From Lille to Europe: Boosting Academic & Territorial Cooperation

On 10 February 2023, the Lille Metropole Council adopted a five-year framework convention with the University of Lille, structured around four key priorities:

Axis 1: A Metropole committed to student life and well-being

Axis 2: The University as a key player in the economic transformation of the Metropole

Axis 3: University research in synergy with the territory

Axis 4: Shared influence between the university and the Metropole

This agreement, backed by a €27 million investment over the current mandate, simplifies collaboration and ensures annual funding agreements for selected projects.

A structured partnership beyond financial support

Lille Metropole and the University of Lille aimed to establish a genuine partnership in which each stakeholder shares resources and opportunities for the benefit of shared interests. 

Laurence AGOURIDAS, Head of the partnership with the University at the Department of Attractiveness and Innovation, explains the importance of this agreement: 

“It provides a centralised entry point and enhanced visibility for the entire partnership with the University: enhancing the attractiveness and international influence of the University of Lille and attracting new international talents, support for student entrepreneurship, social and community grocery shops, research into excellence at the University of Lille, strengthening ties with local businesses, collective projects with University students to tackle public policy challenges, etc. There are many opportunities to work together. The framework of this partnership will enable us to fully leverage these opportunities and create new ones by improving mutual understanding between our two institutions.”

To enhance project monitoring and ensure proper follow-up, the agreement has introduced annual agreements since 2023. While large-scale projects continue to be monitored via separate agreements, smaller projects requiring less funding and lasting less than a year are integrated in the annual agreements. These projects involve several departments of the Metropole and cover a wide range of issues.

• 2023: 14 actions for €243,000 in support from Lille Metropole

• 2024: 22 actions for €304,000 in support from Lille Metropole

• 2025: 25 actions for €323,000 in support from Lille Metropole

These procedures deviate from traditional calls for projects, and encourage the joint development of actions between a department of the Metropole and a laboratory, training course or department of the University of Lille.

Simplifying administrative processes to foster cooperation

With 3,000 staff at Lille Metropole, as well as 8,000 staff and nearly 80,000 students at the University of Lille, dedicated intermediaries are essential to streamline requests and facilitate interactions. To this end, Lille Metropole dedicated an agent to this partnership: "ESR project manager, managing relations with the University of Lille”, occupied by Laurence AGOURIDAS. She is a point of contact for Lille Metropole’s staff and acts as a bridge with the university's designated liaison, Aïcha AARAB, head of territorial partnership projects.

Their role is to centralise information, map ongoing dynamics, and align needs with existing initiatives. This intermediary function is crucial in maximising synergies and avoiding redundant efforts.

The example of collective projects illustrates this role of intermediary and facilitator. 

One concrete example of this facilitation role is in the collective (or tutored) projects. These projects bring together a group of students, their professor, and a member of Lille Metropole’s staff as an advisor to work on a jointly identified challenge. However, previously, they were difficult to implement due to complex administrative procedures, particularly the drafting of student hosting agreements and limited knowledge of relevant academic programs.

To address this, Lille Metropole introduced a standardised student reception agreement, simplifying the process for departments. Now, when staff or faculty wish to launch a tutored project, they can directly consult the designated advisors.

Concrete actions within the four strategic priorities

Axis 1: A Metropole committed to student life and well-being

Lille Metropole allocates approximately €50,000 per year to support solidarity grocery stores, which offer discounted products to students facing financial difficulties.

The Metropole also supports the 2021-2027 CPER (State-Region Plan Contract) under the “support for student integration and campus renovation” initiative. This funding has enabled the renovation of the Pont-de-Bois AGORA campus library (€4M).

Axis 2: The University, a key player in the economic transformation of the Metropole

Lille Metropole contributes up to €1 million the GRAEL (Graduate Research And Education in Lille) program, which reinforces collaboration between research and local businesses companies. 

For four years, the call for projects “Les Pépites de la MEL” has supported student entrepreneurship. Lille Metropole and Pépite Lille Hauts-de-France (hosted by the University of Lille), in partnership with universities, offer selected projects exposure to both the general public and industry professionals, while also facilitating fundraising efforts. Lille Metropole, alongside its partners, helps winners prepare their fundraising campaigns through individual coaching and dedicated monitoring by metropolitan staff.

Axis 3: University research in synergy with the territory

Over the academic year 2024-2025, Lille Metropole has facilitated 7 collective projects with various university programs. These projects offer students the opportunity to conduct hands-on research on real-world issues while also connecting them with the professional sphere. For Lille Metropole, these collaborations generate valuable insights, pave the way for further joint initiatives, and help identify students for internships, apprenticeships, or thesis work.

Axis 4: Shared influence between the university and the Metropole

Through its €600,000 contribution to the WILL (Welcoming Internationals to Lille) project, Lille Metropole supports the set-up of:

• a welcoming and support desk for foreign students and researchers as part of their studies or research work carried out in Lille ; 

• international chairs that bring together a university laboratory and a globally recognized researcher in the field, in order to strengthen the university's expertise in the strategic area concerned. 

In February 2025, Lille Metropole’s EU Office and the Hauts-de-France Mission to the EU hosted a delegation from the University of Lille to explore prospective of cooperation. During this one-day workshop, stakeholders from each institution shared their needs, resources and ideas for potential joint projects. 

This structured collaboration between Lille Metropole and the University of Lille represents a new model of cooperation, fostering innovation, accessibility, and economic transformation. By facilitating direct partnerships, streamlining administrative hurdles, and aligning research with territorial needs, Lille Metropole and the University of Lille are laying the foundation for a more integrated academic and economic ecosystem.