UBE, INRAE and Institut Agro sign a new site agreement to strengthen scientific excellence and innovation

The higher education and research establishments in Burgundy-Franche-Comté are joining forces to develop an ambitious site policy focusing on sustainable food systems and agro-ecological transitions.

Since 1 January 2025, the higher education and research landscape in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté has been reconfigured with the creation of two Établissements Publics Expérimentaux (EPEs): in this new context, a site agreement formalises the collaborative projects between Université Bourgogne Europe (UBE), INRAE and the Institut Agro.

An integrated vision of food and environmental issues

This agreement is part of the partners’ shared desire to promote an active and strategic site policy in terms of research, training and innovation. The aim is to strengthen research activities at national and international level, while increasing the efficiency of the institutions in carrying out their missions.

This approach generates innovative research at the disciplinary interfaces structured around three strategic themes:

• Resource management
• Food and consumers
• Territories

Further information: Official press release (french only).

A stronger partnership for 2026-2030

Through this site agreement signed for the period 2026-2030, the three partner institutions – UBE, INRAE and Institut Agro Dijon – wish to strengthen and broaden their collaboration, particularly around the theme of sustainable food systems on a regional scale and in support of research into microbial ecology developed as part of the France 2023 ‘ExcellencES’ HARMI (Harnessing Microbiomes for Sustainable Development) programme.

Simplifying administration to promote excellence

UBE is recognised as the leader of the site policy in Burgundy, which is reflected in the fact that it is mentioned as the first supervisory body in the affiliation rules for the units in which it is present alongside INRAE and Institut Agro (Agroecology, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, Procédés Alimentaires et Microbiologiques).

The agreement puts in place concrete measures to simplify administration, as called for by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation in its policy launched in 2021 to “simplify the day-to-day life of researchers”.

Issues at the heart of national priorities

The issues addressed by the research units are perfectly in line with INRAE’s strategic orientations for 2030, in particular the orientation ‘Agroecological transition and transformation of food systems’, one of INRAE’s five priorities shared with Institut Agro through the national framework agreement for scientific cooperation linking the two institutes since 2022.

This agreement sets out the framework for an integrated and differentiating vision for the region, with the ambition of achieving excellence that is recognised both nationally and internationally. It also provides for a strengthening of the partnership between the project development units of the three entities – the STRADA unit, INRAE Transfert and the Institut Agro Dijon project development support unit – to provide better support for research teams and boost the submission of European research projects.

More information on the signing of this agreement in the official press release (french only).