Digital sciences in Aquitaine at the service of certification and secure systems
Preparing the future Higher education and research are the levers of new intelligent growth that is both sustainable and inclusive. This involves preparing a knowledge society that future generations will flourish in. The University of Bordeaux and its partners intend to respond to this challenge by developing a campus of excellence with international influence, joining research forces around high-level scientific pillars: neuroscience, medical imaging, cardiology, public health, materials of the future, environment, archaeology, laser optics, digital technologies. A university s strength partly comes through its research, the creation of knowledge that can then be passed on and disseminated. These priorities reflect the research strengths of the Bordeaux site whose excellence is clearly recognised in terms of the standards applicable to the discipline and its high international profile. Certifications by the French national Investments for the Future scheme in 2011 have strengthened this dynamic of ambitious multidisciplinary projects. Today, these centres of excellence backed by innovative training offer great prospects for development, French research and the socioeconomic world. The quest for excellence is thus at the heart of the development policy of the Bordeaux site. Through this remarkable dynamic, the University of Bordeaux intends to provide solutions to the challenges of our environment and pave the way for the society of tomorrow. Energy, environment, health, transportation, privacy protection... digital sciences have become indispensable in any field! The next step of this digital revolution? Guarantee the performance of software, processes or prototypes; bypass costly or dangerous experiments; prevent dramatic failures This is where CERTIFICATION comes in. Thierry Colin, director
The CPU cluster Toward a new technological paradigm: digital certification Funded by the Initiative of excellence of the University of Bordeaux, the cluster CPU mobilizes world renowned research teams around: > 1 goal Develop digital sciences to a level allowing their use for certification > 3 structural objectives Federating the public research and training public actors of Bordeaux Accelerating technology transfer Reinforcing the international visibility of the CPU community Key figures 220 researchers (permanent, post-docs, engineers, PhD students ) More than 1 M of annual budget 6 top-level research laboratories 43 research projects funded by CPU Governance Executive board: Director: Thierry Colin Steering committee: Director of the cluster and directors/representatives of partner laboratories Guide actions, select projects... Scientific council: International experts Assess, advise on strategy, guidelines, actions More than 200 publications per year 3 start-up maturing
The CPU community A digital sciences hub A bridge between all disciplines CPU gathers 220 researchers in computer sciences, mathematics, mechanical engineering and mechanical fluids; they collaborate with chemists, physicists, physicians and researchers in human and medical sciences. A meeting point between socio-economic stakeholders Academic Industry International CPU involves 6 Bordeaux research units which are key actors in digital sciences. IMB I2M CEA Cesta INRIA BORDEAUX SUD-OUEST LaBRI IMS CPU members maintain numerous relationships with large companies, SMEs or consulting firms; in various sectors (energy, aerospace, imaging ). To accelerate transfer towards industry, CPU prioritizes projects including transfer aspects, in particular towards industrial firms. CPU is committed to developing international relationships and cooperations with academic entities and international industrial partners. CPU also strongly favors international profiles recruiting foreign people or those demonstrating international experience.
CPU s international influence Kaiserslautern (Germany) Oxford (UK) Zurich (Switzerland) Cluj (Romania) Kyoto (Japan) Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) Santa Barbara (California, USA) Delaware (USA) Academic partnerships Industrial partnerships Italy, Spain Alice Raeli, PhD student at IMB and Inria Bordeaux Sud-Ouest Alice Raeli After a Master of Mathematics in Italy, I was willing to travel while continuing my training, acquiring new transversal skills and working on topics related to practical applications. Thanks to a researcher at my university who collaborates with CPU, I heard about the opportunity to do this PhD funded by this cluster, which aims at modeling the behaviors of materials for energy storage set-up. I joined a very dynamic team with a lot of mutual aid. I trained myself in programming, thermodynamics and material science; and worked with both academic and private partners; between France, Italy and Spain.
Cutting-edge research Innovation at the forefront Scientific priorities connected to societal needs Relying on strong local expertise, CPU has selected 3 main research areas which are privileged entry points for introducing certification in any sector, providing powerful and smart innovative solutions to most of the major contemporary challenges. Image editing, medical imaging Agribusiness Chemistry Signal Image Traffic management Health Certification Oncology Scientific computing Reliability Security Decision Simulation, high performance computing (HPC) Energies Big data Aeronautics Embedded systems, communications, data processing Projects creating ties and wealth CPU supports projects which are collaborative, multidisciplinary and/or dedicated to technology. They are notably taking the form of recruitments of engineers, postdocs and PhD students to help in achieving the specific missions of CPU projects.
Angelo Iollo, professor (IMB, Inria), coordinator of Scientific computing activities Inria-Photo C. Morel The traditional theoretical and experimental approaches can be dangerous to study in laboratories as they are lengthy and expensive. That s why it s essential today to solve some research problems using scientific computing, modeling and simulation. Jean-François Aujol, professor (IMB), coordinator of Signal-image activities Jean-François Aujol Digital images and signals are an integral part of our lives today, as demonstrated by the variety of applications which are close to our daily lives, such as photographic or film image editing. Cyril Gavoille, professor (LaBRI), coordinator of Reliability, security, decision activities Cyril Gavoille Our challenge is to create a continuum ranging from the physical realization to the high-level models used to perform analysis and mathematical proofs.
