UMET - ISP

What UMET - ISP does

UMET (Unité Matériaux et Transformations, CNRS UMR 8207) is a public research laboratory jointly operated by CNRS and Université de Lille, headquartered in Villeneuve d'Ascq, France. The laboratory conducts fundamental and applied research in materials science across seven research teams covering polymer systems engineering, molecular and therapeutic materials, physical metallurgy and materials engineering, earth and planetary materials, plasticity, recycling and functionalization processes, and interface processes and materials hygiene. UMET hosts approximately 72 staff and 70 active PhD candidates, with 115 theses defended since 2021, and operates specialized platforms including PMEL (electron microscopy), Plateau Hautes Pressions (high-pressure), and FireResist (fire testing), supplemented by molecular dynamics simulation, neutron scattering, mechanical milling, and advanced calorimetry.

The laboratory's core technology combines multi-scale experimental characterization (from atomic to macroscopic) with numerical simulation to study material behavior, transformations, and applications across polymers, metals, molecular materials, and planetary sciences. UMET addresses challenges in fire protection, pharmaceutical formulations, energy, aerospace, automotive, packaging, and nuclear sectors, and receives media coverage for high-impact work (e.g., Mars rock analysis, ESA OIL FOAM project).

UMET does not operate a commercial revenue model. It is funded through institutional public research grants from French and European agencies (ANR, ERC, Interreg, Horizon Europe, CPER, PIA), institutional support from CNRS and Université de Lille, chaires industrielles, and collaborative research agreements with industrial partners such as BIOEX. Its go-to-market is community-led, with research dissemination through peer-reviewed publications (deposited in LillOA), conference presentations, PhD training, and bilateral academic collaborations. Customers/stakeholders span academic researchers, industrial partners (BIOEX, ESA), and graduate students; UMET has no shareholders and does not commercialize products or services.

Name

UMET - ISP

Legal name

UMET - Unité Matériaux et Transformations

Website

https://umet.univ-lille1.fr

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

UMET is a public research laboratory (CNRS UMR 8207) jointly operated by CNRS and Université de Lille, conducting fundamental and applied materials science research across seven teams (polymers, metallurgy, molecular/therapeutic and planetary materials), funded through ANR, ERC, and Interreg grants with industrial partners such as BIOEX and ESA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Materials Science Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Materials science research
• Electron microscopy characterization
• Polymer systems engineering
• Planetary materials research
• Fire testing platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeneuve d'Ascq

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Research Funding: UMET operates as a public research laboratory (UMR 8207) under CNRS and Université de Lille. Core funding comes from French national research agencies including ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche), ERC (European Research Council), and European programs (Interreg). Additional funding from industrial partners through collaborative research projects and chaires industrielles.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UMET is a public research laboratory conducting fundamental and applied materials science research across seven research teams covering polymers, molecular and therapeutic materials, physical metallurgy, earth and planetary materials, plasticity, recycling processes, and interface processes. The laboratory provides research collaboration, PhD training, and access to specialized characterization platforms including electron microscopy, high-pressure facilities, and fire testing. It does not commercialize products or services; its outputs are scientific publications, trained researchers, and collaborative research with industrial partners.

Product overview

UMET (Unité Matériaux et Transformations) is a research laboratory affiliated with CNRS and Université de Lille (UMR 8207), not a commercial product or service company. The laboratory conducts fundamental and applied research in materials science across seven research teams: Ingénierie des Systèmes Polymères (Polymer Systems Engineering), Matériaux Moléculaires et Thérapeutiques (Molecular and Therapeutic Materials), Métallurgie Physique et Génie des Matériaux (Physical Metallurgy and Materials Engineering), Matériaux Terrestres et Planétaires (Earth and Planetary Materials), Plasticité (Plasticity), Procédés de Recyclage et de Fonctionnalisation (Recycling and Functionalization Processes), and Processus aux Interfaces et Hygiène des Matériaux (Interface Processes and Materials Hygiene). The laboratory provides research collaboration, training through PhD programs and master's level education, and access to specialized research facilities including electron microscopy platforms. As a public research institution, UMET does not offer commercial products or services in the traditional sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PMEL - Plateforme de Microscopie Electronique de Lille Electron microscopy platform providing high-resolution characterization of materials at the nanoscale using TEM, STEM, and electron diffraction techniques. Used by academic researchers and industrial partners for materials characterization.
• Plateau Hautes Pressions - Institut Chevreul High-pressure laboratory facility for studying material behavior under extreme pressure conditions, with applications in Earth and planetary sciences. Used by academic researchers and partners requiring high-pressure material characterization.
• Plateforme FireResist Fire testing and characterization platform for developing fire retardant materials and understanding combustion behavior. Used for industrial collaborative research projects such as the PREFIBIO project with BIOEX.
• PhD and Master's Research Training Programs Graduate research training programs at the Master's and PhD levels, covering materials science, physics, chemistry, and engineering. Approximately 70 PhD candidates are currently enrolled, with 115 PhD theses defended since 2021. Encompasses research internships and thesis supervision.

