TeraLab IMT

IMT (Institut Mines-Télécom) is one of the most prestigious higher education and research institutions in France, focusing on science, engineering, and digital technologies. Data science and AI are among the IMT strategic priorities. TeraLab, a subsidiary of IMT, is a big data and AI platform for innovation, research, and education. TeraLab mission is to accelerate data-driven innovation by providing data infrastructure, architecture, tools, technical coaching, and an ecosystem of talent, research, and training. TeraLab has been operational since 2014 and has conducted over 70 projects in a variety of fields, focusing on cybersecurity, industry, and healthcare.

TeraLab is active on regional and national levels. Regionally, in Greater Paris region, TeraLab is a partner of a regional initiative PACK IA, and has strong relations with regional clusters (Cap Digital, Systematic, Medicen), which play an important role in ecosystem building and in access to startups and SMEs. Thanks to broad regional coverage of IMT schools, TeraLab has been involved in projects in other regions, such as Brittany (cybersecurity) and Northern France (industry), among others. Nationally, TeraLab has contributed to the national AI initiative and has close links with the Hub France IA.

TeraLab has developed a rich ecosystem, comprising various actors of data economy in France and Europe, digital innovation hubs, and innovative companies in data and AI. TeraLab IMT is a member of AI DIH Network, the French Hub of IDSA, holds a BDVA I-Space Gold label, and is a founding member of GAIA-X.

TeraLab expertise lies in data sharing and AI tools via its own data infrastructure, and technology transfer via IMT research laboratories. TeraLab key technology offering is secure data processing and sharing infrastructure. This infrastructure comprises technical, legal, and human elements, can be installed with different levels of security, depending on the project needs, and is well suited for sensitive data such as healthcare data. Technological factor includes types of infrastructure, user access control, data encryption and anonymization methods, cybersecurity, and technical support. Legal factor includes legal framework adapted for each project. Human factor includes procedures to access and manipulate data before, during, and after the project for data sponsors, owners, and data scientists. In practical terms, the service entails setting up highly customized virtual machines (CPU, RAM, storage..), installing necessary software and tools, and providing such services as access control, monitoring, data storage and backup, and account management. These virtual machines, or workspaces, can have three level of autonomy (administrated, autonomous, and turnkey), depending on the project needs, the client’s level of expertise, and the type of data (e.g. sensitive or confidential). Other services provided are technology services (technical coaching, support to R&D projects, POCs, testing and validation); business (identification of opportunities, digital maturity assessment); ecosystem building (community building, strategy development, ecosystem management); and access to skills and training, via IMT research and training efforts, such as MOOCs, summer and winter schools, and the Franco-German Academy for the Industry of the Future.