informatique pour la Physique Subsidiary · France
    • and 62 more

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

CEA was created in 1945; since then, the successive high-commissioners have been Frédéric Joliot-Curie, Francis Perrin, Jacques Yvon, Jean Teillac, Raoul Dautry, René Pellat, Bernard Bigot, Catherine Cesarsky, Daniel Verwaerde, and François Jacq.

In December 2009, French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared that CEA should change its name from Commissariat à l’énergie atomique (English: Commission for Atomic Energy) to Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (English: Commission for Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies); this change took effect on 10 March 2010, when the decision was published in the Journal officiel de la République française.

From Wikipedia’s article on French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5

Products and brands

Research

It conducts fundamental and applied research into many areas, including the design of nuclear reactors, the manufacturing of integrated circuits, the use of radionucleides for curing illnesses, seismology and tsunami propagation, the safety of computerized systems, etc.

It has one of the top 100 supercomputers in the world, the Tera-100. TERA 100, first system designed and built in Europe to reach the petaflops in 2010, was ranked in 5th position in the worldwide TOP 500. CEA is now building TERA-1000 which is a key step in the implementation of their Exascale program for the computing needs that CEA would face by 2020.

In March 2016, Reuters published an article describing the "Top 25 Global Innovators – Government" and placed CEA as "number one" amongst "The World's Most Innovative Research Institutions."

Energies division (DES)

The direction des énergies (DES) comprises four institutes:

Read the full text

Institut de recherche sur les systèmes nucléaires pour la production d’énergie bas carbone (IRESNE), in Cadarache

Institut des sciences et technologies pour une économie circulaire des énergies bas carbone (ISEC), in Marcoule

Institut des sciences appliquées et de la simulation pour les énergies bas carbone (ISAS), in CEA Saclay

Institut de technico-économie des systèmes énergétiques (ITESE or I-Tésé)

Technological research division (DRT)

The direction de la recherche technologique (DRT), known also as CEA Tech division, is divided between two CEA sites, at Saclay and Grenoble. CEA Tech focuses on technological research and development in the field of energy, IT (both hardware and software) and healthcare informatics. It plays an active role in transferring knowledge and research to industry.

The CEA Tech division is further divided into three research institutes:

The CEA-Leti lab works mainly on micro/nano technologies and specializes in microsystems, biotech, photonics and nanoelectronics. It is located mainly in Grenoble, France.

The CEA-List lab works mainly on systems and software-intensive technology and specializes in embedded systems, sensors and big data, and advanced manufacturing. It is located mainly in Paris-Saclay, France.

The CEA-Liten lab works mainly on cutting edge technologies related to energy and nanomaterials. It specializes in building solar, carbon-free transports, biomass-hydrogen and nano materials-nanotechnologies.

The current director of DRT since january 2023 is Julie Galland.

Fundamental research division (DRF)

The direction de la recherche fondamentale (DRF) consists of 9 institutes:

Institut de biologie François Jacob (JACOB) in CEA Fontenay-aux-Roses

Institut des sciences du vivant Frédéric Joliot (JOLIOT) in CEA Saclay

Institut Rayonnement-Matière de Saclay (IRAMIS) in CEA Saclay

Institut de recherche sur les lois fondamentales de l'Univers (Irfu) in CEA Saclay

Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l'environnement (LSCE) in CEA Saclay

Institut de recherche interdisciplinaire de Grenoble (IRIG) in CEA Grenoble

Institut de physique théorique (IPhT) in CEA Saclay

Institut de Recherche sur la Fusion par confinement Magnétique (IRFM) in Cadarache

Institut de Biosciences et de Biotechnologies d'Aix-Marseille (BIAM) in Cadarache

The current DRF director since 25 August 2025 is François Daviaud.

Military applications division (DAM)

The direction des applications militaires (DAM) builds the nuclear weapons of the French military and designs the power plants for the nuclear submarines of the French Navy.

Facilities

Civilian research centres

CEA Saclay, Essonne (48.725135°N 2.150346°E / 48.725135; 2.150346, headquarters since 2006) and the associated National Laboratory GANIL at Caen - Calvados

CEA Fontenay-aux-Roses, Fontenay-aux-Roses, Hauts-de-Seine

CEA Grenoble, Grenoble (Polygone Scientifique), Isère

CEA Cadarache, Cadarache, Bouches-du-Rhône

CEA Valrhô, Marcoule and Pierrelatte, Gard

Civilian emergency organizations

Groupe INTRA

Research centres for military applications

The sites of the DAM include:

CEA DAM Île-de-France (DIF), Bruyères-le-Châtel, Essonne

CEA Valduc, Côte-d'Or

INBS PN CADARACHE, in Cadarache

CEA Cesta, Gironde

CEA Gramat

CEA Le Ripault, Indre-et-Loire

From Wikipedia’s article on French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5

