S‘Inspire, discover new models, share your experiences, create links … The challenges of an international mission are multiple. You have to be attentive, keep your mind open for sometimes, at the turn of an exchange, seize the opportunity of a new partnership. It is in this state of mind that the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region regularly organizes travel in Quebec, one of its most important international cooperation. This spring, the mission led by the president is focused on the research and development of new technologies.
The relationship between New Aquitaine and the Canadian French-speaking province began in this area “over fifteen years ago, around nutraceutical (food supplements), optics and lasers, underlines Alain Rousset, the president of the region. It is led to continue today in the field of quantum ”, the future of computer science and artificial intelligence, according to many scientists.
Bet on the future
“We already have partnerships with the University of Sherbrooke,” explains Carole Doucet, the director of research, higher education and technology transfer service to the region. The objective of the mission is now to set up joint projects. “With the displayed goal, on the principle of” Union is strength “, to weigh heavier in the face of the mastodons of the sector like the Paris-Saclay University.
For this, the region has already invested 5 million euros to create Naquidis, the innovation center for quantum technologies. It is now a question of raising it in power by allying with universities like Sherbrooke. However, it is difficult to say today what these exchanges can bring tomorrow. “It’s a bit of a bet on the future,” admits the director. We take risks but, in quantum and photonics, we know it’s worth it. »»
-Targeted recruitments
Measured and assumed risks, because the region is convinced that international cooperation can only be strengthened with what is going on in the United States, where research is affected by the anti-scope policy of Donald Trump. But attracting talented foreign researchers is not a snap of fingers. “We see that Marseille received 250 applications by launching his call,” notes Carole Doucet. How do we sort among all these applicants? I do not know if these good intentions resist reality. »»
“The region finances laboratory equipment and the human resources necessary to make it work. This creates a favorable academic environment and researchers come ”
New Aquitaine has chosen to target its recruitments. With the Chess device, it creates chairs of scientific excellence. This is a partnership with universities which, when they open a position to attract a researcher to a particular theme, benefit from support. “The region finances laboratory equipment, for example, and the human resources necessary to make it work. This creates a favorable academic environment and researchers come. This is what happened on the neurocampus ”, the research center in neuroscience.
This press trip was partly funded by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
