The Paris-Cachan Alliance for Science and Technology
Published on 7 September 2021
AIVANCITY PARIS-CACHAN, EPF SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, ESTP and ESITC PARIS have joined forces to form the Paris-Cachan Alliance for Science and Technology.

Driven by shared educational, humanistic and solidarity-based values, and keen to work together for the benefit of young people and higher education, AIVANCITY Paris-Cachan, the EPF School of Engineering, ESTP and ESITC Paris are coming together on the Cachan campus to form an alliance centred on an ambitious project, grounded in their shared achievements and the unique characteristics of each of the four institutions.

An Alliance founded on shared values and ambitions

These independent private higher education and research institutions have chosen to come together within the Paris-Cachan Alliance for Science and Technology because they share common values and a shared vision:

  • Educational values of excellence and a commitment to serving students; the desire to instil in them a certain vision of progress – not only technological, but also imbued with the humanist values that drive and shape their view of the world and society.
  • Students trained at these institutions share these values and the responsibilities that go with them. The Alliance Schools pay close attention to their students’ fulfilment and personal development by providing a space for exchange, for sharing knowledge and experiences, for creativity and for projects.
  • These ambitions are linked to a shared local area and their desire to position their institutions at the heart of development initiatives in the town of Cachan, the Val-de-Marne department and the Île-de-France region. This local and regional anchoring is essential to making the Alliance a committed partner to local authorities, actively participating in the growth of a town and a region, and bringing a new dynamic to businesses.

The Alliance thus sees itself as a platform, a hub of expertise and resources, and a place for integration and initiatives, particularly in the fields of innovation, research and entrepreneurship.

An Alliance that facilitates the joint development of the schools at national and international level, whilst allowing each school to pursue its own specific developments at local level.
  • The Alliance aims to provide structure without being restrictive; it builds on the synergy of its members’ expertise without hindering their freedom of action. It is a pragmatic Alliance, rooted in projects and concrete achievements, open to innovation, exchange and future partnerships.
  • The Alliance’s strength lies as much in the distinctiveness of its members and their unique characteristics as in their determination to work together, through science and technology, to build the society of tomorrow.
  • The Alliance will enable the pooling of resources and expertise around joint projects or initiatives: skills development, the learner’s experience, research, entrepreneurship, as well as the implementation of a campus policy, the development of a regional and international strategy, meetings and exchanges of experiences, and the organisation of student life, sporting activities and community initiatives.

It is through these projects and initiatives that the Alliance will be able to make its mark on the national and international stage, help raise the profile of the city and region that host it, contribute to the development of the industrial and urban fabric, and offer students a unique experience.

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“I am particularly pleased that aivancity is playing a part in the creation of the Paris-Cachan Alliance for Science and Technology. As a new organisation, aivancity will be able to benefit from the experience, strength and visibility of its new partners and will strive to enrich this strategic alliance with its innovative and unique character in France and across Europe, particularly through its hybrid approach combining artificial intelligence and data science.”

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Tawhid CHTIOUI

Tawhid CHTIOUI

President of aivancity Paris-Cachan

“In 2021, on the eve of the centenary of its foundation, the EPF is ushering in a new era in its history with a state-of-the-art campus. This strategic alliance centred on the digital transformation of organisations, based in Cachan, is a powerful symbol of our vision for the engineering school of the future, serving society. More than ever, the EPF is establishing itself as a school open to collaboration, placing at the heart of its mission the training of decision-makers who will support major technological and organisational transitions within companies, both in France and internationally. “Together with our partners in Cachan, by combining our strengths and expertise, we will be better placed to pioneer a new model of partnership and put science and technology at the service of students, businesses and our region.”

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Jean-Michel NICOLLE

Jean-Michel NICOLLE

Director General of EPF, an engineering school

“Founded in 1891, ESTP Paris is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year. As early as 1904, it established itself in Cachan, where its historic campus is now located. With the recent opening of new campuses in Troyes in 2017 and Dijon in 2019, the school has made regional integration a strategic focus of its development, adopting an ecosystemic approach to multidimensional interactions with local authorities, businesses, higher education and research, and society at large. The recent arrival of two schools in Cachan and the strengthening of ties with existing schools present an opportunity for ESTP, which is committing to this alliance to create, centred on the theme of science and technology, a means of enhancing its appeal and visibility not only in the Île-de-France region but also internationally, as well as projects serving students, economic development, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.”

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Joël CUNY

Joël CUNY

Director General of ESTP Paris

“The Paris-Cachan Alliance for Science and Technology is a new-generation campus, a truly unique initiative: four private higher education institutions, with a strong focus on science and technology and recognised in their respective fields, have joined forces to establish an organisation firmly rooted in the local area, open to local authorities, businesses and key players in regional development. Going beyond a mere restrictive campus policy, we are thus offering our students greater resources, opportunities to broaden their knowledge through richer, interdisciplinary teaching, and the chance to increase social and cultural exchanges, whilst always drawing on the shared humanist values of their home institutions. A genuine force comprising nearly 10,000 students is taking shape at the heart of France’s most dynamic and densely populated region. I hope that, in the coming years, the Alliance will become a benchmark for the transfer of cutting-edge technological knowledge, first at regional level and then at national level.”

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Olivier AUCOUTURIERs

Olivier AUCOUTURIER

Director of ESITC Paris

United by shared educational, human and solidarity-based values, and keen to work together for the benefit of young people and higher education, aivancity Paris-Cachan, the EPF engineering school, ESTP and ESITC Paris are coming together at the Cachan campus to form an alliance centred on an ambitious project, grounded in their shared achievements and the unique characteristics of each of the four institutions.