Bio-based materials are an alternative to those derived from fossil resources. They have been increasingly promoted in recent years. However, given the recent development of this sector, their real environmental impact is still relatively unknown. Joana Beigbeder, researcher in environmental analysis at IMT Mines Alès, provides an update on the life cycle analysis (LCA) of these emerging materials. Although bio-based materials …

The RAMP-UP Seed project is one of 9 new projects to have been selected by the German-French Academy for the Industry of the Future as part of the “Resilience and Sustainability for the Industry of the Future” call for projects. It focuses on helping companies adapt their production capacities to respond to crisis situations. The project relies on two main …

Hydrogen is presented as an energy vector of the future. In a power-to-gas system, it serves as an intermediary for the transformation of electricity into synthetic methane. The success of this energy solution depends heavily on its production cost, so IMT researchers are working on optimizing the different processes for a more competitive power-to-gas solution.   Increasing production of renewable energy and reducing …

The ocean is a system that is difficult to observe, whose biodiversity and physical phenomena we still know very little about. Artificial intelligence could be an asset in understanding this environment better. Ronan Fablet, a researcher at IMT Atlantique, presents the projects of the new Océanix Research Chair. What is the objective? To use AI to optimize models for observing the ocean.   …

5G is coming and is bringing a range of new technologies to the table, including Software-Defined Networking. It is an essential element of 5G, and is a network development concept with a completely new infrastructure. Adlen Ksentini, a researcher at EURECOM, presents the inner workings of SDN.   How would you define SDN? Adlen Ksentini: Software-Defined Networking (SDN) is a concept that was designed …

We like the soft feel of a cat’s fur, but we don’t like mud, which is slimy, nearly as much. Why is this? We are told that everyone’s tastes are different. But that does not keep scientists from trying to find answers. Jenny Faucheu, a researcher at Mines Saint-Étienne, has studied tactile perception, a highly original subject.   “We’re used …

Why is an old country farmhouse more pleasant in summer than a modern city building? Traditional building materials and natural stone provide old buildings with better thermal and hygrometric properties. Unfortunately, they often lack the technical characterizations they need to find their place in the construction industry. The European regional development project OEHM has set out to resolve this problem. …

Safety is a key concern in the industrial sector. As such, studying risk represents a specialized field of research. Experiments in this area are particularly difficult to carry out, as they involve explosions and complicated measures. Frédéric Heymes, a researcher at IMT Mines Alès who specializes in industrial risk, discusses the unique aspects of this field of research, and new …

We know how to use wind to produce electricity, but large three-bladed turbines do not have their place in urban environments. The start-up Unéole has therefore developed a wind turbine that is suitable for cities, as well as other environments. It also offers a customized assessment of the most efficient energy mix. Clovis Marchetti, a research engineer at Unéole, explains …

Digital twins, digital doubles – what exactly do these terms mean? Raksmey Phan, an engineer at the Mines Saint-Étienne Centre for Biomedical and Health Engineering (CIS)[1], talks to us about the advantages and advances offered by these new tools, as well as the issues involved.   What does a digital twin refer to? Raksmey Phan: If you have a digital, …