Innovation and valorisation

Innovation is a major challenge for Aix-Marseille University, which has structured itself in such a way as to encourage the valorisation of research by setting up dedicated bodies and systems. AMU has chosen to organise its policy of innovation, valorisation and technology transfer by leading and coordinating the missions of the various players on the site, each of whom act at a different level of the value chain.

Schéma du processus de transfert de technologie

The year 2018 marks a turning point with the creation by AMU and its partners of the Cité de l'Innovation et des Savoirs Aix-Marseille (CISAM), which aims to be the showcase of the region, both for the socio-economic world and for its inhabitants, thus fulfilling both the university's mission of disseminating scientific culture and the desire to animate the metropolitan area.

Aiming for an international influence based on its local roots, and relying on the flagship of its local companies established worldwide, the Cité de l'Innovation et des Savoirs Aix-Marseille aims to become a key economic attraction based on all the players in innovation and public research.

The Valuation Committee

The valorisation committee is the University's body that takes an interest in the valorisation potential of the research work of the University's laboratories and coordinates their development with all AMU partners. It supports the emergence of start-ups created by Aix-Marseille University researchers. It also coordinates and manages relations with all its partners, and more particularly with SATT Sud.-East.


A network of structures at the service of innovation

Innovation is the result of a collective effort. In conjunction with the University, a whole network of structures is mobilized to enable the technologies and projects resulting from the research units to be exploitable and marketable:

  • Directorate for Research and Development (DRV)
    Accompaniment of research units and their staff in all the necessary steps to set up public research projects at the regional, national and international levels (local authorities, ANR, FUI, FEDER, NIH, ...) and monitoring of their implementation (consortium agreements, confidentiality, ...).
  • A*Midex Foundation
    Management of the funds allocated under the Idex, Initiative of Excellence of the Aix-Marseille site
  • Protisvalor
    Subsidiary of AMU ensuring the instruction and management of partnership contracts (private financing) and European (European Commission programme financing H2020).
  • Technology Transfer Acceleration Company - South-East SATT
    Support for the legal (intellectual property), economic (market) and technological maturation of inventions from the regional research laboratories.
  • Incubators : Impulse (generalist incubator) and Belle de Mai (Multimedia Incubator)
    Support and financing of business creation projects
  • Carnot STAR Institute
    Public device dedicated to the development of partnership research in the field of Sport - Health - Wellness
  • Territorial Innovation Poles (PIT) : Attentive to the valorisation of its relocated sites, Aix-Marseille University intends to create new bridges between the world of research and that of companies, and wishes to promote a new model of local development in the form of Territorial Innovation Poles (PIT). 3 Poles have already been set up: in Digne-les-Bains, Arles and Aubagne.
  • Competitiveness clusters
    In order to promote synergies between companies / research units / training institutions on targeted themes, the following are being promoted


The technological platforms of the Aix-Marseille site

Aix-Marseille University and its partners (CNRS, INSERM) have created the "Technological Platforms of the Aix-Marseille site" label. There are more than fifty of them today.

These platforms provide the scientific community and the socio-economic world with cutting-edge infrastructures for the execution of research contracts, partnership collaborations or external services.


Framework agreements

Aix-Marseille University has signed numerous framework agreements with various companies and organisations in order to promote partnerships and joint actions .

Useful links
Contact information

Research and Commercialization Directorate

> Valuation Team
Karine Wepierre , Director of the Contract and Industrial Activities Division
Tel: 04 91 39 65 28

Jalila Chikhaoui, in charge of Platforms and Valorization in the SHS field
Tel: 04 91 39 66 81

Karine Chéhanne, in charge of the interface with the SATT and relations with the economic world / CISAM
Tel: 04 86 13 61 79

Lionel Leblanc, Interface with SATT and relations with the business world / CISAM
Tel: 04 13 55 04 08

Keywords
innovation
transfer
technology
invention
company
valuation