The Director of the Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle, Philippe Choquet, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe (SCSNE), Jérôme Dezobry, signed a partnership agreement this Thursday, January 26, 2023 in Beauvais. This agreement is part of the framework set in 2017 by the SCSNE Supervisory Board, chaired by Xavier Bertrand, to establish partnerships with higher education institutions in the Hauts-de-France Region. These partnerships demonstrate the desire to integrate all the driving forces of the Region, particularly the educational world, into the unique opportunity offered by Europe to build a river infrastructure contributing to the decarbonization of transport. The partnership between UniLaSalle, a school that trains future engineers, bachelors and veterinarians, at the heart of the transitions uniting the sciences of Life, Earth, Environment, Energy & Digital, and SCSNE, the contracting authority for the Seine-Northern Europe Canal, will offer study and internship opportunities to all the students who will be tomorrow's workers.

A forward-looking partnership

"We are delighted to be able to work with the Société du Canal Seine-Nord Europe, as the future Canal will be a major transport route for the 21st century, both in terms of its economic aspect and its decisive role in promoting sustainable development," said Philippe Choquet. "The Seine-Nord Europe Canal is a flagship project in the region and we are convinced that it will play an important role in reducing the carbon footprint of our territory. We look forward to working with SCSNE staff to develop new and innovative projects with our students in geology, bioeconomy and renewable energy."

"We are proud of this partnership which will allow us to work with UniLaSalle's students and educational team. The Seine-Nord Europe Canal is a major project for the region, France and Europe, and its challenges in terms of innovation and sustainable development are paramount. We are convinced that this collaboration will enable us to find innovative answers to the problems posed, and to make the Hauts-de-France Region a forerunner!" adds Jérôme Dezobry, Chairman of the Board of the Seine-Nord Europe Canal Company.

A step forward for the employability of students in Hauts-de-France

This partnership, conceived in a long-term perspective, will make it possible to develop advantages for both UniLaSalle and SCSNE. With this partnership, the Institut Polytechnique UniLaSalle, a major school specializing in geology, is giving its students access to a wealth of data and study subjects on which they can make the most of the education they receive.

For its part, the SCSNE will benefit from the research work of the students and their educational team to put into perspective the ecological, technological, economic, societal and territorial issues of the Seine-Northern Europe Canal.

The work expected from this collaboration is as follows:

• To develop geotechnical and feasibility study projects via the competition of projects carried out by the students of the Geotechnical and Natural Hazards Advanced Study Course,   
• Contribute to the development of renewable energies by proposing technological solutions for energy production and storage thanks to the skills of the UniLaSalle campus in Amiens,   
• To analyze the impacts of the future canal on the bio-economy sectors of the territories concerned,   
• Developing technical solutions based on ecological engineering to generate ecosystem services that will make it possible to ensure landscape integration and restoration of environments potentially impacted by the works,   
• Ensure scientific dissemination of results to stakeholders and citizens of the territories.

This partnership also brings prospects in the development of multi-actor and collaborative research projects and internship opportunities for UniLaSalle students.

SCSNE website