CIMO - Interdisciplinary center Seas and Ocean

An academic and resaerch interdisciplinary center dedicated to collaborative research projects in marine science and engineering.

Presentation

France holds a leading international position in economic, industrial and scientific fields related to the sea. Bringing together interdisciplinary research teams from IP Paris and Ifremer. CIMO is fully aligned with French initiatives to reduce the ecological footprint or maritime activities and strenghten environmental monitoring of marine environments.

The merger of ENSTA in 2025 within IP Paris, with two campus in Palaiseau and Brest offers a new dynamic in research, training and innovation to meet the major issues facing the maritime sector.

Our Missions

The ambition of Seas and Ocean Center is to contribute the major challenges of our time in connection with the ecological transition and the preservation of the ocean, around four pillars:

To promote IP Paris's cutting-edge scientific research through maritime applications
To conduct interdisciplinary research to address major scientific and societal challenges related to the seas and oceans.
To expand IP Paris's teaching programs in the maritime field (Master and PhD Track)
To increase partnerships with major maritime research institutes
To seek fundings from private companies or public agencies to develop research projects

Research

Their interdisciplinary work covers three areas:

Marine engineering for sustainable ships

Ocean observing for society

Ressource management, coastal development and the environment

Researchers work on marine renewable energy, coastal and port development, and environmental processes.

This research area explores the challenges associated with the development of offshore wind energy as a major driver of the energy transition. It aims to analyse the technical, environmental, economic, social and institutional conditions surrounding the emergence of this sector, while considering the interactions between offshore infrastructure, marine ecosystems and territorial dynamics.

Research focuses in particular on the design and optimisation of offshore energy systems, the understanding and preservation of marine environments, climate change adaptation, and new governance models related to the shared use of ocean spaces.

Through its interdisciplinary approach, this research area aims to produce knowledge and decision-support tools that can help reconcile the development of renewable energy, ecosystem protection and social cohesion. It also provides a space for training and innovation, supporting public authorities, industry and citizens in addressing the profound transformations taking place in maritime energy systems.

Education

One of the missions of the CIMO is to train students, drawing on the expertise and complementary strengths of IP Paris’ leading engineering schools.
The CIMO also supports the mentoring of young scientists at doctoral and postdoctoral levels.

Generalist and specialised engineering programmes at the schools

Maritime genius (ENSTA, campus of Palaiseau)
Hydrography and Oceanography (ENSTA, campus of Brest)
Marine Renewable energies (ENSTA, sur le campus de Brest)
City Environment & Transport (ENPC, campus de Champs-sur-Marne)
Advanced Modeling of Materials and Structures (ENSTA, campus of Brest)
Robotics & Autonomous Systems (ENSTA, campus of Brest and Paris-Saclay)
Specialised Masters Programme in Maritime Engineering (ENSTA, campus of Palaiseau)
Specialized Naval Architecture (campus of Brest)
Specialized Embedded systems (campus of Brest, with École Navale and IMT Atlantique)

National Masters diplomas

Master Year 1 OFFWIND - Offshore Wind Energy
Master Year 2 Water, Air Pollution and Energies
Master Year 2 in Marine and Coastal Sciences, Physics (jointly accredited by the University of Western Brittany (UBO) and ENSTA, Brest campus)
- Parcours Physique de l'Océan et du Climat (sur le campus de Brest)
- Parcours Géophysique marine (sur le campus de Brest)
- Parcours Sciences des données océanographiques (sur le campus de Brest)
- Parcours Hydrodynamique navale (sur le campus de Brest)
Master TET - Energentic Transition and Territories (ENPC, campus de Champs-sur-Marne)
Master SAGE - Aquatic Systems and Water Management (ENPC, campus de Champs-sur-Marne)

Other EQF Level 7 diplomas

Events

18^th-29^th November 2026	CIMO Days, Coastal Engineering and Environment
13^thJanuary 2026	The IP Paris Seas and Ocean Forum at ENSTA in Palaiseau
13^th June	10000 Ships for the Ocean
09^th-13^thJune (Nice)	Third United Nations Ocean Conference Nice
04^th-06^th June (Nice)	"Once Ocean Science Congess" organized by Ifremer
29^th January 2025	Inauguration of the CIMO- Interdisciplinary center seas and ocean