The spirit of the Pierre Laffitte Prize
A unique prize that rewards the promise of scientific excellence
Created nine years ago in direct consultation with Pierre Laffitte himself, this prize has a singular ambition: to reward not the completion of a research project, but the momentum and creativity of the thesis environment.
Each year, the Prize recognizes second-year doctoral students from the Sophia Antipolis ecosystem—Mines Paris–PSL, Université Côte d’Azur, INRIA, CNRS, LJAD, INPHYNI, GeoAzur, IPMC, Observatoire de Nice, and their partners—to encourage them to continue their work at the highest level.
During their third year, the winners become ambassadors for the Prize and its motto, inspired by Pierre Laffitte’s vision:
Uniting science, industry, and society for collective progress.
A day dedicated to research and dialogue
After the official opening by Annette Massias, delegate of the Pierre Laffitte campus, the ceremony brought together institutional representatives and long-standing supporters of the Prize:
- Jean Leonetti (President of CASA, Mayor of Antibes-Juan-les-Pins),
- Jeanick Brisswalter (President of the Université Côte d’Azur),
- Jean-Pierre Mascarelli (President of the Sophia Antipolis Foundation and SYMISA),
- Vanessa Lellouche, (Departmental Councilor),
- Marc Mortureux, Vice-President of the General Council for the Economy,
- as well as Godefroy Beauvallet (Director General of Mines Paris – PSL) and Elie Hachem (Director of CEMEF), founder and coordinator of the Prize.
The morning and afternoon were devoted to oral presentations by the 12 candidates, selected on the basis of their applications from among the most promising doctoral students in the region.
Discussions with the jury, composed of researchers and representatives from industry, highlighted the remarkable diversity and quality of the research carried out at Sophia Antipolis, from frugal artificial intelligence to medical modeling, from computational physics to biosciences.
The winners of the 2025 edition
After deliberation, the jury selected three winners:
- 1st Prize – Vincent Lannelongue, CEMEF MINES Paris – PSL: “High-fidelity simulation and graph neural network for real-time decision-making in the personalized treatment of intracranial aneurysms
- Prize: €1,500 and the Pierre Laffitte medal
- 2nd Prize – Rafael Silva, INRIA -UniCa: “Frugal AI for automated cardiac defibrillation in real time and with limited resources”
- 3rd Prize – Amar Meddahi, OIE MINES Paris PSL: “Data and image fusion for solar forecasting applications”
The Pierre Laffitte medal was presented in the presence of Mr. Marc Mortureux, Vice-President of the General Council for the Economy, and Mr. Philippe Laval, Head of Mission for the supervision of schools within the same council.
Congratulations to all the doctoral students who were finalists for the 2025 Pierre Laffitte Prize for the quality, diversity, and innovation of their work!
A dynamic that unites research and territory
Beyond the distinctions, over the years the Pierre Laffitte Prize has become a symbol of the lasting link between Mines Paris – PSL and the Université Côte d’Azur, uniting two IDEX (Initiatives of Excellence) around the same ambition: to train and support a new generation of researchers committed to responsible innovation.
The Prize is supported by the Fondation Mines Paris and the Fondation Sophia Antipolis, with the loyal support of CASA, Mr. Jean Leonetti and Mr. Alexandre Follot, the management of Mines Paris – PSL, and the EDSFA and STIC doctoral schools.
It embodies Pierre Laffitte’s humanistic and scientific vision: that of research serving industry, society, and the environment.
A 2025 edition marked by continuity and scientific passion
This ninth edition confirms the vitality of the research carried out on the Pierre Laffitte campus and throughout the Sophia Antipolis ecosystem.
It pays tribute to Pierre Laffitte, a pioneer and builder whose vision continues to inspire researchers, teachers, and students at Mines Paris – PSL.
