Institut Camille Jordan

What Institut Camille Jordan does

Institut Camille Jordan (ICJ) is a public mathematics research laboratory (Unité Mixte de Recherche 5208) jointly operated by the CNRS and four French higher-education institutions — Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSA Lyon, École Centrale de Lyon, and Université Jean Monnet Saint-Étienne — with the additional presence of an INRIA project team, DRACULA. The institute spans five sites across the Lyon–Saint-Étienne metropolitan area, with its main seat on the UCBL campus in Villeurbanne, and is directed by Véronique Maume-Deschamps. Its research is organised into six thematic teams covering algebra, geometry and logic (AGL); combinatorics and number theory (CTN); partial differential equations and analysis (EDPA); history of mathematics (HDM); mathematical modelling and scientific computing (MMCS); and probability, statistics and mathematical physics (PSPM), totalling 339 personnel including professors, research directors, doctoral students, post-doctoral researchers, engineers, and administrative staff.

The institute conducts fundamental and applied research across the full spectrum of mathematical sciences. It does not sell commercial products. Its outputs are scientific publications, trained mathematicians at master's and doctoral levels, and contract research delivered to industrial partners. Industry engagement is channeled through VaLSEM (Valorisation Lyon Saint-Etienne en Mathématiques), a dedicated consortium that brokers CIFRE PhD theses, research chairs, short-term expertise, and training with companies including Michelin, EDF, Thales, CNES, Volvo, MicrodB, and Néolys Diagnostics. Public funding flows primarily from CNRS block grants, the four co-managing universities, and competitive national (ANR) and European (ERC) research grants; multiple ERC grants, Académie des Sciences prizes, and an ICM 2026 invited speaker selection indicate elite-level academic standing.

Name

Institut Camille Jordan

Legal name

Institut Camille Jordan

Website

https://math.univ-lyon1.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Institut Camille Jordan (UMR 5208) is a CNRS-affiliated public mathematics research laboratory in Lyon–Saint-Étienne, operating six research teams across pure and applied mathematics, training doctoral students, and delivering contract research to industry through its VaLSEM valorisation channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Mathematics Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Specialized Engineering Domains (EDAHAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC)

Keywords

• Mathematical research services
• Applied mathematics consulting
• Scientific computing research
• Industrial mathematics expertise
• Academic research laboratory

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeurbanne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: The institute is a joint research unit (UMR 5208) of CNRS and Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, with additional partnerships with INSA Lyon, École Centrale de Lyon, Université Jean Monnet Saint-Étienne, and INRIA Lyon. Core funding comes from French government research allocations (CNRS, universities) and competitive grants (ANR, ERC).
2. Contract Research with Industry: The institute conducts paid research contracts with industrial partners including Michelin, EDF, MicrodB, Néolys Diagnostics, Volvo, Thales, and CNES. These include CIFRE PhD conventions, research chairs, short-term expertise, and training services.
3. Research Grants and Prizes: Competitive European and national research grants including ERC Advanced Grants, ANR projects, IUF chairs, and various prizes from the Académie des Sciences and other bodies that provide dedicated research funding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Institut Camille Jordan (ICJ) is a public mathematics research laboratory (UMR 5208) jointly operated by CNRS and four French universities. It conducts fundamental and applied mathematical research across six thematic teams covering algebra, geometry, logic, combinatorics, number theory, partial differential equations, analysis, scientific computing, probability, statistics, and mathematical physics, and provides mathematical expertise to industry partners through VaLSEM, including contract research, CIFRE PhD theses, and short-term consulting engagements.

Product overview

Institut Camille Jordan (ICJ) is a mathematics research laboratory affiliated with Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSA Lyon, École Centrale de Lyon, and Université Jean Monnet Saint-Étienne. The institute does not offer commercial products or services but conducts fundamental and applied research across multiple mathematical domains including algebra, geometry, logic, combinatorics, number theory, partial differential equations, analysis, mathematical modeling, scientific computing, probability, statistics, and mathematical physics. ICJ provides industry collaboration through VaLSEM (Valorisation Lyon Saint-Etienne en Mathématiques) for businesses seeking mathematical expertise, offers training and education through partner institutions, and supports technology transfer via research partnerships with companies such as Michelin, EDF, CEA, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VaLSEM (Valorisation Lyon Saint-Etienne en Mathématiques): A grouping of mathematics researchers in interaction with enterprises, focused on mathematics valorization and industry collaboration

