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The official award ceremony will be held during the "Envol Recherche" event on 20 December 2006 at 4.15 pm in the Institut Pasteur conference centre 25, rue du Docteur Roux - 75015 Paris - France |
| Vincent Coronini Tel.: +33 1 39 63 57 29 |
Rose-Marie Cornus Tel.: +33 4 92 38 76 27 |
Jean-Daniel Boissonnat, born 1953, is a graduate from the Ecole Supérieure d'Electricité. Senior Research Scientist at INRIA, he is currently the Director of GEOMETRICA, the largest French computational geometry team, based at Sophia Antipolis.
He is one of the founders of this computer science discipline that processes the algorithmic properties of geometric objects. It deals with understanding how geometric shapes of any dimension can be represented in a computer, manipulated and used to conduct computations. Mr. Boissonnat has published numerous periodicals on the subject, most notably his widely-cited book "Algorithmic Geometry”. The principal applications in algorithmic geometry are scientific visualisation and image synthesis, computer-assisted design, “inverse engineering”, robotics, modelling natural objects – particularly in the fields of medicine, biology and geology – and, finally, mesh-based scientific computation.
On top of his theoretical work, Mr. Boissonnat is behind a very important decade-long collaborative initiative that brings together seven sites in Europe and Israel and has resulted in the Open Source library, CGAL, which offers certified algorithmic geometric programs. The library - unique anywhere in the world - is a vehicle for solid new developments, particularly in industry. The creation in 2003 of GeometryFactory by one of its former students bears witness to its success. Mr. Boissonnat is also co-author of three patents, one of which, in conjunction with Professor Alain Carpentier, Eve Coste-Manière, Louai Adhami and Gary Guthart, concerns algorithmic geometry applications in robotized surgery.
Nicholas Ayache, born 1958, is a graduate from the Ecole des Mines in St. Etienne, he completed his thèse d'Etat (doctorate) in Paris in 1988. Senior Research Scientist at INRIA, he is currently Director of the largest French team in the field of analysis and simulation of biological and medical images, based at Sophia Antipolis.
He is one of the greatest international specialists in the field of medical and robotic images. He introduced these disciplines at INRIA in 1989 by creating the Epidaure and Asclépios projects that have since become truly seminal laboratories on a global level. He has also helped forge the construction of this relatively new discipline in France and abroad. He is an excellent scientist whose work has had a major industrial impact, and for whom the training of young scientists and engineers is truly of paramount importance. His activities have massively influenced his scientific and technological field in which he is one of the leaders at an international level. He excels in research in the fields of technology transfers and development, and is a top-rate PhD supervisor and large-scale project manager. He has intimate knowledge of the research and industrial worlds in the field of medical images and robotics, where health problems and information and communication technologies merge, and new technological, scientific and social challenges ensue.
Nicholas Ayache has always conducted his research activities with a clear vision of their application and development in mind. This is best illustrated by his 9 patents - 6 of which have received industrial licences - and his active participation in the creation of several start-ups (he co-founded four of them). Nicholas Ayache directed 41 theses completed between 1992 and 2006 and he is currently directing or co-supervising 8 theses -massively contributing to the expansion of this new discipline.
The mission of the French National Institute for Research in Computer
Science and Control is to carry out research in Information and Communication
Sciences and Technologies (ICST). Through six research units located
in seven major regions*,
INRIA employs a workforce of 3,600 people, including 2,800 scientists
(from INRIA and associate organisations). INRIA’s annual budget
is €160 million (excluding VAT), 20% of which comes from its
own resources (contracts, licences). INRIA plays a decisive role
in five areas of research: communicative, cognitive, symbolic, numerical
and biological systems.
INRIA develops many partnerships with industry and fosters technology transfers
and business creation (80 enterprises) in the field of ICST, in particular through
its affiliate, INRIA-Transfert, who operates four seeding funds.
International partnerships involve receiving and recruiting foreign students,
as well as numerous exchanges among researchers. Priority is given to geographic
regions with high economic potential: the European Research Area, Asia and North
America, while maintaining basic activity with South America, Africa and the
Middle East.
* Aquitaine, Bretagne, Lorraine, Ile-de-France, Nord Pas
de Calais, Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur and Rhône-Alpes.
More information: http://www.inria.fr
