Researchers and industrialists are increasingly joining forces, in order, not only to get to know each other better, but also to contemplate and even to accomplish new projects. MIRIADE facilitates their encounter via R&D gateways. An introduction to MIRIADE.

“Value enhancement” is undoubtedly MIRIADE’s ⁽¹⁾ credo. In order to establish a solid link between researchers and entrepreneurs likely to boost R&D investments, an essential ingredient for increasing the competitiveness of our regional businesses, the mission has developed a new and regular rendezvous, in partnership with the Materials CNRT. The very first R&D Gateways, confidential encounters between a company and a laboratory, took place in 2007, focusing on the following themes: control and use of materials in the automobile industry and ecomaterials in industry. “Thanks to these concrete rendezvous, free from waffling, researchers were able to take full advantage of rapid exchanges with industrialists,” explains Isabelle Dupont-Morral, in charge of Research Development and Europe. Further encounters are already planned for 2008, like for example, the R&D Gateway entitled “marine culture and development”, which took place in Cherbourg in partnership with the University of Caen.

Over a half-day, these face to face interviews last only 25 minutes. A bell rings to inform participants that it’s time to move on to the following interview. “That’s the event’s genuine highlight,” notes Pierre-Jean Madec, Director of ENSICAEN’s Laboratory for Molecular and Thio-organic Chemistry’s “molecular materials” team. “I didn’t think the encounters would work that way. The “laboratory” sheets prepared for businesses and providing an introduction to our skills helps accelerate exchange.” Three CIFRE theses are already underway and two further theses are anticipated. Businesses are just as enthusiastic. “We don’t have enough time to develop links, because we have an extremely busy schedule,” indicates Christine Follet, an oyster farmer in charge of the La Belle Fermanvillaise concession in Manche. “In only a few hours, I concluded a partnership with the Syndicat mixte pour l’équipement du Littoral (mixed syndicate for coastal development), and with Isabelle Mussio from Caen University’s Laboratoire de Biologie et Biotechnologies Marines (Marine Biology and Biotechnology Laboratory). It saves un precious time.”

This voluntarily relaxed encounter is nevertheless organised with professionalism. Each party agrees in writing not to divulge exchanged information to a third party. Tomorrow’s projects are already on the go. And MIRIADE’s R&D Gateways are helping them to emerge.

(1) The Regional Mission for Innovation and Economic Development Action (MIRIADE) is a local public authority aimed at developing research and launched in June 2006 by the Lower Regional Council within the framework of its SRDE (Regional Economic Development Plan).

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