IMT Atlantique in Japan: a mission at the heart of new technologies and innovation

Japan, a leader in the fields of technology and engineering, represents a historical partner of choice for IMT Atlantique. This historical dimension can be measured by the high number of co-publications with the best Japanese institutions and the exchanges established for IMT Atlantique students. In addition, at the invitation of the French Embassy, several IMT Atlantique associate professors regularly take part in Franco-Japanese workshops on data sciences, virtual reality, cybersecurity, etc. to illustrate the excellence of French research. The purpose of that visit of Christophe Lerouge, Director of IMT Atlantique, Guillaume Moreau, Deputy Director of Research and Innovation, and Stéphane Roy, Director of International Relations and Academic Partnerships, was to explore potential new synergies in key sectors such as artificial intelligence, communication systems and research into language models

The challenges of Franco-Japanese collaboration

By strengthening its partnerships with prestigious institutions such as the University of Tokyo, Keio University and national research institutes (Riken, NICT and NII) IMT Atlantique intends to continue developing collaborative projects that will benefit from the resources and expertise of both countries. The institution also wishes to continue to enable its students to benefit from these good relations for academic mobility. 40 students already since 2018: 5 students every year in double-degree studies and half a dozen credit transfer exchanges. By acting as the coordinator of mobility to Japan for the whole group, IMT Atlantique also carries out these prestigious mobilities for the various students of the IMT group. Stéphane Roy points out that "the specificity of academic mobility in Japan lies in the host laboratory that the students have to find, which, in addition to opening up the world of research, offers a high-quality intercultural experience".    

The innovation dimension of the IMT group extended internationally

The expertise of IMT Atlantique and the other institutions of the group in innovation stemming from the academic world was recognised during the first visit in August 2019 by Hideaki Ohmura, Governor of the powerful Aichi Prefecture (Japan's fourth most populous prefecture, a major industrial centre that saw the birth of Toyota, and a rich fabric of higher education establishments). The Governor was attracted by the institution's expertise in entrepreneurship training and its ability to provide an incubator for start-ups, which have an estimated 5-year survival rate of 80%.

Despite the pandemic, which particularly isolated Japan, the last 5 years have enabled us to forge links with the various stakeholders through online seminars, the hosting of Japanese delegations and participation in symposia to showcase the excellence of IMT Atlantique's know-how in training and innovation.

As the high point of the mission, IMT Atlantique was invited as a privileged partner, alongside the University Texas Austin, the National University of Singapore, Station F, the Shanghai Jiatong University, etc., to the inauguration of Station AI in Nagoya on November, 1st. This space, dedicated to innovation and start-ups, aims to stimulate entrepreneurship and encourage exchanges between local and international players. 

In front of an audience of guests from the Prefecture to Japan's two other economic development hubs - Tôkyô and Ôsaka - Christophe Lerouge emphasized the desire to place the innovation led by the institution and the IMT group at the service of businesses. In particular, the RECLASSIF programme, the latest development to be led by IMT Atlantique and Mines Saint-Etienne for the IMT group and by ENSAM, highlighted initiatives to develop, integrate and disseminate solutions for the industry of the future. Christophe Lerouge said: "We were able to show the role that our institutions play in innovation stemming from the academic world by positioning themselves in the development of technological platforms serving the industry of the future".

The renewal of the partnership signed with Aichi Prefecture intends to focus on cooperation in start-up and incubation, paving the way for joint initiatives in applied research and technology transfer. In particular, the network of incubators of the institutions of the group is being promoted to encourage exchanges between incubators, at a time when JETRO, the armed wing of Japan's powerful Ministry of the Economy, had organised a session during these days on the opportunities available in France
 

Signing ceremony with Hideaki Ohmura, Governor of Aichi Prefecture, whom IMT Atlantique had the pleasure of welcoming to Rennes in 2019.

Visiting research centres 

The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) and the RIKEN Center for Computational Science (R-CSS) are at the forefront of research in telecommunications, computing and data science. These research centres are working on projects that could transform the way we approach information technology. The presentation of Fugaku, one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world and a testament to Japan's commitment to conducting research at the highest level, gave them an insight into the new practices in computational research that researchers at the school are already using as part of the strong collaboration maintained since 2018.

In addition, visits by IMT Atlantique researchers to partners in Tokyo's leading universities have highlighted the importance of opening up research to the world and the policy of inward and outward mobility for the institution’s associate professors and PhD students. The school supports these fruitful collaborations and their development.

This mission enabled IMT Atlantique to strengthen its relations with Japan, to discuss joint projects and to share visions on the future of technological innovation.