INédit : Under what circumstances was IRIA created?
Michel Laudet : In 1966, Robert Galley was in charge of computer science for the Prime Minister. I was chosen to launch IRIA. I began by hiring researchers that I knew: J. L. Lions for the mathematics department, J. Donio for the applied computer department, M. Schutzenberger for the theoretical computer science, H. Boucher for the computer equipment and P. Faurre for the automatic control department. A. Lichnerowicz was chosen as president of the Scientific Council. We had two orientations: research and training. The latter was a good means of bringing in money which was cruelly lacking.
INédit : Was IRIA seen as a mean of setting up a French computer industry?
M. L. : Well, that was the idea of the bureaucrats! They wanted us to design an enormous computer for national defence. We were not even able to make a small computer... We came up with the Miria all the same. I wanted it to be called 'ordinatique' to avoid the mistakes in understanding people were making between the machine and the science itself. As if the pilot of an F1 was building his own car! We had barely brought out the Miria when IBM and the like were already offering much better machines. Nevertheless, I have very good memories of the period I spent at IRIA.
