Research and industry work hand in hand in Northern France.

82 industrial research units, 34 institutions of higher education and research.

Leading research organizations present in Northern France include CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) with teams in many different fields of science; INRA (Institut National de Recherche Agronomique) specialized in agronomy; IFREMER (Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer) specialized in applied marine sciences; and the Pasteur Institute in Lille.

6,500 researchers and teacher/researchers.
Over 300 public and para-public laboratories include those of CNRS, the national research organization, BGGM in mining and geology, and INRETS in transport and safety.
Over 60 specialized technical centers including: ADRIANOR in agrifood, CREPIM in fireproofing of materials, CRITT M2A in automobile engines and acoustics, C3 for automotive design and safety, and IEMN in electronics, microelectronics and nanotechnology.
85 private industrial research centers.
34 higher education institutions.