Synergies between businesses and mathematical research, first established in the aftermath of the Second World War, have steadily grown stronger, particularly over the past decade. There is still room for improvement, however, if the French economy—and small businesses in particular—is to take full advantage of what mathematics can offer in an increasingly digital world.
A long history
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Large French companies have a long tradition of fruitful interaction with mathematical research. Some even have their own applied mathematics departments, while others maintain close partnerships with a school or university. These include Airbus, Air Liquide, ATOS, Dassault, EDF, Michelin, Pechiney, Orange, Peugeot, Renault, Safran, Saint-Gobain, Thales, Total and Schlumberger… This tradition is probably due in part to the fact that a large majority of these groups' senior executives received scientific training through post-secondary preparatory classes and elite engineering schools.
Over the past twenty years, in the wake of Google's founding in 1998, the expansion of the digital realm has affected the economy and society. Computer science and mathematics play a central role in it. It is sometimes said that "mathematics is the oxygen of the digital world". It is vital, yet invisible.
In 2009, during the "Forward Look in Mathematics and Industry" (FLMI) foresight study, Europe's applied mathematics community became aware of the importance of its relationships with businesses. The study's steering committee brought together "visionary" mathematicians under the leadership of Mario Primicerio and included two French members, Yvon Maday and Maria Esteban, both recipients of the prestigious Jacques-Louis-Lions Prize awarded by the Académie des sciences. It published a series of recommendations: to organize the industrial mathematics community, develop it, and provide it with resources and visibility.
