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Ecole Polytechnique
Fundraising Campaign

The Goals

Home > The Goals > Theme 1: Research

Reinforcing the potential and visibility of research


The École Polytechnique currently accommodates over 1600 people in 21 laboratories and is looking to double its research potential and turn its campus into a veritable ecosystem conducive to teaching, research and development: (The Ecole Polytechnique Research Center)



The École Polytechnique's research strategy is based on:
  • Taking part in theme-based advanced research networks: software information sciences; physics.
  • Research partnerships with other institutions on the Plateau de Saclay: climate-environment; economics and finance.
  • Taking part in competitive clusters: Systém@tic, Medicen and Financial Industries.
  • Taking part in the Plateau de Saclay Operation of National Interest which will transform the Plateau over the next 30 years.
  • Scientific cooperation within ParisTech (e.g. Institute of Energy).
  • Opening up its campus to outside higher education establishments and research centers: Danone, Thales, Institute of Optics and, by 2011, Ensae and Ensta.
  • Developing its own research potential: transfer of the econometrics laboratory from Paris, construction of new laboratories.

At the heart of this strategy, the Campaign will support:

1. The development of research potential in certain key areas:

  • The doubling of research potential in biology as progress in this discipline has become closely dependent on the engineering sciences (physics, chemistry, I.T., mathematics).
  • The grouping of École teams with those of other research centres (CNRS, CEA) around the nanosciences and nanotechnologies, which are areas of excellence on the Plateau de Saclay.
  • The grouping of teams working on projects linked to sustainable development, such as sustainable materials and energy issues.

These developments require the construction of 6,000 m² of new laboratories.

2. Establishment on the ELI (Extreme Light Infrastructure) campus, where the Applied Optics Laboratory was in at the beginning and was chosen for the European Road Map. This unique research facility is focused on the most powerful laser, 1000 times more than those that exist today. 17 countries are involved in the project. With the contribution that the Campaign could bring, France will be in a position to influence the choice of the "X" campus for this project of world importance.

3. Setting up an attractiveness fund to attract experienced foreign teacher-researchers and promising post-doctoral students.

4. Promoting the scientific advance made by researchers from the École by creating an Innovation Prize and allocating extra funds to encourage the registration of patents and their maturation towards industrial applications.