CEA The CEA is the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission ("Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives"). It is a public body established in October 1945 by General de Gaulle. A leader in research, development and innovation, the CEA mission statement has two main objectives: To become the leading technological research organization in Europe and to ensure that the nuclear deterrent remains effective in the future. The CEA is active in four main areas: low-carbon energies, defense and security, information technologies and health technologies. In each of these fields, the CEA maintains a cross-disciplinary culture of engineers and researchers, building on the synergies between fundamental and technological research. The civilian programs of the CEA received 49% of their funding from the French government, and 30% from external sources (partner companies and the European Union). The CEA had a budget of 4,3 billion euros. The CEA is based in ten research centers in France, each specializing in specific fields. The laboratories are located in the Paris region, the Rhône-Alpes, the Rhône valley, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Aquitai