Competition in research has led to the emergence of numerous consortia of laboratories, designed to improve their participants’ visibility. This article aims to understand the determinants of these new structures through the case study of a French federation of laboratories in green chemistry. Working from bibliographic and qualitative data, we examine this federation’s geographical and institutional scope, highlighting the importance of i) prior collaborations in French chemistry, ii) interpersonal relations between consortium members, and iii) policy and scientific incentives. This research highlights the role of the territorial scope of the consortium not only as an argument for the consortium to emerge but also as a resource for its development and visibility among academics and industrial partners.