User:Charlène32/Institute of Research and Technology b-com

The IRT b<>com is one of eight Institutes of Technological Research endorsed by the French government in 2012. Its mission is to accelerate the development and commercial release of tools, products, and services that make everyday life easier, through research and innovation in digital technologies. b<>com is chaired by Vincent Marcatté, who is also President of the Images & Réseaux business cluster and Vice President of Open Innovation at Orange Labs. The main campus is based in Rennes, in the Via Silva neighborhood of Cesson-Sévigné. Secondary sites are located in Brest, Lannion, and since September 2016, Paris. b<>com is a member of the French Institutes of Technology (FIT) which encompasses the eight French IRT.

Dates and figures
b<>com was created in May 2012. Certified by the Images & Réseaux business cluster, it reached an agreement with the Agence Nationale de Recherche, signed in October 2012. It has a 7-year budget of €160 million drawn from the French government’s Investissements d’Avenir investment fund. The IRT b<>com has 300 employees.

Reasearch subjects
b<>com’s mission is to innovate in the fields of hypermedia (Ultra High Definition images, 3D, smart content, virtual reality, augmented reality, etc.), ultra-high-speed networks, and e-health. It draws on the expertise of 9 laboratories: Network architecture, network interfaces, new media formats, immersive interactions, augmented medicine, connected medicine, cloud computing, practices & acceptability, and digital trust & identity.

Members
b<>com includes 31 academic and private-sector members who fund the institute of technological research with support from the French government: Acetiam, Artefacto, Aspic Technologies, Aviwest, BBright, Biotrial, CentraleSupélec, CHU de Rennes, CHRU de Brest, Ekinops, Enensys, ENIB, ENSTA Rennes, EXFO, Harmonic Inc., Human Design Group, Imascap, INRIA, INSA Rennes, INSERM, IMT Atlantique, Kerlink, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Nokia, Oceanopolis, Orange, Rennes School of Business, Secure-IC, TDF, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, and Université de Rennes 1.

Award
On April 26, 2017, b<>com received the Technology Innovation Award at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, given to the best technical contributions to the world of broadcasting.

Spin-off
In June, 2018, Green Hill Studio, the first spin-off from a b<>com R&D project, was launched. It’s dedicated to the development of virtual reality experiences.