PSA Group has signed a scientific partnership agreement with the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of France

This regional partnership, which has six signatories, is a first for PSA Group and reflects the company's deep roots in the region. Providing for long-term cooperation with regional university research laboratories, the partnership will focus on clean technology, autonomous vehicles and the plant of the future.



On 19 May 2016 in Sochaux, Xavier Chéreau, PSA Group's Executive Vice-President, Human Resources signed a partnership agreement with Marie-Guite Dufay, President of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, and representatives of the French National Scientific Research Centre (CNRS), Université de Franche-Comté, Université de Technologie de Belfort Montbéliard (UTBM) and Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et Microtechnique de Besançon (ENSMM).
The partnership will have two main components – research and training – and will cover the strategic priorities outlined in the Group's Push to Pass plan: clean technology, autonomous vehicles, vehicle attractiveness and the plant of the future.




Coordinated research policies:


PSA Group will work alongside the universities, drawing particularly on the leading-edge work of the Femto-ST Institute in Franche-Comté and the UTBM research teams. The main areas for research will be new energies, smart systems, onboard electronics, new active materials and surface coatings. For the plant of the future, the Group will be working in the region on collaborative robotics and the internet of things.

The programme will take the form of collaborative projects, doctoral funding and support for start-ups.




Prioritising training:


Under the agreement, PSA Group employees will be closely involved with partner universities and scientific career paths will be promoted in secondary schools. The Sochaux plant has 9,500 employees, including 3,200 involved in R&D, and makes use of a testing centre at the nearby Belchamp facility.
Support for higher education, research and innovation is one of the priorities of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. With this partnership, the region is reasserting its commitment to the pursuit of excellence and promoting innovation to enhance its influence and appeal.



Commenting on the partnership, Sylvain Allano, PSA Group's Scientific Director said: "This partnership is part of the Group's open innovation process. Active cooperation with leading players in local research has given us a great tool for coordinating our research strategies in target areas. The agreement also strengthens PSA Group's historic ties to the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region.”
Marie-Guite Dufay, President of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, added:


"The future of manufacturing in our region depends on this type of partnership, between manufacturing groups and the world of research and training. The resulting innovations will both consolidate the energy transition and create jobs for the future."


*The PSA Group News was extracted from PSA Group Bulletin published on 20/05/2016.

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