A strategic Franco-British partnership to push forward artificial intelligence for science, the economy and society

During the French President's state visit to the United Kingdom, Institut Polytechnique de Paris (IP Paris), HEC Paris, Université Paris-Saclay, Oxford University and Cambridge University formalised a joint commitment to create a strategic partnership in the field of artificial intelligence.

Named the Entente CordIAle Paris-Saclay – Oxford-Cambridge AI Initiative, this partnership brings together two leading centres of scientific and technological excellence: the Saclay Cluster and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. They share a common ambition: to foster the emergence of excellent, ethical and sovereign artificial intelligence on a European scale.

The aim of the partnership is to structure long-term cooperation in AI research, training and innovation, in order to meet the major challenges of our time. It is organised around five key areas:

• Encouraging academic mobility between students, doctoral students, researchers and teachers to enhance expertise and training.
• Organising joint scientific events (seminars, workshops, symposia) on the major scientific and ethical challenges of AI.
• Launching collaborative research projects: co-direction of theses, interdisciplinary programmes, joint applications for funding.
• Involving industrial and innovation players, to accelerate technology transfer and support AI entrepreneurship.
• Strengthen bilateral cooperation, in line with national and European strategic priorities.

IP Paris and HEC Paris: Catalysts for European leadership in artificial intelligence with Hi! PARIS

The « Entente CordIAle Paris-Saclay – Oxford-Cambridge AI Initiative » extends the shared vision of Institut Polytechnique de Paris and HEC Paris: to establish a leading European hub in artificial intelligence, at the intersection of cutting-edge research, innovation, and the major challenges of our time. 

A firmly solution-oriented ambition realized through Hi! PARIS, a key actor in the France 2030 strategy, integrating cutting-edge research, excellence in education, and concrete technological innovations to enhance European competitiveness. This interdisciplinary center was co-founded by IP Paris and HEC Paris in 2020, joined by Inria in 2021, and benefits from €70 million in funding over five years.

« With the Entente CordIAle Paris-Saclay – Oxford-Cambridge AI Initiative, we are taking a decisive step forward in European scientific and academic cooperation. By bringing together the excellence of our institutions—through the interdisciplinary center Hi! PARIS—with that of Oxford and Cambridge, we are laying the foundation for an unparalleled axis of research and innovation in artificial intelligence. This partnership reflects a shared ambition: to transform scientific potential into breakthrough innovations, and those innovations into European economic champions. It enhances the attractiveness of our ecosystems, channels investment into cutting-edge research, and affirms our role in building Europe’s technological sovereignty. » – say Thierry Coulhon, President of Institut Polytechnique de Paris and Eloïc Peyrache, Dean of HEC Paris.

Université Paris Saclay, a centre for research and academic excellence in Artificial Intelligence with the DataIA Institute

The DataIA Institute is the official institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Université Paris-Saclay. Established in 2017 and awarded the “AI-Cluster” label as part of the national France 2030 investment plan in 2024, it brings together over 800 researchers from 47 laboratories to promote and develop cutting-edge interdisciplinary research in AI and data science, linked to humanities and social sciences. The institute also plays a key role in the training of AI-related professions through the SaclAI-School project.

« Université Paris-Saclay is delighted to be part of this AI initiative with the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, IP Paris and HEC Paris, which is proof of our shared desire to advance the frontiers of AI knowledge. By combining our strengths in research, education and innovation on a European level with the Entente CordIAle Paris-Saclay – Oxford & Cambridge AI Initiative, we are proud to contribute to the development of ethical AI which can meet the economic and societal challenges of today and tomorrow, whilst driving high-quality interdisciplinary research, supported by international mobility and cooperation. » – says Camille Galap, President of Université Paris-Saclay.
 

The University of Oxford, a powerhouse of AI science and development

Home to one of Europe’s largest academic communities of AI expertise, from core AI science across machine learning, computer vision, robotics, mathematical foundations and ethical development, to multiple real-world applications, The University of Oxford hosts six Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) which are supporting the next generation of AI researchers.

« I warmly welcome this new partnership between the Saclay Cluster, Oxford and Cambridge. At Oxford, we believe that international collaboration is essential to advancing responsible and impactful AI. As an ELLIS unit – part of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems — and home to four of the UK’s ten Turing AI World-Leading Researcher Fellows, the Institute for Ethics in AI and the Ellison Institute of Technology funded doctoral training program in Fundamentals of AI, we are proud to be working alongside our French and UK partners to shape the future of AI. This initiative builds on our existing academic ties and reflects our shared commitment to rigorous science, ethical responsibility and innovation that serves society. » – says Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

The University of Cambridge at the Forefront of AI Innovation and Collaboration

The University of Cambridge is a global leader in AI research, an innovator in AI education, and a hub that connects research with business, civil society, and policy, supporting the deployment of AI technologies for wider social and economic benefit. Through AI@Cam and other University initiatives, our vision is of AI-enabled innovations that benefit science, citizens, and society, created through interdisciplinary research that is deeply connected to real-world needs.

« The University of Cambridge is proud to be part of this collaboration, which reflects our deep commitment to shaping the future of AI through rigorous research, inclusive education, and responsible innovation. Combining our strengths and sharing knowledge will help us to address the most pressing challenges of our time and ensure AI serves the common good. » – says Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.

The Letter of Intention (LOI), signed on 9 July in London, is the first step towards a forthcoming Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will set out the governance structure, deadlines and resources involved.

In the continuity of the long tradition of scientific cooperation between France and the United Kingdom, this partnership reaffirms the shared desire of the five institutions to move forward together towards a trusted artificial intelligence, supported by academic excellence, training and innovation.