The CNRS-Imperial International Research Centre (IRC) for Transformational Science and Technology, launched in April 2022, is CNRS’s only IRC in the UK and Europe. The IRC serves as an umbrella for an unrivalled portfolio of joint Franco-British labs that drive global science collaboration that has impact, especially on UN Sustainable Development Goals, and attract funding from European Commission, Governments, Philanthropists and Industry. CNRS have 1,100 research labs in France and abroad; a budget of 3.8bn Euros; 33,000 staff dedicated to research.
The Ayrton-Blériot Engineering Lab, the newest collaboration under the aegis of the IRC, will develop original research activities in materials functionalization, more sustainable materials, cleaner and safer processes, fluid mechanics, photonic and acoustic metamaterials, AI for engineering and quantum technologies.
Location: Clore Theatre, Huxley Building, Imperial South Kensington Campus, SW7 2AZ
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9:00 – 9:30 |
Welcome coffee
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9:30 – 9:40 |
Institutional Welcome, Recorded Messages:
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9:40 – 10:00 |
Opening Address and Presentation of the CNRS-Imperial International Research Centre for Transformational Science and Technology
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10.00-10:45 |
CNRS and Imperial Keynote Speeches
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10:45-11:00 |
Break |
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11.00-12.30 |
Schools of Convergence Science Conversation
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12:30-13:15 |
CNRS and Imperial Keynote Speeches
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13.15-14.00 |
Lunch
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Speakers
Professor Fang Xie
Professor Eric Climent
Professor Mary Ryan, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise), Imperial College London
Professor Sandrine Heutz
Prof Julie McCann
Professor Ian McNeish
Prof Aldo Faisal
Professor Emmanuel Brouillet
Professor Ben Barratt
About ABEL – Ayrton Blériot Engineering Lab
In January 2025, CNRS Ingénierie (Engineering) established the new international laboratory ABEL (IRL Ayrton-Blériot Engineering Lab), in partnership with Imperial College London. This new scientific link between France and England comes under the aegis of the CNRS IRC (International Research Centre for Transformational Science and Technology) with Imperial, which aims to meet the challenges of energy, ecological and digital transitions for more sustainable development and a preserved environment. Engineering takes pride of place in the scientific strategy of this IRL, which draws on a broad, multi-disciplinary scientific community to generate new knowledge at the frontiers of our disciplines, and technical innovations at the service of a society moving towards zero pollution and zero emissions. Led by its management team Eric Climent (DU CNRS) and Fang Xie (Pr. Imperial), ABEL provides a permanent framework for the many existing collaborations between CNRS Ingénierie and Imperial College London, and aims to develop original research activities in materials functionalization, more sustainable materials, cleaner and safer processes, fluid mechanics, photonic and acoustic metamaterials, AI for engineering and quantum technologies — covering a large part of the common research themes of the two institutions.
The ABEL IRL will be inaugurated in London on the launch days of June 12 and 13, 2025, in the presence of CNRS Ingénierie Director Lionel Buchaillot and Mary Ryan, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise) at Imperial.
Background on CNRS-Imperial Partnership and the IRC
Imperial and CNRS researchers have co-authored 3,127 publications in the past 6 years (2019-2025) and worked together on 43 joint Horizon 2020 research consortia, with 24 additional projects started under Horizon Europe.
The CNRS-Imperial International Research Centre (IRC) for Transformational Science and Technology, launched in April 2022, is deepening and expanding connections between our two institutions to address UN Sustainable Development Goals. CNRS and Imperial have six formal collaborations under the IRC umbrella. Current collaborations include the International Research Laboratory (IRL) in Mathematics – Abraham De Moivre; Imperial is the UK lead for the CNRS International Research Network in Quantum Fields and Strings; Imperial and CNRS have an International Research Project in Integrative Metabolism in collaboration with the University of Lille; CNRS and Imperial are collaborating on various approaches (physics, chemistry, and biology) to drive a transformation in cancer radiotherapy (LhARA International Research Network) and Imperial is part of the International Research Network in AdvancinG TechnOlogy, AppLications anD FundaMentals In Coherent NanosourcEs (GOLDMINE). The International Research Lab in Engineering, the Ayrton Blériot Engineering Lab (ABEL), is the newest collaboration and launching in June 2025