Sorbonne University and SUEZ sign a partnership to accelerate scientific research of the environment

By signing this framework agreement, Sorbonne University and SUEZ are taking advantage of their complementarity to support the development of their respective activities on environmental issues, in particular:  

-    Eco-mimicry  
This partnership aims to develop innovative projects, inspired by the essential properties of living organisms, to make cities more resilient to climate change: revegetation, development of urban agriculture, and more. It will also involve designing new solutions to restore the balance of the planet's biogeochemical cycles (such as storm water management, water sharing between urban and rural areas and natural ecosystems).

-    The Ecological Transition
The synergy between the skills of Sorbonne University and SUEZ will enable us to set up or contribute to experiments on the ecological transition in close proximity to the territories. It will also be an opportunity to develop training for the institution's students.

To lead the interdisciplinary community of Sorbonne University and develop these themes with SUEZ, the Institute of Environmental Transition (ITE) of the Sorbonne University Alliance has been appointed to ensure the scientific coordination of the partnership.

With their long-standing collaboration in the fields of eduction and research, Sorbonne University and SUEZ are already involved in research work on a national scale on health monitoring through wastewater networks. SUEZ, whose 40,000 employees are present in 40 countries, is also involved in the university diploma (DU) in entrepreneurial and intrepreneurial project management, created by Sorbonne University in response to the economic and societal crisis.

Thanks to the "project management and simulation" module, students in this degree program work directly with SUEZ to meet two environmental and societal challenges: cooling cities with cool islands and recovering 100% of organic waste.

For Nathalie Drach-Temam, President of Sorbonne University: "This partnership with SUEZ is an important step in our shared commitment to the ecological transition. Thanks to our respective and complementary skills, it will guarantee the quality of interactions in research and education. It is also in line with one of Sorbonne University's three challenges: One Earth. We have only one planet, with limited resources. For sustainable resources, we must act with the stakeholders concerned. SUEZ is one of them."

Jérôme Bailly, Director of Innovation, Research and Services at SUEZ, said he was "very pleased with this long-term partnership with Sorbonne University, a high-level partner. Through the excellence of its research and expertise, Sorbonne University will make a key contribution to SUEZ's work to meet the environmental challenges surrounding water and waste. This partnership will accelerate our joint research and is fully consistent with SUEZ's strategic plan, which calls for strengthening the group's efforts, in particular through a 50% increase in its budget."