Jean-Philippe Roby, research lecturer at Bordeaux Agri sciences, in the UMR EGFV, and member of the LabEx COTE's "transfer" group
Crédit : ISVVJean-Philippe Roby trained as an engineer and is currently a research lecturer at Bordeaux Agri Sciences. His work focuses on ecophysiology and the concept of vineyard terroir in the UMR EGFV [1] and he has managed the ISVV's [2] Department of Technology Transfer and Valorisation. This dual expertise led him to be part of the LabEx COTE's "transfer" working group.
[1] Ecophysiology and Functional Genomics of the Vine (UMR 1287 INRA, Bordeaux Agri Sciences, University of Bordeaux 1, University of Bordeaux Segalen), EGFV has a structuring role in the Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences (University of Bordeaux)
[2] Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences (University of Bordeaux)
"I began my career by a zoning study on nutmeg and cocoa production areas on the island of Grenada in the Caribbean. I only began working in the Viticulture and Oenology Training Unit at the Bordeaux ENITA [1] in the late 90s". His close ties with the industry and audits of wine growing business that include a scientific and educational component led Jean-Philippe Roby to take over the management and coordination Transfer at the ISVV. And he now devotes most of his time to this. "The goal is to generate research co-funded by businesses based on questions asked by the wine industry in general and not just the scientific community. The resulting projects often fall within the field of applied research", said Jean-Philippe. Exchanges between the industry and the research units result in co-financing theses (or obtaining CIFRE grants) or in financing lighter research (service provision) or the maturation programme of a scientific production. “A researcher or engineer will need about a year to develop an application for the business from a thesis. This work can of course lead to filing patents or licensing. It is very important to emphasise that these issues are always chosen by the researchers. Therefore the ISVV provides a public service and this work, whether protected or not, is published and can be accessed by all”.
Jean-Philippe Roby also works closely with Inno'Vin [2], the Aquitaine wine making cluster. Inno'Vin's objective is to organise the involvement of businesses in innovative projects in collaboration with research and experiment centres. "Twice a year we organise innovation mornings together where ISVV researchers and members of the wine making industry can talk about specific questions. These discussions generate research subjects that become projects that can be labelled by Inno'Vin. This label is a guarantee for potential financial backers such as the Regional Council of Aquitaine, France AgriMer, and the CIVB.
When you look at what Jean-Philippe Roby does you understand why he is part of the LabEx COTE "Transfer" group straight away! "LabEx must be where communities who feel remote from one another can meet. On a subject like climate change, it's in our interest to pool our resources. Regarding transfer activities, it's by sharing our experiences that we can successfully mobilise businesses, the various users, and local communities". Jean-Philippe Roby believes that one of the very positive points about LabEx is that it brings together different communities on cross-disciplinary themes. He also hopes that the various LabEx COTE teams will work together to respond to COTE's recent call for "Transfer & Valorisation" projects. "Preliminary studies that could lead to larger-scale projects could be carried out within the framework of this call for projects. I hope it will boost innovative studies at the interface between ecosystems and answering social and economic questions"
[1] Now Bordeaux Agri Sciences
[2] Inno’Vin is a member of LabEx COTE's stakeholders committee