Inria is the French national research institute for digital science and technology. World-class research, technological innovation, and entrepreneurial risk are its DNA. In 220 project teams, most of which are shared with major research universities, more than 3,900 researchers and engineers explore new paths, often in an interdisciplinary manner and in collaboration with industrial partners to meet ambitious challenges. As a technological institute, Inria supports the diversity of innovation pathways: from open-source software publishing to the creation of technological startups (Deeptech).

Within the framework of the European Research Area (ERA), the Institute is strengthening its collaboration with its European partners. It relies on the programs and partnerships organized by the European Commission (in particular within the framework of Horizon Europe and Digital Europe) but also, in a stronger dynamic of integration, develops actions aiming to jointly carry out initiatives and shared roadmaps at the European level.

Role in the project: INRIA will play two main roles as the Project Coordinator (PC), and Data and Ethics Manager (DEM) in the SUM project.

With an extensive background in digital science and technology, INRIA’s specialized team, INOCS, brings expertise in modeling and solving stochastic/robust optimization problems with complex structures.

Their existing infrastructure includes an Operational Ethical Research Committee (COERLE), a Data Protection Office, and a Software IP Office, ensuring comprehensive management and compliance capabilities. As the PC, INRIA is responsible for the project’s administrative and financial oversight, while maintaining a liaison with the European Commission. As DEM, INRIA will oversee data and ethical compliance, ensuring alignment with GDPR.

INRIA also has specific software-related contributions to the project. They will extend their tariff-setting software for multimodal public transportation and shared mobility services, focusing on sustainability and user utility. Moreover, they will adapt an existing optimization software to address integrated decision variables for public transportation systems, thereby extending its applicability beyond logistics.