Inria and the University of Montpellier announce the signing of a strategic partnership agreement and the creation of the “Inria Branch at the University of Montpellier”
On June 23, 2023, to mark the 20th anniversary of Inria’s presence in Montpellier, Bruno Sportisse, President and CEO of Inria, and Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier, signed a strategic partnership framework agreement in Montpellier, thereby underscoring their commitment to strengthening their collaboration in digital science and technology.
This partnership will take shape notably through the creation of the “Inria Branch at 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 major world-class research universities.
The University of Montpellier (UM) and Inria have been collaborating on research for 20 years through 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 key 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 the CNRS.
Convinced of the complementary nature of their missions, scientific strengths, and research structures, the University of Montpellier and Inria wish to enter into a strong strategic partnership by leveraging their existing organizational frameworks: Inria’s model of joint project teams and the University of Montpellier’s model of laboratories, support units, and research federations. Inria and the University of Montpellier will continue to coordinate their strategies and resources to address the challenges facing France and Europe in the field of digital science and technology.
Through the “Inria Branch at the University of Montpellier,” Inria and the University of Montpellier have established a joint strategy for the site and mechanisms to implement it in collaboration with public partners in education, research, and innovation, as well as with private partners—whether French, European, or international.
This policy is intended to facilitate collaboration between the University of Montpellier and Inria by opening up new areas of cooperation or expanding existing partnerships to maximize their impact. It also aims to enhance the site’s international appeal for the benefit of education, 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 top talent and strengthen existing or future joint project teams in areas such as numerical simulation of environmental risks, remote sensing, statistical analysis of health data, assistive robotics, automated knowledge extraction, data science for diversity and the agro-environment, and citizen science. Among the priorities for collaboration are the launch of the University Innovation Hub (PUI) and the expansion of the Montpellier Institute of Data Science (ISDM).
“It is a source of great pride and a major step forward to officially announce the signing and establishment of the INRIA branch at the University of Montpellier, which will enable us to continue—and, above all, to strengthen—our collaboration and shared commitment in the field of digital science and technology. Research and innovation at the University of Montpellier never stop, and this new agreement is yet another testament to that.”
Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier
“Our approach is based on consistency and synergies between national policy and campus-specific initiatives. “By establishing the Inria branch at the University of Montpellier, Inria reaffirms 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 those with other national organizations—regardless of the form that impact takes.”
Bruno Sportisse, CEO of Inria
ABOUT
The University of Montpellier
With its 17 faculties, schools, and institutes, as well as its 74 research centers, the University of Montpellier brings together a vast community of knowledge spanning science, technology, physical education and sports, medicine, pharmacy, law, political science, economics, and business administration. With more than 50,000 students and 4,800 staff members, the University of Montpellier is now one of France’s largest universities. UM is internationally recognized for the excellence of its education, research, and capacity for innovation across a wide range of scientific fields related to major societal challenges, foremost among which are food security, environmental protection, and human health. It holds a leading position in international rankings, placing on the global podium in ecology in the Shanghai subject-specific ranking, in the top 200 of the Shanghai general ranking, and as the top French university among the most innovative universities in the Reuters ranking. As a socially responsible university, UM is particularly committed to issues of gender equality and the fight against all forms of discrimination, environmental challenges, scientific integrity, and science-society relations.
Inria
Inria is the national research institute for digital science and technology. World-class research, technological innovation, and entrepreneurial risk-taking are at its core. Across 220 project teams—most of which are jointly run with major research universities—more than 3,500 researchers and engineers explore new avenues, often through interdisciplinary approaches and in collaboration with industrial partners, to tackle ambitious challenges.
As a technology institute, Inria supports a wide range of innovation pathways: from open-source software development to the creation of deep-tech startups.
www.inria.fr