Article written in partnership with The Conversation Winston Maxwell, Télécom Paris – Institut Mines-Télécom The US consumer protection regulator has issued a record $5 billion fine to Facebook for personal data violations. This fine is by far the largest ever issued for a personal data violation. Despite some members of the US Congress saying that this is not enough, the …

Two teams from IMT Atlantique and Mines Saint-Étienne have developed an autonomous contact lens which is powered by an integrated flexible micro-battery. This invention is a world first that opens new health prospects, whilst also opening the door for scientists to develop other human-machine interfaces.   Human augmentation, a field of research that aims to enhance human abilities through technological …

Quantum mechanics is central to much of the technology we use every day. But what exactly is it? The 11th Fondation Mines-Télécom booklet explores the origins of quantum technology, revealing its practical applications by offering a better understanding of the issues. To clarify the concepts addressed, the booklet includes a glossary, from which this list is taken.   Black-body radiation …

Launched in January 2019 for a three-year period, the European H2020 project CloudButton seeks to democratize Big Data by drastically simplifying its programming model. To achieve this, the project relies on a new cloud service that frees the final customer from having to physically manage servers. Pierre Sutra, researcher at Télécom SudParis, one the CloudButton partner, shares his perspective on …

Over the past 5 years, major digital technology stakeholders have boosted the data broker business. These middlemen collect and combine masses of traces that consumers leave online. They then offer them to the companies of their choice in exchange for income. Above all, they use this capital to manipulate markets around the world. These new powerful stakeholders are greatly misunderstood. …

This book is devoted to biocolonization, the biodeterioration of materials and possible improvements in their performance. Many materials age according to their use and their environment. The presence of microorganisms can then lead to biodeterioration. However, these can also help protect structures, provided their properties are used wisely. Christine LORS, researcher at IMT Lille Douai is co-author of this book …

Businesses are increasingly turning towards selling the use of their products. This shift in business models affects SMEs and major corporations alike. In practice, this has an impact on all aspects of a company’s organization, from its design chain to developing collaborations, to rolling out new offerings for customers. Xavier Boucher and his colleagues, researchers in industrial systems design and …

Agriculture is among the sectors most affected by digital transition, given the amount of data it possesses. But for the industry to benefit from its full potential, it must be able to find a sound business model for sharing this data. Anne-Sophie Taillandier, the Director of TeraLab — IMT’s big data and AI platform — outlines the digital challenges facing …

Whether it is due to oil spills or cleaning out of tanks at sea, radar satellites can detect any oil slick on the ocean’s surface. Over 15 years ago, René Garello and his team from IMT Atlantique worked on the first proof of concept for this idea to monitor oil pollution from space. Today, they are continuing to work on …

The social and solidarity economy (SSE) encompasses organizations that seek to respond to human problems through responsible solutions. Far from being an epiphenomenon, the SSE accounts for a significant share of the economy both in France and around the world. Contrary to popular belief, these principles are far from new. Mélissa Boudes, a researcher in management at Institut Mines-Télécom Business …