ACT 2
Anchoring itself in the heart of a unique territory
Richness of exchanges
Since its inception, the university has liked to bring people together, to cross the worlds and talents. This is the purpose of the Cité de l’Innovation et des Savoirs d’Aix-Marseille (CISAM), which will be inaugurated in 2019 to accelerate exchanges between industrialists and research laboratories: it networks the project leaders and players in Mediterranean innovation. Similarly, 18 institutional institutes are being created, whose vigorously interdisciplinary approach has connected laboratories, faculties, schools and local and international socio-economic partners. Or, when higher education and research carry the region’s entrepreneurial momentum high!
Land, sky and sea
From the shores of the Mediterranean to the mountains of the Alps, Aix-Marseille University is the image of the territory of which it is deeply imbued: lively, varied and welcoming. A territory that has shaped a culture of openness to the world.
The university is spread out over 4 departments and 9 cities built on a varied territory offering exceptional opportunities. A prodigious field of experimentation. It benefits, for example, from an Observatory of the Sciences of the Universe via the Haute-Provence Observatory, welcoming researchers from all over the world to use high-performance tools: telescopes, lidars, and a platform for studying biodiversity. On the sea side, since 2012, like the Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Marine and Continental Ecology (IMBE), it has been interested in marine, terrestrial and aquatic biological systems, from mountain environments to coastal ecosystems. Archaeology has also been a recognised field of excellence for several decades, both nationally and internationally. Among others, thanks to the Institute of Mediterranean Archaeology ARKAIA, inaugurated in 2020, researchers are questioning Mediterranean spaces from prehistory to recent times. And these illustrations are only a tiny part of the achievements of Aix-Marseille University.
A nature to preserve
For many years now, Aix-Marseille University has been putting its human and economic alliances at the service of the best. Since the natural ecosystem is fragile and constantly threatened, it is imperative to preserve it. While it can count on a particularly aware youth, it also relies on the skills of its researchers who are experts in biodiversity, decarbonisation of industry or water depollution. The Ocean Institute, created in 2021, is concerned with the health of the oceans and seas, the fauna and flora.
Drastically reducing pollution and restoring biodiversity under unfavourable climatic and anthropogenic conditions is a daily challenge. Fortunately, the university does not lack the resources to bring about the necessary changes in our way of protecting the environment, producing wealth and knowledge. To live simply…