Excellence in training Prepare the researchers and engineers of tomorrow CPU members are strongly involved in numerous training activities of both the University of Bordeaux and Bordeaux INP. What is targeted is the de-compartmentalization of the local educational offering and the upgrading of the students training to meet the digital needs of tomorrow. Training any time, at any level and in any place > Funding of PhD students, master s grants and internships > Mobility, double master s degree or joint supervision of theses supported through CPU s network involving partnerships with international universities > Privileged access to cutting-edge tools such as the PlaFRIM research platform and some software developed by CPU researchers Training in CPU thematics > CPU has been the driving force in the creation of a new academic program on HPC at Bordeaux INP, which will be mutualized with a master s at the University of Bordeaux. > CPU supports the development of an international master s in image processing at the University of Bordeaux (Master IPCV)
Andrei Cristian Barbos, former master s student on a Bordeaux/Cluj University double degree program then PhD student at IMS, University of Bordeaux; and the Department of Statistics, University of Oxford Andrei Cristian Barbos It was important for me to give my training an international dimension and gain a double degree. I was able to accomplish this thanks to a master s collaboration between the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and the University of Bordeaux which involves members of the CPU cluster. During my studies at the University of Bordeaux, I did an internship at the IMS Laboratory which was funded by the cluster. I was so fond of the subject and of the scientific environment that a PhD seemed the natural step for me to follow. The support offered by the cluster enabled me to continue with a PhD. Fabien Pierre, former master s student at the University of Bordeaux then PhD student at IMB and LaBRI Fabien Pierre I was fascinated by mathematics applied to image and video colorization and wanted to work in this area. It is a growing theme but still underdeveloped in the French academic environment. With a master s organized by members of CPU, I could train myself in this theme. With CPU funding, I could continue in a thesis, which I know will give me many opportunities both in industry and academia.
Dynamism in dissemination Prepare for future technological changes and proactively respond to market expectations CPU works hand in hand with both IdEx Bordeaux and Aquitaine Science Transfert - a technology transfer office to work on all links in the innovation chain. > Transverse networking CPU works to link disciplines (medicine, physics, chemistry ), as well as linking the academic world and the industrial world through a mutually enriching relationship. CPU supports projects serving to transfer its expertise and technologies to researchers from other disciplines or to industrial companies; to solve problems, improve existing approaches or foster the emergence of new paradigms. CPU creates new digital tools with the challenges of other disciplines or of industrial companies as their starting point. > A symbiotic relationship with its technological environment CPU has provided funds to local technological platforms, funding engineers, equipment or operating costs which in turn allows CPU members to be given privileged access. These platforms are an opportunity for researchers to improve their codes and meet new academic or industrial partners. > A fruitful strategy CPU has already successfully disseminated its research works through start-up creation, open-source software and patents. CPU supports the PlaFRIM platform CPU supports PlaFRIM, a regional research platform in HPC which mutualizes means between the Inria Bordeaux Sud-Ouest, the LaBRI and the IMB. PlaFRIM deploys the latest technology in terms of processors, memories and machine architectures allowing its users to benefit from a more innovative platform than used ordinarily. These machines allow CPU members to improve the performance of their codes, to test their programming models and prepare their software for technological evolutions. CPU & Inria
Vivien Pianet, engineer at IMB and Inria Bordeaux Sud-Ouest Vivien Pianet After a PhD in physical chemistry on a fundamental issue, I wanted to learn new skills, open up to new disciplines and work on topics with more practical applications. Thanks to CPU, I could combine all of them since the project I am working on is aiming at developing a prototype allowing clinicians to perform tumor growth prediction directly from their medical imaging data. My work will be included in a segmentation software developed in the team in order to provide a complete software suite to neurosurgeons. This software is currently the subject of a start-up creation, the process of which I can track, which is for me an extremely instructive additional experience! Mary Mondino, engineer at LaBRI and IMB Mary Mondino My project funded by CPU aims at improving quality and accelerating data processing of a specific MRI technique: diffusion weighted imaging. This technique is used to study the microstructure of the brain and is a powerful tool for the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases. At present, we are developing the prototype hand in hand with neurologists of Bordeaux Hospital. In the future, we plan to launch an open access web platform to share our tool with clinicians and researchers around the world. These are gaining in reliability and speed in establishing their diagnosies while giving us feedback to improve our platform.
www.otempora.com Photo credits: CPU / University of Bordeaux - Fotolia February 2016 Contact Céline Leroy - Projects Manager celine.leroy@u-bordeaux.fr For more information cpu.labex.u-bordeaux.fr This document has been produced with financial support from the French National Research Agency (ANR) in the framework of the Investments for the Future Scheme, within the CPU Cluster of Excellence (ANR-10-IdEx-03-02)