The French Node is constituted around three hotspots capitalizing on the active participation of 13 partners including major universities, internationally recognized Research Institutes and key industrial players. It has a specific focus on one of the Research Action Lines and on one Thematic Action Line namely Digital Cities of the Future.

The six core partners of the Paris node are INRIA (National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control), Alcatel-Lucent, Orange-France Telecom, Pierre et Marie Curie University, Paris-Sud University and Institut Telecom.

The seven affiliated partners include four Competitiveness Clusters - Cap Digital, Images & Réseaux, SCS Secured Communicating Systems and Systematic, one Research Cluster - Digiteo and two universities - Rennes 1 University and Nice-Sophia-Antipolis University.

Some highlights about the organizations of the three major hotspots exploiting the existing French eco-system in different domains covered by the EIT ICT Labs are as follows:

• The Paris-Saclay headquarters very centrally located at 23 Avenue d’Italie in Paris provides a unique environment for research and development in technologies of the future. Members are University Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6), University Paris-Sud (Paris 11), INRIA the French public institute dedicated to research in ICST, Institut Télécom, Alcatel-Lucent, Orange-France Télécom, the two Competitiveness Clusters System@tic and Cap Digital and a research cluster Digiteo. Multiple research groups of INRIA, UPMC and Institut Telecom are located in the same building as the EIT ICT Labs co-location center.  Directions to the Paris Co-location Center.
• Sophia-Antipolis is among the leading R&D hubs in Europe and has been the preferred location for corporate research facilities specialized in information technology, life sciences, environmental sciences and fine chemicals. Members are University of Nice-Sophia-Antipolis, INRIA, Institut Télécom, France Télécom and the Competitiveness Cluster on Secured Communicating Systems (SCS).
• Rennes is a major R&D hub in Information sciences, life sciences and bio-technologies and in environmental sciences. Members are University of Rennes 1, INRIA, Institut Télécom, Orange-France Télécom and the Competitiveness Cluster Images & Réseaux.