french institute of science and technology for transport ... - Ifsttar

Hubert du Mesnil
Hélène Jacquot-Guimbal
IFSTTAR was born on 1 st January 2011, the outcome of
the merger of INRETS and LCPC. It is Europe’s largest
research institute for cities and regions, transportation
and civil engineering. As a fully-fledged research institute,
IFSTTAR serves society and citizens and therefore
has the task of generating the knowledge needed to
resolve the issues facing society.
IFSTTAR thus occupies a primary position as a partner
in the areas of transport, mobility and planning, from
the first stages of research to application of the results
to the social and economic spheres to bring about social
and industrial innovation, which demonstrates the application
of our findings to society as a whole and the
relevance of our knowledge.
Looking at our first year of activity, it seems that much
still remains to be built and consolidated. Nevertheless
we have come a long way, and we are very proud to be
able to present you with this survey of our activity in this
emblematic year which, as you will see, has been so
rich in achievements.
2011 has been a year of intense activity for us,
from the creation of the new governance bodies to
mobilization for our internal re-organization, from
our highly successful research to our participation
in the Future Investments Programme (PIA) which
has resulted in some major achievements. To this
we should add the renewal of our quality certification,
a favourable AERES appraisal of our research
structures and a consolidation of our European and
international position.
Above all, 2011 was marked by the steps we took collectively
to sketch out the future of our institution and
achieve both internal cohesion and clarity for the outside
world. These are the issues covered by the Institute’s
large-scale strategic projects, namely, Imagine IFSTTAR,
the scientific strategy, and the goals and performance
contract.
The first sets out to motivate all the Institute’s staff in
order to create a plan for the Institute that is built on
agreement about its new raison d’être.
From the scientific point of view, IFSTTAR is engaged in
the effective introduction of interdisciplinary approaches,
building on the wide range of disciplines covered by the
two original Institutes. In this connection, the Scientific
Directorate of IFSTTAR, in conjunction with our partners,
has launched a collective review to examine the scientific
strategy that will best meet society’s expectations.
This process of transformation will continue in 2012
with the finalization and implementation of the Institute’s
scientific strategy which will govern its activities over the
next 10 years and provide the basis for the goals and
performance contract to be signed with the government.
We take this opportunity to pay tribute to all those working
at IFSTTAR, whether researchers or support service
staff for their involvement and efforts in this collective
construction process.
Enjoy your read!
Hubert du Mesnil
President of the IFSTTAR
Board of Directors
Hélène Jacquot-Guimbal
Managing Director of IFSTTAR
01
ANNUAL REPORT 2011 ifsttar.fr