France’s research ecosystem spans public institutes, life sciences, and industrial R&D, making it a uniquely sensitive environment for cybersecurity. Security leaders in this sector must protect intellectual property, research data, and critical infrastructure while enabling collaboration across academia, industry, and international partners. The following profiles highlight security executives shaping cyber resilience across France’s research landscape.
Florian Iturria — Chief Information Security Officer, SILAB
Florian Iturria has nearly 15 years of experience across cybersecurity, security, and economic intelligence. At SILAB, he focuses on building efficient resilience strategies that are adapted to their operating environment and threat landscape. His approach emphasizes a unified vision that brings together cybersecurity, economic intelligence, confidentiality, and physical security to protect and enhance critical assets. His scope covers governance, risk, and compliance across information security, intelligence, privacy, and safety, alongside responsibilities as information security leader and data protection officer.
Pascal Peloni — Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, bioMérieux
Pascal Peloni serves as Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at bioMérieux, a global leader in in vitro diagnostics. His remit spans information system security, security operations, and the protection of diagnostic products. Operating at the intersection of research, healthcare, and industrial production, his role reflects the growing importance of securing both digital environments and embedded technologies that underpin modern life sciences innovation.
Stanislas Poiraud — Chief Information Security Officer, Institut Pasteur
Stanislas Poiraud is the Chief Information Security Officer at Institut Pasteur, a globally renowned biomedical research institution. In this role since 2018, he oversees cybersecurity for research, public health, and international collaboration activities. His background includes several years as a senior information security consultant at Wavestone and earlier consulting experience, giving him a strong foundation in risk management, governance, and security transformation within complex organizations.
Dominique Launay — Chief Information Security Officer, Inria
Dominique Launay is Chief Information Security Officer at Inria, France’s national institute for research in digital science and technology. Prior to this role, Launay spent more than a decade within the RENATER ecosystem, serving as deputy and then chief information security officer for France’s national research and education network. Their experience includes securing large-scale research networks, managing national CISO coordination, and leading projects related to network security, intrusion detection, and anti-DDoS capabilities, all critical to the resilience of academic and research infrastructure.
Nicolas Thibaut — Chief Information Security Officer and Chief Information Officer, Red Horticulture
Nicolas Thibaut holds dual responsibilities as Chief Information Security Officer and Chief Information Officer at Red Horticulture. His role spans IT strategy definition, product specification and development oversight, software architecture, and deployment of industrial infrastructure. Alongside continuous risk assessment and security strategy implementation, he is also involved in protecting industrial property, defining KPIs, reporting to executive leadership, and managing technical talent, reflecting the close integration of cybersecurity with innovation and operational leadership in applied research environments.
Why Cybersecurity Leadership Matters in Research
Research organizations face a distinct mix of threats, from intellectual property theft and espionage to operational disruption and regulatory pressure. The leaders highlighted here operate at the crossroads of science, technology, and security, ensuring that innovation can progress without compromising sensitive data or critical systems. Their work plays a central role in safeguarding France’s position as a global research and innovation hub.