Read the message from the management team :

" Dear all,

As you know, the financial situation at the Institut Pasteur is a cause for concern, with an operating deficit that has reached €66 million in 2025. If this trend were to continue, it would jeopardize the sustainability of our activities. 

Given this situation, in February 2025 the Board of Governors decided to convene working groups to examine the Institut Pasteur's business model and discuss measures to restore financial sustainability. In addition to our ongoing efforts to increase and diversify our resources, the Board confirmed the need for tighter controls on spending and directed the management team to implement measures aimed at reducing our structural deficit.

The budget adopted for 2026 already reflects this and should enable us to curb our worsening operating deficit for the first time in six years. It is crucial that we pursue this path to restore the sustainability of the Institut Pasteur's business model. 

The framework for the 2027 budget, which was sent to our teams in July, maintains the priorities of the 2026 budget: a 4% reduction in the internal funding (FIP) budget for corporate departments, and a reduction of 40 internally funded FTE (full-time equivalent) positions. At the same time, in line with the management team to ensuring the continued renewal of the campus’s scientific activities and their funding, the creation of new units—especially G5 and U5—and the recruitment of researchers continued, and the funding for maximum staff number requirements (ETM) was maintained.

In an effort to maintain transparency and dialog, and in response to requests from various stakeholders on campus, we have decided to launch a strategic dialog on several cost-control measures that we plan to implement.

These discussions will focus in particular on:
 

• The business model for our core facilities;
• Headcount developments;
• The contribution of research contracts to the Institut Pasteur's financial equilibrium.
   

The aim is to share observations and ideas, gather feedback, areas of concern and recommendations, and discuss the various scenarios before final decisions are made.

Specific discussions will also be organized with the Social and Economic Committee (CSE), Institut Pasteur General Meeting Board, and the scientific department directors.

The management team has also decided to hold a Pasteur Leadership Forum on Monday October 6 as a way of informing managers about the initiative and pursuing efforts to explain our financial situation. An Outlook invitation will be sent out to staff members concerned in the coming days. All staff will of course also be kept informed of the progress of the working sessions, and an update will be given at the Town Hall meeting at the end of the year.

This initiative confirms our intention to improve the Institut Pasteur's financial situation, to provide clear and transparent information about the nature and reasons for our choices, and to involve staff and representatives as far as possible in our discussions and decisions.

We know that we can count on each and every one of you to cooperate with this initiative that is crucial for the future of the Institut Pasteur.

Please be assured of our full commitment to seeing this transformative project through to completion in a spirit of responsibility, transparency, and dialogue."