Strategic and sustainable cooperation

GENIUS builds on nearly 30 years of academic cooperation and 10 years of scientific collaboration between Arts et Métiers KIT, brought together withinthe Franco-German Institute for the Industry of the Future.
The chair receives €150,000 in funding over three years from the UFA, supplemented by support from local authorities (Grand Est Region, Moselle Department, Eurométropole de Metz).

With more than 12 binational research projects, 20 researchers involved, 900 graduate students, and 8 associated laboratories, GENIUS aims to become a true Franco-German catalyst in education, research, and industrial transfer.

Supporting industrial transition

The main objective of GENIUS is to support the transition of industrial systems towards more resilient, sustainable, and competitive models. To this end, the chair structures its work around four strategic areas:

1. Collaborative design and virtual validation using immersive technologies, including customer-in-the-loop simulation; 

2. Advanced manufacturing, remanufacturing, and recycling with the development of innovative processes offering high added value, particularly for complex components; 

3. Assembly and disassembly with optimization, reconfiguration, and decision support tools that enable operators to anticipate system changes; 

4. Circular economy, particularly incorporating the activities of the Bordeaux Institute of Mechanics and Engineering (I2M) and KIT

Training a new generation of engineers

By combining research projects, innovative teaching methods, and joint doctoral programs within the framework of the Franco-German Doctoral College (CDFA 03-19), GENIUS aims to train a new generation of engineers and researchers capable of tackling today's major challenges: ecological transition, digital transformation, technological sovereignty, and production chain resilience.

With GENIUS, we are consolidating a strategic Franco-German alliance to prepare industry for the challenges of the 21st century. By combining our academic and industrial expertise, we aim to train a new generation of engineers capable of thinking and acting sustainably, serving their local regions and, more broadly, Europe.

Jean-Rémy Chardonnet, Deputy Director of the Arts et Métiers Institute Arts et Métiers Chalon-sur-Saône, co-head of the Franco-German Institute for the Industry of the Future and co-holder of the chair.

A European ambition for the industry of the future

By bringing together the expertise of two institutions of excellence and the support of institutional partners, GENIUS is positioning itself as a strategic lever for a sustainable European industry.
Through this chair, Arts et Métiers KIT are affirming their desire to actively contribute to the reindustrialization of regions, while strengthening Europe's technological and industrial sovereignty.

The first theories put forward

• Developing the reusability of reconfigurable production systems (RPS): studying the modularity, scalability, and technological, economic, and environmental efficiency of RPS from a circular economy perspective.

• Study of a combined additive manufacturing and forging process for fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites: design of an innovative process for producing lightweight, complex, and optimized parts with improved properties. 

Contacts

• Jean-Rémy Chardonnet (jean-remy.chardonnet@ensam.eu) co-holder of the chair, Paul Stief (paul.stief@ensam.eu) scientific director of the chair

The ITTAI Alliance in a nutshell

The ITTAI Alliance currently brings together 10 institutions, members, and active partners who pool their scientific skills and expertise in order to provide each region with tailored, sustainable, and robust solutions. 

🌿The Agro Institute for issues related to the environment, agriculture, and food
🌐IMT for digital infrastructure
🏙️École des Ponts and CNRS Ingénierie for urban networks and construction
🚗INSA Lyon for mobility
🏛️ LIEPP Sciences Po and CNAM for territorial governance
⚙️ CNRS@Create Singapore, Arts et Métiers, and IGN-Géodata Paris for digital twins

The ambition of the ITTAI Alliance

Offer advanced digital tools to local authorities to support them in their decision-making and ecological transition, adaptation and transformation of production facilities, personal services and strategic infrastructure.

ITTAI's terms and conditions of action

The ITTAI Alliance offers tools and methods for creating innovative solutions, in collaboration with a region's socio-economic partners.

This methodology enables, for example, the development of digital twins that incorporate all the parameters specific to a geographical area, as well as data relating to land use planning, modes of transport (land, sea, and river), the nature and condition of infrastructure, and the level of resource exploitation, etc.

These digital maps can then be used in a variety of ways: simulating risks associated with climate change, developing forward-looking scenarios for optimizing service logistics and/or anticipating emergency operational action plans (decision-making tool).

The rollout of ITTAI projects

Three-pronged strategy: use case dissemination, corporate partnerships, and regional partnerships:

1. Working on diverse use cases in different regions
2. Distribute via an open platform and training courses
3. Partnership with field actors

CONTACTS

• Ivan IORDANOFF: Deputy Director General, Research and Innovation, Arts et métiers Chairman of the ITTAI Alliance Steering Committee Ivan.iordanoff@ensam.eu
• Sandra COLOGNE: Innovation Program Manager sandra.cologne@ensam.eu