LVMH, the renowned luxury goods company, has received the green light to establish its new research center on the Saclay plateau in Essonne, near the renowned Polytechnique engineering school. Despite facing opposition from certain students and alumni, the Polytechnique board of directors has approved the sale of the land to LVMH. Known as LVMH Gaia, this ambitious project aims to bring together 300 researchers on a vast site spanning 22,500 square meters, with an investment exceeding 100 million euros.
The research center, focused on sustainable and digital luxury, is the brainchild of Bernard Arnault, the head of LVMH and a former student of Polytechnique himself. As part of the collaboration, the center plans to allocate a substantial budget of 2 million euros per year for the next five years in research partnerships with Polytechnique, also known as “X”.
The land in question is situated within the innovation park of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, which incorporates several schools, including Polytechnique. The chosen plot by LVMH is in close proximity to the engineering school, granting the latter a decisive say in the decision until 2025.
Since the project was announced, there has been opposition from students and alumni of Polytechnique. A collective called “Polytechnique is not for sale!” has fervently demanded that the LVMH center be constructed outside the campus and that the land be utilized for the benefit of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris as a whole.
Critics assert that the research center’s focus does not align with the school’s research themes and accuse LVMH of seeking preferential access to students while offering minimal benefits to Polytechnique. Some have gone as far as labeling the project as a “harmful” endeavor that prioritizes technical issues unrelated to the school’s research agenda.
Despite gaining approval from the board of directors, the collective remains steadfast in their opposition to the project, arguing that the majority of campus users are against it. However, there is no certainty that LVMH will ultimately acquire the land. A spokesperson for the collective stated that the director of strategy at LVMH has left room for doubt, hinting that alternative options are still being considered for the establishment of the research center.
This is not the first time a project near Polytechnique has encountered opposition. In January, the TotalEnergies group abandoned its plans for a research and development center near the school amidst protests from faculty and students.
The future of LVMH’s research center remains uncertain, but the surrounding controversy sheds light on the potential conflicts that arise when corporate interests intersect with academic institutions. Ultimately, the decisions made regarding the establishment of the center will have lasting implications for both LVMH and Polytechnique.
Useful links:
– LVMH Official Website
– Polytechnique Official Website
