Press release

 

CNRS is celebrating the 50th anniversary of computer science in Grenoble, France: ten days of events from November 23 to December 2, 2002.

Paris, October 22, 2002
 

Under the direction of the Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Institute of Grenoble (IMAG), a federation under the supervision of the Communication and Information Science and Technology department of the CNRS, the computer science sector of Grenoble, whether it be university institutions or industrial establishments, are getting together to celebrate the "50th anniversary of computer science in Grenoble". Several major events are planned for this occasion that will take place from November 23 to December 2, 2002, at the Grenoble Museum and on the university campus at Saint-Martin-d’Hères. The computer science world will pay tribute to Professor Jean Kuntzmann, an extraordinary man and the founding father of the Computation Laboratory (Laboratoire de Calcul), the precursor of IMAG(1).

In 1951, Professor Jean KUNTZMANN (1912 – 1992) officially created the Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble, the first "computation" laboratory that has since evolved into its present manifestation: a fabric of several hundred leading-edge technology companies, an extremely complete range of high-level academic programs and a number of highly respected research laboratories. All of this makes Grenoble one of the leading computer science poles in France today. This field has been part of the development of Grenoble since the beginning of the 1950's. Computer science made it possible to establish close ties with an increasing number of sectors, finally becoming an integral part of the family unit. The technological evolution of the machines themselves bears witness to a creativity and a spirit of innovation widely shared by the community of computer scientists in Grenoble.

Direct heir of the work of Jean Kuntzmann, the IMAG institute – a federation of eight research laboratories of the CNRS(2), INPG(3) and UJF(4), of which two are also under the control of INRIA(5) – is coordinating the organization of the 50th anniversary of computer science.

Several events will take place in Grenoble in honor of the great Professor Jean Kuntzmann: an exhibition, a seminar, a conference open to the public and two series of lectures will be the highlights of this important event from November 23 to December 2, 2002.

Louis Bolliet, one of the "four musketeers" of computer science history in Grenoble (Jean Kuntzmann 1912 - 1992, Noël Gastinel 1925 - 1984, and Bernard Vauquois 1929 - 1985) will speak about the birth of this new and innovative field of science that still motivates an increasing number of enthusiast computer scientists today.

This event will celebrate computer science in its capacity as a scientific and technological field with a major impact on the economic, academic and industrial activities of the city and the region of Grenoble.

Program available at:
http://50ans.imag.fr

BACKGROUND
  • 1951 Creation of the Computation Laboratory (Laboratoire de Calcul)
  • 1952 The computation laboratory is equipped with an electronic analogue computer.
  • 1957 Professor Jean Kuntzmann creates a special department for mathematical engineers and, in 1960, a school for computer and mathematical engineers at the Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble. These programs lead to the creation of many small service companies. One of them, Cap Gemini, will become the biggest computer service company in Europe.
  • 1950 – 1970 Grenoble is given the name of "laboratory city". The dominance of the metal industry gives way to activities related to electronics and computer science. This development corresponds to the extraordinary increase of teaching activities and research, in particular, areas in which the mathematician, Jean Kuntzmann, and the physicist, Louis Néel, most notably left their mark.
    The LETI(6) benefited from the precious help of Professor Jean Kuntzmann and IMAG to initiate computer-aided design (CAD).
  • 1971 Establishment of the American computer manufacturer, Hewlett-Packard, interested in the research activities taking place in the region.
  • 1990 A total of 300 "very small innovative firms" can be found in Grenoble, most often created by former researchers from Grenoble laboratories. Establishment of a true software industry.
  • 1997 Grenoble has the highest proportion of people connected to the Internet in France.
    The region in figures
    (Source: AEPI)
    Rhône-Alpes Region, the number two economic region in France: a pole on the European scale.
    27,000 jobs in industry and research are divided into three sectors:
    o Computer industry.
    o Professional electronics.
    o Microelectronics.

    The computer industry: a remarkable concentration of players. 10,000 jobs in the industry: with the highest number of people employed, the computer industry includes computer manufacturers and computer system developers.
    o 1,350 jobs in public research.
    o 1,645 graduates with higher education degrees/year.

    Computer science and electronics make up the second major industrial activity group in Grenoble.
    With 13,000 jobs out of 95,300 (representing 13.64%)
    Number two site in France for "strategic" jobs, with 25,000 people working in the areas of computer science, public and industrial research, commercial industry-related activities and service and management.
    Presentation of the IMAG Institute
    The IMAG Institute is a federation of just about all of the Grenoble laboratories specialized in computer science and applied mathematics. The IMAG federation consisted of eight UMR (Mixed Research Units) as of 2002, under the co-supervision of two CNRS departments, Communication and Information Science and Technology (STIC) and Physical Sciences and Mathematics (SPM), the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (INPG) and the Université Joseph-Fourier (UJF). Two of these units (GRAVIR and ID) also have ties with INRIA.

    o2002 workforce:
    The IMAG staff consists of 689 people including 190 teacher/researchers, 73 salaried researchers and 310 Ph.d candidates (or approximately 45%). Technical and administrative staff: 116.

    o The federation's objectives are:
    - to coordinate scientific policy and the allocation policy of available community funds,
    - to organize the implementation, evaluation and scientific follow-up of IMAG projects that underscore major research trends,
    - manage the pooled resources of research units.

    o IMAG mixed research units:
    CLIPS: Human computer interfaces, electronic publishing, speech, natural language
    GRAVIR: Image processing, computer vision, image synthesis, automatics, robotics
    ID: Computer Science and Distribution
    LEIBNIZ: Discrete mathematics, fundamental computer science, cognitive systems
    LMC: Scientific computation, applied mathematics, parallel architectures and algorithms
    LSR: Operating systems, databases, software engineering, fault-tolerant systems
    TIMC: Computer architecture, applied mathematics, application to biology and medicine
    VERIMAG: Critical systems

    Notes:
    (1) Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Institute of Grenoble
    (2) National Center for Scientific Research
    (3) Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble
    (4) Université Joseph-Fourier
    (5) French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control
    (6) Information Technology and Electronics Laboratory

    CNRS press contacts:

    Catherine SOUCHON
    Fédération IMAG
    Maison Jean Kuntzmann, B.P.53
    38041 GRENOBLE Cedex 9, France
    Tel: +33 4 76 51 40 94
    Fax: +33 4 76 51 49 64
    Catherine.Souchon@imag.fr

    Marie-Noëlle ABAT
    Press Office
    3 rue Michel Ange
    75794 Paris Cedex 16, France
    Tel: +33 1 44 96 43 09
    Fax: +33 1 44 96 49 93
    mn.abat@cnrs-dir.fr

     

     
    		•