The JUNON Consortium

Research & Higher Education

As France's national geological survey, BRGM (French Geological Survey) is the leading public institution applying Earth sciences to the sustainable management of soil and subsurface resources and risks.

In addition to coordinating the programme, BRGM supports the consortium through its recognised expertise in water resources and in studying, experimenting with and modelling the reactions and transport processes occurring in soils and the subsurface. BRGM also draws on its experience in developing and managing environmental databases to support the consortium in data interoperability and management.

Contact: Sébastien Dupraz, JUNON Programme Coordinator

The mission of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) is to mobilise knowledge from across all scientific disciplines to address the challenges of today's world. With over 80 years of experience in fundamental research, spanning the study of life, space, matter and human societies, CNRS brings together scientific expertise to understand contemporary challenges in all their complexity, working closely with organisations on the ground.

CNRS is involved in the JUNON programme, particularly in the JUNEAU and JANUSS projects, through its expertise in environmental metrology and its role as a joint supervisory institution for several research laboratories: ISTO (Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans), ICARE (Institut de Combustion, Aérothermique, Réactivité et Environnement), LPC2E (Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace) and ICMN (Interfaces, Confinement, Matériaux et Nanostructures). CNRS also contributes to JUNON's governance through the Strategic Orientation Committee (COS) and the Scientific Steering Committee (CPS).

Contact: Véronique Daële, Co-leader of the Soil–Air Project / CNRS Research Director at ICARE / Head of the Atmosphere and Environment Research Team

INRAE, the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, was established on 1 January 2020 through the merger of INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) and IRSTEA (National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture).

As a global leader in research on agriculture, food and the environment, INRAE generates knowledge to address major global challenges, including climate change, food insecurity and biodiversity loss.

INRAE co-leads the programme's partnership development activities and contributes to the Scientific Steering Committee (CPS).

Contact: Isabelle Cousin, Director of the Soil Science Research Unit, INRAE Val de Loire

INSA Centre Val de Loire is a public engineering school that places its students at the heart of societal and regional challenges.

Based in Blois and Bourges, the institution is recognised for its scientific excellence, supported by six research laboratories, and its commitment to diversity, reflected in its large number of scholarship recipients and international students.

As a joint supervisory institution of LIFO (Laboratoire d'Informatique Fondamentale d'Orléans) and LIFAT (Laboratoire d'Informatique Fondamentale et Appliquée de Tours), INSA CVL contributes to JUNON's Strategic Orientation Committee (COS).

Contact: Pascal Berthomé, Deputy Director of LIFO

Technopole d'Orléans is a non-profit association established over 30 years ago to promote regional economic development through innovation.

The organisation operates through several business units, with activities focusing on innovative entrepreneurship and business support, technology transfer, ecosystem development (including LAB'O Village by CA and AgreenLAB'O Village by CA), and the development of innovative projects, including major strategic initiatives and emerging sectors.

Technopole d'Orléans is involved in JUNON at two levels:

• The development and promotion of services, coordinated by Aquanova.
• The digital twin assembly project, which it coordinates.

Contact: Frédéric Ros, Director of Technopole d'Orléans

The University of Orléans is a multidisciplinary institution operating across 14 sites in seven towns and cities throughout the Centre-Val de Loire region. It is recognised for its commitment to cutting-edge research, providing an environment that fosters scientific innovation and international collaboration across a wide range of disciplines.

The University of Orléans contributes to the JUNON programme through two of its research laboratories: LIFO (Laboratoire d'Informatique Fondamentale d'Orléans) and IDP (Institut Denis Poisson).

• LIFO contributes its expertise in artificial intelligence, data management and data processing to the DATA and PREDICTION projects. Within DATA, the laboratory supports interoperability by developing methods and tools for generic data structuring. Within PREDICTION, it works on groundwater level forecasting methods based on artificial intelligence tools that incorporate expert knowledge and mechanistic models.
• IDP is involved in the same two projects. Within DATA, its statistics experts are responsible for data preprocessing and statistical analysis using stochastic modelling and data mining techniques. IDP also has specific expertise in image preprocessing and analysis, particularly for satellite imagery. Within PREDICTION, its mathematical modelling specialists develop predictive, mechanistic and spatially explicit models combined with artificial intelligence techniques to improve efficiency.

Contact: Mirian Halfeld Ferrari, Professor and Director of LIFO

The University of Tours is committed to the creation, preservation, dissemination and application of knowledge. As a centre of discovery, it embodies humanist values while addressing the challenges of today and tomorrow.

With a strong commitment to the ecological transition, the University of Tours participates in JUNON through the Laboratoire d'Informatique Fondamentale et Appliquée de Tours (LIFAT).

LIFAT's research focuses on designing and developing models and algorithms for data mining, data visualisation, machine learning, natural language and image processing, and combinatorial optimisation. The laboratory specialises in data science, with recognised expertise in artificial intelligence and optimisation.

Within JUNON, LIFAT coordinates the PREDICTION project, developing new forecasting methods for groundwater levels and quality, as well as air quality. These methods rely on artificial intelligence tools and their integration with mechanistic models.

LIFAT also contributes to the DATA project by providing data analysis and access tools, and to the digital twins project by helping develop the final applications.

Contact: Nicolas Ragot, Professor at the University of Tours / Head of the Computer Science Department at Polytech Tours / Researcher in the Pattern Recognition and Image Analysis (RFAI) team at LIFAT

Engineering & Technological Expertise

Antea Group is an international environmental engineering and consultancy company. It brings together multidisciplinary experts and consultants specialising in the environment, water, infrastructure and environmental data management.

By combining strategic thinking, technical expertise and a cross-disciplinary understanding of its clients' challenges, Antea Group develops sustainable solutions tailored to their needs.

Antea Group's expertise supports the consortium in designing and developing innovative commercial services for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), based on water-related digital twins covering both quantity and quality.

Antea Group also contributes to JUNON's governance as a member of the Strategic Orientation Committee (COS) and the Scientific Steering Committee (CPS).

Contact: Hervé Noël, Head of R&D, Research & Innovation Department, Antea Group

Atos is an international leader in digital transformation. Tech Foundations, one of the group's business lines, specialises in managed infrastructure services, hybrid cloud, digital workplace solutions and technology services, using decarbonised, automated and AI-powered solutions. The group provides integrated solutions across all industries in 69 countries.

With a regional presence in both Orléans and Tours, Atos contributes to the development of innovative digital solutions, including digital twins. Its activities focus on both the creation of knowledge and its economic application.

Contact: Mona Lupu, Atos Agency Director in Tours and JUNON Innolab Manager

SDEC France is a leading manufacturer and distributor of environmental measurement instruments, specialising in water, air and soil monitoring. With over 30 years of experience, the company provides innovative and accurate solutions to environmental challenges.

SDEC contributes to JUNON through the JUNEAU project. Its involvement includes integrating sensors to measure water levels, temperature and electrical conductivity, helping improve our understanding of groundwater–river interactions.

The company also contributes to the integration of nitrate monitoring sensors to assess the impacts of human activities on water resources.

SDEC draws on its expertise in equipment installation, services and data collection to support the consortium.

Contact: Eric Valles, Product Manager