Quantifiable outcome

• 115 PhD theses defended since 2021
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Institut Michel Eugène ChevreulcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional partnership within the Cité Scientifique campus. The Institut Chevreul hosts high-pressure laboratory facilities (Plateau Hautes Pressions) used by UMET researchers. Joint organization of scientific events including the 4èmes journées du GDR REEPOS.
• CNRScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMET is a mixed research unit (UMR 8207) under CNRS. CNRS provides institutional affiliation, core funding, and research infrastructure support. The laboratory operates under CNRS governance and research frameworks.
• Université de LillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution providing facilities, administrative support, and integration with university teaching and training programs. UMET researchers teach at university departments and supervise PhD candidates enrolled at the university.
• ENSCL - Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Lille (Centrale Lille)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering school partnership for joint research and training. Several UMET researchers are affiliated with ENSCL/Centrale Lille, and collaborative PhD supervision occurs with GEMTEX research center.
• INRAEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Institut national de recherche en agriculture, alimentation et environnement. CERTIA research unit within INRAE collaborates with UMET on food processing, hygiene, and environmental applications.
• GEMTEXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch laboratory specializing in textiles that collaborates with UMET on polymer research projects, including PhD thesis supervision in composite materials and textile functionalization.
• KU LeuvenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic collaboration with PhD thesis co-supervision. A project on Near-Net Shape Manufacturing of Innovative Multi-Materials lists KU Leuven researcher Kim Vanmeensel as co-supervisor.
• BIOEXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench company specializing in fire protection solutions collaborating with UMET in the ANR PREFIBIO project to develop environmentally friendly fire prevention and extinguishing solutions. UMET and FIRE-RESIST platform host research activities for this collaboration.
• ERC (European Research Council)coreOthersFunding and scientific collaboration through the ERC HotCores project 'Revealing the unknown planet within the Earth' led by UMET researcher Sébastien Merkel. ERC grants support cutting-edge research in planetary materials science.
• ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche)coreOthersFrench national research agency providing funding for numerous UMET projects including MustImplant, SOGLOSSI, RESSET, COOLISSE, NanoBAP, MIN-DIXI, and PREFIBIO covering materials science, pharmaceuticals, and fire protection.
• Interreg ProgramscoreOthersEuropean cross-border cooperation programs supporting UMET collaborations including THERMOHARV, CIRCOPLAST, SAFE, INSIDE 3D, and Al2SiBuild for materials research across European regions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CIRIMAT (Centre Inter-universitaire de Recherche et d'Ingénierie des Matériaux): CNRS UMR 5085 in Toulouse covering similar materials science domains including polymers, metals, and ceramics with comparable research team structure and industrial partnership models.
• CEMES (Centre d'Élaboration de Matériaux et d'Études Structurales): CNRS UPR 8011 in Toulouse, a long-standing materials science research unit focused on microstructure, properties, and electron microscopy, with overlapping capabilities to UMET's PMEL platform.
• CRISMAT (Cristallographie et Sciences des Matériaux): CNRS UMR 6508 in Caen, focused on crystallography, solid-state chemistry, and functional materials, with similar research intensity and publication-driven output.
• MATEIS (Matériaux: Ingénierie et Science): CNRS UMR 5510 at Université de Lyon, covering polymer, metallic, ceramic, and composite materials with similar multi-scale characterization and modeling capabilities as UMET. Direct peer in French public materials science research.
• LSPM (Laboratoire des Sciences des Procédés et des Matériaux): CNRS UPR 3407 in Paris, with strong expertise in plasma, thin films, and materials processing, sharing the applied research and industrial collaboration model of UMET.
• INSP (Institut des NanoSciences de Paris): CNRS UMR 7588 in Paris, focused on nanoscience and materials physics, with comparable electron microscopy capabilities and academic research output structure.
• SIMAP (Science et Ingénierie des Matériaux et Procédés): CNRS UMR 5266 in Grenoble, working on metallurgy, solidification, and materials processes with deep industrial partnerships, directly comparable to UMET's metallurgy and recycling teams.
• PIMM (Procédés et Ingénierie en Mécanique et Matériaux): CNRS UMR 8006 in Paris, combining mechanics and materials science with industrial applications, particularly in polymers and composites, overlapping with UMET's polymer engineering team.
• ICMCB (Institut de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Bordeaux): CNRS UMR 5026 in Bordeaux, focused on chemistry of condensed matter including molecular and therapeutic materials, with overlap to UMET's molecular and therapeutic materials team.
• Institut P' (Institut Pprime): CNRS UPR 3346 in Poitiers, covering mechanics, materials, and processes with strong industrial partnerships, comparable in scope and operational model to UMET.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/umet---isp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 UMET - ISP