Research policy

Recognized, structuring scientific potential

The Université Le Havre Normandie is supported by 12 laboratories and a research community comprising some 260 teaching and research staff and almost 200 PhD students. Several units are associated with national organizations (notably CNRS and INERIS) and partner universities and engineering schools (Université Rouen Normandie, Caen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, Université Reims Champagne Ardennes), reinforcing the establishment’s ability to carry out academic and socio-economic projects and partnerships on a regional, national and international scale.

Research at the Université Le Havre Normandie combines fundamental and applied approaches, and mobilizes interdisciplinarity when scientific questions require it. This is reflected in regular participation in competitive projects (national and European) and contractual partnerships. The establishment supports this dynamic by helping to set up and manage projects (project engineering, accompaniment, valorization and transfer) and by disseminating results that can be used by the scientific community and, where relevant, by local players.

Three strategic priorities

As part of the PIA4 Excellences program, ULHN is structuring part of its research around three cross-disciplinary axes, while leaving room for the diversity of themes addressed by its teams. This dynamic is underpinned by the Joint Research Teams (ECR), designed to encourage the emergence and support of interdisciplinary and partnership-based projects, from set-up to commercialization, with the aim of ensuring coherence, visibility and leverage.

Maritime and port issues: Developing knowledge and methods at the crossroads of ports, flows and maritime spaces: analyzing mobilities and logistics corridors, exploiting massive data and digital tools, observing coastal environments and understanding socio-spatial dynamics. By way of illustration, we are working on the automated identification of rescue operations at sea based on AIS data, or on the micro-dynamics of containerized flows.

City of tomorrow: Thinking about and experimenting with the transformation of territories at the city-port interface: urban fabric, renovation and adaptation of buildings, urban planning-architecture-engineering links, with a strong focus on climate and coastal issues. This axis is based on a dynamic of excellence around Le Havre’s urban heritage (UNESCO perimeter) and related themes: decarbonized regeneration, marine submersion, taking account of industrial hazards.

Transitions, risks and hazards: Produce actionable results on the prevention and management of environmental, industrial and climatic risks: environmental monitoring, pollution and contaminants, hazard modeling, impact reduction strategies while rethinking the use of bioresources in a sustainable approach. Projects include coastal monitoring, risk prevention, and modeling the impact of invasive species in maritime and port areas (ERC in preparation).

Technology platforms to support projects and partnerships

Backed by laboratories and joint research teams, ULHN’s technology platforms provide the academic and industrial worlds with equipment, skills, expertise and experimental environments. They provide leverage for project management, training and partnership collaboration, by offering measurement, analysis and experimentation capabilities. These facilities cover a continuum from chemical and sensory analysis (ACCéS) to experimentation in marine hydrodynamics (MecaFluides) and ultrasonic acoustics (CAUSME), right through to multi-scale imaging and environmental analysis (PRESEN).

International openness and enhanced scientific visibility

As coordinator of the EUNICoast European alliance (“European Universities” initiative), ULHN leads a consortium of 12 universities anchored in European islands, ports and coastal territories. Winner of the European Universities 2024 call for proposals, the alliance aims to strengthen the partners’ joint capacity to meet the social and environmental challenges of coastal and island communities, by supporting the co-construction of training, research and innovation projects, as well as student and staff mobility.

The establishment has also been awarded the HRS4R (Human Resources Strategy for Researchers) label, reflecting a commitment to recruitment, training and career support practices that are compatible with European standards.

Disseminating scientific culture and regional innovation

ULHN’s mediation and promotion activities are part of a SAPS (Science with and for society) and CSTI (scientific, technical and industrial culture) approach. By combining science, the arts and mediation, the University offers formats accessible to the general public (meetings, workshops, demonstrations, events, creations) and encourages dialogue between science and society. Developed in conjunction with local players, these initiatives help to circulate knowledge, inform collective choices and reinforce ULHN’s position as a scientific and technological resource. These initiatives are aimed at a wide range of audiences, in particular schoolchildren and citizens of the Le Havre area, using formats that encourage curiosity, critical thinking and participation. Highlights such as the Fête de la science, Sur les épaules des géants and events such as Graine de science and La Nuit du Quantique give young people a hands-on introduction to research and the scientific process. In addition, our year-round scientific culture program aims to bring research closer to the general public and encourage their involvement in contemporary scientific and social issues.