ONERA and Université Paris-Saclay confirm their partnership

On Thursday 19 September 2024, ONERA, the French Aerospace Lab, and Université Paris-Saclay confirmed their
longstanding partnership with a framework agreement. It aims to consolidate their shared
scientific collaborations, covering several fields in the Saclay area
, including solid-state physics, mathematics,
computer science, systems science, geoscience and the science
of light.

ONERA, the French Aerospace Lab, has been a longstanding historic partner of several institutions located in the Saclay area and was closely involved in the creation of Université Paris-Saclay. ONERA is today part of the university’s governance and plays a key role in its Graduate Schools, partnering with six of them. It is also involved in the university’s Institute of the Sciences of Light. Several of ONERA Ile-de-France’s research teams are part of the university’s scientific network and contribute to cross-cutting programmes, or “Interdisciplinary Projects” (Objets Interdisciplinaires - OI), coordinated by the university to encourage interdisciplinarity and strengthen synergies in major issues throughout the area.

ONERA and Université Paris-Saclay have various existing collaborations
, including the MOSTRA project, acquired via the Région Île-de-France SESAME initiative,
which finances a high-performance electron microscope to support research in materials science. Together, they also contribute to the Île-de-France Space Academy which trains and introduces young people to the wide variety of careers in the space industry, as well as the BLAST programme, which supports the development of innovative technology in aeronautics, space and defence.

This agreement consolidates an existing partnership between the two partners, and aims to strengthen their shared strategy and actions in education, research, development, international relations and open science policy. It is based, among other elements, on a supporting policy for education and training with two main focuses: (1) encouraging greater involvement of researchers in academic programmes, thanks in particular to the ‘associate professor’ status for researchers who would like to take on more teaching activities, and (2), a concerted effort in the funding of doctoral contracts, in line with existing practices between the two institutions.

« This agreement defines the ties which have existed between ONERA and
Université Paris-Saclay for several years, and which have already produced concrete results. ONERA, as a national research organisation specialised in aerospace and defence, wishes to strengthen its links with the scientific community, particularly in the Plateau de Saclay area, where it hopes to play a solidifying role between the two major hubs, which are Université Paris-Saclay and Institut Polytechnique de Paris”, said Bruno Sainjon, Chairman and CEO of ONERA

« Throughout its history, Université Paris-Saclay has maintained, perhaps more than any other French higher education and research institution, special links with national research organisations. This has been the case with ONERA, and I am very pleased with this agreement which seals how our two institutions will work together to push back the frontiers of basic and applied knowledge, as well as the vital sharing of this knowledge by training those who will play a key role in solving the major challenges of our time, in particular those linked to aeronautics, space and defence,” said Camille Galap, President Université Paris-Saclay.