UK and France agree ‘Entente Technologique’ to help protect infrastructure

Britain and France have signed a raft of agreements to work more closely on protecting critical infrastructure and on AI, dubbed the “Entente Technologique”.

As part of the flurry of collaborations, researchers from both countries will work together on ground-based positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) technology, which will act as a back-up to satellite-based tech like the GPS.

These navigation systems underpin critical infrastructure like the electricity grid, banking, and transport.

The threat of sabotage to such networks has risen in recent years, as revealed by attacks on communications networks during the Ukraine war.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle made a joint visit to Imperial College London with French President Emmanuel Macron, ahead of the agreements being signed.

Mr Kyle said: “France and the UK both have huge ambitions for technology to boost economic growth and strengthen national security.

“It is vital we work with natural partners like our French neighbours in these endeavours, particularly as the threats from hostile state actors only grows.

“Today we build on the Entente Cordiale with an Entente Technologique, celebrating and renewing our long-standing and historic partnership so that together we can face down the challenges of tomorrow.”

A partnership on supercomputing is also being agreed, led by the Bristol Centre For Supercomputing – home of the Isambard AI – and the French computing centre GENCI, which leads France’s AI Factory.

Other leading research institutions are also agreeing closer co-operation, including Oxford and Cambridge with some of their leading French counterparts.

Published: 10/07/2025 by Radio NewsHub