Products and services

• Mathematical Modelling and Scientific Computing (MMCS) research Research team delivering advanced mathematical modelling, numerical simulation, and scientific computing capabilities applied to industrial and societal problems. The team serves industry clients, academic collaborators, and doctoral students in applied mathematics.
• Probability, Statistics and Mathematical Physics (PSPM) research Research team addressing probability theory, statistical methods, and mathematical physics with applications in risk assessment and physical systems modelling for academic and industry partners.
• Partial Differential Equations and Analysis (EDPA) research Research team conducting research in partial differential equations and functional analysis with applications across mathematics and physics, serving academic researchers and industry clients.
• Algebra, Geometry and Logic (AGL) research Research team dedicated to fundamental research in algebraic structures, geometric methods, and mathematical logic, including model theory, for the academic mathematics community.
• Combinatorics and Number Theory (CTN) research Research team conducting fundamental research in combinatorics and number theory for the academic mathematics community.
• History of Mathematics (HDM) research Research team dedicated to the historical study of mathematics, supporting academic researchers, students, and public science outreach.
• VaLSEM Industrial Collaboration Services Industrial collaboration and technology transfer service offering mathematical expertise to companies in automotive, energy, healthcare, aerospace, and acoustics, including CIFRE PhD theses, research contracts, consulting expertise, and continuing education.
• DRACULA INRIA Project Team Joint INRIA project team hosted at ICJ, conducting research on multi-scale modelling of cell dynamics with applications in biology and medicine, serving academic and industry partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Michelin partnership ongoing since 2007 with 5 PhDs, 4 master's internships, and 1 post-doctoral position funded
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MichelincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Long-standing research partnership since 2007 focused on improving numerical methods for tire simulation, particularly contact conditions with friction, reinforcement simulation, and stress concentration modelling. This tripartite collaboration (ICJ + Michelin + ENIT Tunis) has produced 5 funded PhDs, 4 master's internships, and 1 post-doctoral position.
• EDFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch contract on modelling and evaluation of joint extreme risks, involving the supervision of two interns, one post-doc, and one doctoral student. The work addressed questions of multivariate extreme value theory, time series statistics, and spatial or spatiotemporal modelling.
• MicrodBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration began in spring 2016 through the Laboroto ire Commun P3A with ICJ, LVA (Laboratoire de Vibration Acoustique), and MicrodB. A post-doctoral internship led to the FUI LUG2 project supported by Minalogic competitiveness cluster. MicrodB is a PME based in Écully specialised in acoustic source identification and characterisation.
• Néolys DiagnosticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStart-up co-financing a PhD with Labex MILyon on quantifying the response of a solid tumour to radiotherapy treatment, bridging industrial and academic worlds and developing innovative radiobiology.
• Thalès and CNEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo collaborations between Lyon and Toulouse on satellite navigation systems: applying extreme value theory to GNSS error quotients for controlling extreme characterisation, and trajectory splitting for EGNOS-GALILEO integrity and continuity.
• VolvocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Volvo on route cycle generation using statistical methods, and comparative study of anti-corrosion treatments for lightweight materials (aluminium, magnesium) using extreme value models, including development of dedicated software.
• Hospices Civils de LyonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the Haematology department on leukaemia modelling, with medical researchers on schizophrenia study, and with neuroscience researchers on olfactory clinical trials.
• VaLSEM (Valorisation Lyon Saint-Etienne en Mathématiques)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerVaLSEM is a consortium linking ICJ researchers with companies, acting as a node of MSO-AuRA (Modélisation, Simulation et Optimisation in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes) and part of the national MSO network. It is the primary channel for industry engagement with ICJ's mathematical expertise.
