Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) and Inria have signed a partnership agreement at the festive 70th anniversary of CWI in Amsterdam. Inria invited CWI to set up an Inria International Lab (IIL) together. The purpose of such Inria International Labs is to fund and develop partnerships and collaborative research with international first-class institutions. Inria regards CWI as being one of the best players in the field internationally and has thus selected the institute as a long-term strategic partner.
A long-term reliable partnership
CWI and Inria have already collaborated successfully over the past decades, and have gotten to know each other as reliable partners. Both institutes have an excellent reputation. They are both highly valued for the high quality of their research in the field of mathematics and computer science and its relevance for society. By strengthening the cooperation with this partnership agreement, both parties aim to join forces in and intensify their collaboration in the international research arena. By doing so, both partners aim to achieve important scientific results and to acquire joint projects with EU funding.
Antoine Petit, CEO of Inria explains the choice for CWI: "Inria & CWI have been working together successfully for many years already. For us it was a logical step to invite CWI, a long-term reliable partner, to form an Inria International Lab together. We feel connected in relation to scientific content and have an excellent personal relationship as well."
Jos Baeten, director of CWI, comments: "CWI and Inria have developed an excellent and solid relationship over the past few years. Our researchers were closely connected in a natural way already, as the content of their work offers an obvious common ground for cooperation. CWI and Inria researchers are complementary to and inspire each other. That creates a stimulating and ambitious environment from which we both profit. CWI is very glad with the formalization and intensification of the partnership, because it will further strengthen and stimulate our cooperation with Inria."
A specific agreement
By signing the agreement, Inria and CWI agreed to structurally invest in specifically chosen common research areas. The focus of the cooperation will initially be on the following, already existing, Joint Research Programmes:
- Data-enhanced simulations for Space Weather predictions (CWI Scientific Computing and Multiscale Dynamics : Camporeale/Dubinkina vs. Inria TAO: Sebag/Furtlehner)
- Multi-objective design optimization under uncertainties in renewable energy sources (Inria BACCHUS: Congedo vs. CWI Scientific Computing: Sanderse)
- the Inria European project team ERABLE (CWI Life Sciences, Inria, CNRS, Insa-Lyon, University of Rome La Sapienza and University of Florence)
- Machine Learning and Deep Learning (Inria SEQUEL: Ryabko vs. CWI Machine Learning: Grünwald/Bohte)
An Inria ERCIM Fellow has already joined the collaboration on Machine Learning and Deep Learning. Two PhD students have been appointed to work on the projects in Data-enhanced simulations for Space Weather predictions and Multi-objective design optimization under uncertainties in renewable energy sources. More exchanges of employees are expected to follow on short notice.
Next to CWI, Inria already set up an International Lab in Europe with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).
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From left to right: Dick Broekhuis (CFO CWI), Jos Baeten (CEO CWI), Antoine Petit (CEO Inria) and Thierry Priol (Director of European and International Partnerhips Inria)</address>
