In the second half of 2022, the University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour signed several framework agreements with Ifremer, CNRS, local authorities, and INRAE, which illustrates mutual trust and a strong dynamic.

With the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) in late August

A framework agreement was signed by Pierre Labrosse, director of the Atlantic center of Ifremer who came from Nantes, and Isabelle Baraille, vice-president of UPPA in charge of research, on Monday, August 29, 2022 on the campus of Montaury in Anglet where is located since 2007 part of the Laboratory Environment Resources of Arcachon (LERAR).

This agreement, which documents the themes of common interest for Ifremer and UPPA, gives an institutional framework to eight large-scale research projects launched since 2018 for an amount of 40,000 to 4 million euros and which have already produced 15 peer-reviewed scientific publications. It will also enable the sharing of facilities and expertise between the two institutions, as well as the intensification of research and teaching collaborations and the hosting of students (tutored projects, master’s internships and work-study programs).

The projects, which mainly concern fishery resources of regional importance and local marine biodiversity, are grouped into two themes: on the one hand, the methodological development of tools for evaluating and monitoring resources (within the framework of the “Marine Strategy Framework” European directive, and fisheries management); on the other hand, the study of relationships between populations (animal or plant), environment and exploitation.

With CNRS in September

Antoine Petit, president and CEO of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), and Laurent Bordes, president of UPPA, signed a five-year partnership agreement on September 14, 2022, on the Pau campus, in the presence of Claudio Galderisi, rector delegate for higher education, research and innovation of the New Aquitaine academic region.

This agreement marks the desire of both institutions to pursue a shared scientific policy. Together, CNRS and UPPA are helping to shape the face of research in southern Aquitaine through campuses in Pau, Bayonne, Anglet and Mont-de-Marsan. The new buildings and equipment allow for the development of original approaches and contribute to the influence of research conducted in the eight joint research units (UMR) shared by the two institutions.

The scientific partnership between CNRS and UPPA covers the following disciplinary fields: engineering sciences, mathematics, geosciences, chemistry, microbiology, environmental sciences, social sciences and humanities, legal sciences.

With the local authorities of Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Laurent Bordes, president of UPPA, Nicolas Patriarche, president of the Centre de Gestion de la Fonction Publique Territoriale des Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Pascal Mora, president of the Agence Publique de Gestion Locale, and Alain Sanz, president of the Association des Maires et Présidents de Communautés des Pyrénées-Atlantiques (local authorities), signed a 3rd framework agreement on September 22 at the Maison des Communes.

This agreement formalizes the relations between the partners for the period 2022-2026 and affirms the complementarity of their actions. It also underlines the commitment of the local authorities of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department the UPPA.

With INRAE in November

Philippe Mauguin, President and CEO of the French National Institute for Research in Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), and Laurent Bordes, President of UPPA, signed the first five-year agreement on objectives and resources between the two institutions on November 2, 2022 in Anglet.

This is the fifth contract of objectives and resources that INRAE has signed with a university. As part of its INRAE 2030 project, INRAE wishes to strengthen the links between research and training through a reinforced commitment to French universities.

This agreement concerns more specifically the study of the impact of climate change on freshwater ecosystems and on the sustainability of aquaculture systems. Among other things, it provides for the development of new training courses such as international Masters in Environment and Aquatic Resources and Aquaculture Nutrition, in close collaboration with the IREKIA project, which aims at significantly increasing the range of training courses on the Basque Country campus to meet the needs of the region.

With Inria

UPPA is also considering signing a contract of objectives and resources with its partner the National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control (Inria). There are already two joint teams integrated into the Laboratoire de mathématiques et de leurs applications de Pau (LMAP). 

The first one, CAGIRE, brings together researchers who are developing a common vision of what should be the numerical simulation tool for future flows.

The second joint team is developing methodologies for solving complex three-dimensional geophysical problems, particularly in seismic imaging. In 2022, this project-team, now called Makutu, has expanded by welcoming an industrial partner, TotalEnergies. The agreement signed between UPPA, Inria, CNRS, Bordeaux INP and TotalEnergies is emblematic of UPPA's positioning at the interface of academic and private research.