• AMIES (Agence pour les mathématiques en interaction avec l'entreprise et la société)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAMIES is the national agency linking mathematics research with industry and society. ICJ maintains close ties with AMIES and the valorisation cells of its partner institutions (Université Lyon 1, CNRS) to facilitate technology transfer.
• MILyon (Labex)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMathématiques et Informatique fondamentale à Lyon, a laboratory of excellence grouping three laboratories: UMPA (École Normale Supérieure de Lyon), LIP (École Normale Supérieure de Lyon), and ICJ. MILyon co-funds activities including PhD theses and supports ICJ's industrial partnership actions.
• Chaire OQUAIDOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA consortium on Optimisation and Quantification of Uncertainty for Expensive Data (OQUAIDO), involving Mines Saint-Étienne and other partners. ICJ contributes expertise in uncertainty quantification and optimisation.
• CNRScoreOthersThe institute is a joint research unit (UMR 5208) co-managed by CNRS, which provides core institutional funding, human resources (research directors, engineers), and access to national research infrastructure.
• Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1coreOthersThe primary host university and co-manager of UMR 5208. ICJ is physically located on the UCBL campus and its researchers teach in UCBL mathematics programmes.
• INSA LyoncoreOthersCo-manager of UMR 5208. ICJ researchers teach in INSA Lyon programmes and supervise INSA student projects. ICJ maintains a site at INSA de Vinci.
• École Centrale de LyoncoreOthersCo-manager of UMR 5208. ICJ researchers are affiliated with ECL and teach in its engineering programmes. ICJ maintains a site at ECL in Écully.
• Université Jean Monnet Saint-ÉtiennecoreOthersCo-manager of UMR 5208. ICJ has a site at UJM's Manufacture campus in Saint-Étienne.
• INRIA de LyoncoreOthersICJ hosts the DRACULA INRIA project team at the INRIA Lyon site (CEI-2, La Doua). INRIA is France's national research institute for digital science and technology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IRMAR (Institut de Recherche Mathématique de Rennes): UMR 6625 — CNRS/Université de Rennes math lab covering pure and applied math, with industry partnerships. Comparable French public research lab of similar scale and breadth.
• Unité de Mathématiques Appliquées (UMA), ENSTA Paris: Applied mathematics laboratory affiliated with ENSTA and Institut Polytechnique de Paris, covering PDEs, probability, and numerical methods for industry. Comparable in applied math orientation and École Polytechnique/engineering-university affiliation model.
• CERMICS (ENPC): Applied mathematics research center at École des Ponts ParisTech, covering numerical methods, scientific computing, probability, and optimization with strong industry engagement. Comparable in applied math focus and engineering-school hosting model.
• Institut Fourier (IF): UMR 5582 — a CNRS/Université Grenoble Alpes joint math research lab with broad coverage from pure mathematics to mathematical physics. Closely comparable mission, governance structure, and industrial valorization model.
• Laboratoire Jacques-Louis Lions (LJLL): UMR 7598 — a Paris-based CNRS/UPMC joint math lab specializing in PDEs, numerical analysis, and scientific computing. Most comparable in applied math and HPC overlap with ICJ's MMCS and EDPA teams.
• Institut de Mathématiques de Toulouse (IMT): UMR 5219 — a CNRS/University of Toulouse joint mathematics research unit covering pure and applied mathematics with strong industry engagement. Directly comparable to ICJ as a peer French public math lab of similar scope and structure.
• Département de Mathématiques et Applications (DMA), ENS Paris: UMR 8553 — math research unit of ENS Paris, a partner in the MILyon Labex with ICJ. Closely comparable in pure math focus and doctoral training; recruits from and competes with ICJ for top French and international graduate students.
• Institut de Mathématiques de Jussieu – Paris Rive Gauche (IMJ-PRG): UMR 7586 — the largest French math research lab (CNRS/Sorbonne/Paris Cité/ENS Paris). Comparable in covering algebra, geometry, number theory, logic, and PDEs at scale, and a direct competitor for ERC/ANR talent and grants.

Regional players

• INSA Lyon — Laboratoire de Mécanique des Contacts et des Structures (LaMCoS): INSA Lyon-hosted lab co-located with ICJ, focused on contact mechanics and structural computation. Regional peer with overlapping applied math/computation activity and shared industry partners (e.g., Michelin) in the Lyon cluster.

Broad incumbents

• INRIA Rhône-Alpes (Centre de recherche de Lyon): Hosts the DRACULA project team embedded in ICJ. Comparable as a public research entity funding applied math and computer science research with industry transfer; broader scope (digital science) than ICJ's pure math focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institut-camille-jordan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institut Camille Jordan