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What do the R/D Indicators tell us about France’s Position in the European Union ? On the basis of individual and overall RD indicators for France and countries with comparable scientific history and socio-economic ranking, this article attempts to evaluate how France is positioned in the domain of European research. This leads us to aim our questions at performance tendencies, rather than how well the system is positioned at the moment. It provides a quantitative framework capable of generating a realistic and precise diagnosis. This diagnosis gives cause for concern : France’s technological production has been in decline for fifteen years without any sign of reversal. And without an increase in public and private funding in this domain, France’s number 4 worldwide RD ranking appears to be seriously threatened.