Inria and the University of Montpellier announce the signing of a strategic partnership agreement and the creation of the "Inria Branch of the University of Montpellier."
On June 23, 2023, to mark 20 years of Inria's presence in Montpellier, Bruno Sportisse, CEO of Inria, and Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, signed a strategic partnership framework agreement in Montpellier, underscoring their desire to strengthen their collaboration in digital science and technology.
This partnership will take shape in particular through the creation of the "Inria Branch of the University of Montpellier," a precursor to a future Inria center in Montpellier, which is part of Inria's national strategy to contribute to the development of world-class research universities.
For 20 years, the University of Montpellier (UM) and Inria have been collaborating on research projects within joint project teams in the fields of data science, simulation, and control, with applications in the environment, agriculture, and health. Their collaboration has been strengthened through structuring initiatives such as the#DigitAg convergence institute, the LabeX NUMEV, and the I-SITE MUSE "Montpellier University of Excellence." The Pl@ntNet platform and the startup Neurinnov were created and developed in Montpellier thanks to this collaboration, which includes other academic partners, such as national research organizations like INRAE and CNRS.
Convinced of their complementary roles in terms of missions, scientific strengths, and research organization, the University of Montpellier and Inria wish to engage in a strong strategic partnership based on their existing organizations and structures, respectively Inria's joint project team model and the University of Montpellier's laboratories, support units, and research federations. Inria and UM will continue to coordinate their strategies and resources to meet the challenges facing France and Europe in the field of digital science and technology.
Through the "Inria Antenna at the University of Montpellier," Inria and UM have developed a joint strategy for the site and mechanisms for implementing it with public partners in education, research, and innovation, or with private partners, whether French, European, or international.
This policy aims to facilitate interactions between the University of Montpellier and Inria, opening up new areas of cooperation and expanding existing partnerships to maximize their impact. It also aims to improve the site's international appeal for the benefit of teaching, research, and innovation, as well as job creation in the region. It also works to promote scientific and technical culture.
A common HR policy will be developed to attract the best talent and strengthen existing or future joint project teams working on topics such as digital simulation of environmental risks, remote sensing, statistical analysis of health data, assistive robotics, automatic knowledge extraction, data science for diversity and the agro-environment, and participatory science. Among the priorities for collaboration are the launch of the University Innovation Cluster (PUI) and the ramp-up of the Montpellier Institute of Data Science (ISDM).
"It is with great pride and excitement that we officially announce the signing and creation of the INRIA branch at the University of Montpellier, which will enable us to continue and, above all, strengthen our collaboration and shared commitment in the field of digital science and technology. Research and innovation at the University of Montpellier never stops, and this new agreement is further proof of that."
Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier
"Our dynamic is based on consistency and synergies between national policy and site policy. By creating the Inria branch at the University of Montpellier, Inria is confirming its commitment to strengthening world-class research universities at the heart of entrepreneurial and industrial ecosystems driven by digital technology, with a single requirement: the impact of our joint actions, including with other national organizations, whatever form that impact may take."
Bruno Sportisse, CEO of Inria
ABOUT
The University of Montpellier
With its 17 faculties, schools, and institutes and 74 research facilities, the University of Montpellier brings together a vast community of knowledge: science, technology, physical education and sports, medicine, pharmacy, law, political science, economics, and management. With more than 50,000 students and 4,800 staff, the University of Montpellier is now one of the largest universities in France. UM is internationally recognized for the excellence of its teaching, research, and capacity for innovation in a wide range of scientific fields related to major societal challenges, foremost among which are food security, environmental protection, and human health. It ranks highly in international rankings, placing on the global podium in ecology in the Shanghai thematic ranking, in the top 200 of the Shanghai general ranking, and as the most innovative French university in the Reuters ranking. As a responsible university, UM is particularly committed to issues of gender equality and the fight against all forms of discrimination, environmental issues, scientific integrity, and science-society relations.
Inria
Inria is France's national research institute for digital science and technology. World-class research, technological innovation, and entrepreneurial risk-taking are in its DNA. Within 220 project teams, most of which are shared with major research universities, more than 3,500 researchers and engineers explore new avenues, often in an interdisciplinary manner and in collaboration with industrial partners, to meet ambitious challenges.
As a technology institute, Inria supports a variety of innovation pathways: from open source software publishing to the creation of technology startups (Deeptech).
www.inria.fr