Initiative

This portal developed by Campus mondial de la mer showcases the region’s extensive infrastructure and facilities devoted to marine science and technology and explains how to access them.

Taking action: Campus mondial de la mer’s research infrastructure and facilities initiative

Numerous links have been forged by Campus mondial de la mer research centres, which possess wide-ranging, research-oriented and innovative infrastructure. Research investment decisions have, in many instances, been taken jointly to share the benefits as widely as possible. Contact with the academic world is helping develop pioneering businesses in the region, which in turn offer services using the latest facilities.

The Campus de la mer's community decided to launch a year-long project in 2017-2018 to map the existing infrastructure, platforms, equipment and services and to develop a tool for consulting the information gathered. The aim is:

To promote the range of services available in the region;
To encourage the shared use of infrastructure, platforms and facilities;
To build capacity within the industry ecosystem for participating in projects.

This initiative is funded by the Brest urban charter for innovation - Pacte métropolitain d’innovation de Brest métropole.

Terminology

The portal details those entities that qualify as research infrastructure, platforms or equipment. Since a variety of organisations submit contributions for this portal, the terminology they use may also vary. Entities with certification can be quickly identified using the search criteria ‘French and European certification’.

For the purposes of this portal:

An infrastructure is one which is designated by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI) as a major research infrastructure (T.G.I.R), a research infrastructure (I.R.) or a project. The French government’s 2018 road map for the national research infrastructure strategy sets out comprehensive criteria for a research infrastructure
A platform may be a technology platform that develops services, or a technical platform: a laboratory or site where several types of facility can be deployed. A platform certified by the French national research centre (CNRS) meets several criteria, not all of which are applied for the purposes of this portal;
Equipment is the most basic entity listed. Some major equipment, loaded with multiple instruments and can be configured as required (such as oceanographic survey vessels), are not classed as platforms but equipment – in line with how they are classified by their supervisory body.

Campus mondial de la mer

Campus mondial de la mer is a collaborative and multidisciplinary community devoted to the sustainable development and management of our oceans and seas, from research to production. It brings together internationally renowned research centres, innovative businesses, innovation accelerators and technology transfer bodies with the support of the region’s elected representatives.

Its ambition is to make Brest and Brittany both a global centre for the study and economic development of our oceans and seas and the firm basis for a strong economy.

The Campus mondial de la mer aims to conquer markets with strong growth potential by coordinating and promoting research, forging closer links between laboratories and businesses and leveraging research and support for SME development and international growth.