Subsidiaries and ownership

Subsidiaries

  • Astroparticle and Cosmology Laboratory
  • Biologie Végétale et de Microbiologie Environnementales
  • Biology of Cancer and Infection: from Molecular Mechanisms to Technological Applications
  • CEA Fontenay-Aux-Roses
  • CEA Grenoble
  • CEA Paris-Saclay
  • COMUF
  • Center for nuclear science and for the science of matter
  • Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications
  • Centre de Compétences NanoSciences Ile-de-France
  • Centre de Recherche sur les Ions, les Matériaux et la Photonique
  • Centre de recherche Saint-Antoine
  • Chrono-Environment Laboratory
  • Cognitive Neuroimaging
  • Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit
  • Computer Science Department, École normale supérieure
  • Department of particle physics
  • Digiteo Labs
  • Direction de la recherche fondamentale
  • Direction de la recherche technologique
  • Direction des Applications Militaires
  • Direction des Sciences du Vivant du CEA
  • Direction des sciences de la matière
  • Direction des énergies
All 87 subsidiaries
  • Département d'Electronique des Détecteurs et d'Informatique pour la Physique
  • Fondation FondaMental
  • Fondation Nanosciences
  • Fondation Neurodis
  • Gene Therapy, Genetic, Epigenetic in Neurobiology, Endocrinology and Child Development
  • Genetic Stability, Stem Cells and Radiations
  • Genoscope
  • Grenoble-Institut des Neurosciences
  • House of Simulation
  • IRAMAT
  • Imagerie par Résonance Magnétique Médicale et Multi-Modalités
  • Imaging and Therapeutical Strategies in Cerebral and Tumoral Pathologies
  • Institut Français de Bioinformatique
  • Institut Nanosciences et Cryogénie
  • Institut d'Imagerie Biomédicale
  • Institut de Biosciences et de Biotechnologies d'Aix-Marseille
  • Institut de Radiobiologie Cellulaire et Moléculaire
  • Institut de Recherche sur la Fusion par confinement Magnétique
  • Institut de biosciences et biotechnologies
  • Institut de recherche sur les systèmes nucléaires pour la production d'énergie bas carbone
  • Institut de technico-économie des systèmes energétiques
  • Institut des sciences du vivant Frédéric Joliot
  • Institute Pierre Simon Laplace
  • Institute for Research on the Fundamental Laws of the Universe
  • Institute for the Separation Chemistry in Marcoule
  • Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases
  • Institute of Integrative Biology of the Cell
  • Institute of Organic and Analytical Chemistry
  • Institute of Physics of 2 Infinites Lyon
  • Institute of Structural Biology
  • Irradiated Solids Laboratory
  • LIST
  • LULI
  • LabEx PERSYVAL-Lab
  • Laboratoire Francis Perrin
  • Laboratoire Léon Brillouin
  • Laboratoire National Henri Becquerel
  • Laboratoire Physiologie Cellulaire & Végétale
  • Laboratoire d'imagerie biomédicale multimodale Paris-Saclay
  • Laboratoire d'innovation pour les technologies des énergies nouvelles et les nanomatériaux
  • Laboratoire de Chimie et Biologie des Métaux
  • Laboratoire de recherche sur les sciences de la matière
  • Laboratoire des Technologies de la Microélectronique
  • Laboratoire des sciences du climat et de l'environnement
  • Lasers, Interactions and Dynamics Laboratory
  • Les Houches School of Physics
  • Modane Underground Laboratory
  • Nanosciences et innovation pour les matériaux, la biomédecine et l'énergie
  • National Center for Research in Human Genomics
  • National Genotyping Center
  • NeuroSpin
  • Neurofunctionnal Imaging Institute
  • Neuroimaging in Psychiatry
  • Pediatric Epilepsies and Brain Plasticity
  • Research Centre for Immunology of Viral Infections and Autoimmune Diseases
  • Research centre CEA Cadarache
  • Saclay Institute of Matter and Radiation
  • Service Interdisciplinaire sur les Systèmes Moléculaires et les Matériaux
  • Service de Physique de l'Etat Condensé
  • Spintronique et Technologie des Composants
  • Systèmes Moléculaires et nanoMatériaux pour l'Énergie et la Santé
  • Triangle
  • École des Neurosciences de Paris

From Wikidata.1

Acquisitions

  1. Jan 1, 2015Acquired LULI1

Employees over time

  • 202422,1051

Revenue over time

As stated on Wikidata, in the currency reported.

Revenue

  • 2018$2.4B1

Timeline

  1. 2010Renamed Name changed to Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives1
  2. 1945Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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