Jean-Pierre Verjus, Officer of the Legion of Honour: a life dedicated to digital technology and regional development

On 26 June, the Inria Centre at the University of Grenoble Alpes hosted a rather special ceremony: the presentation of the insignia of Officer of the Legion of Honour to Jean-Pierre Verjus, attended by numerous figures from the worlds of science, politics and business, as well as his colleagues, friends and family. It was an emotional moment for a man who, over more than fifty years of dedication, has left his mark on an entire generation of digital researchers and entrepreneurs.

A son of Thônes who went on to shape the world of research

Born in Thônes 83 years ago, Jean-Pierre Verjus left his native Savoie as a teenager to embark on a long course of study that took him to the four corners of the French-speaking scientific world: as a researcher in Grenoble, then as a university professor in Montreal, Grenoble, Rennes, at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne and at Ensimag. An international academic career, yet one that always remained true to his roots: he was never far from Thônes for long, and has in fact recently returned to settle there with his wife.

It was, however, in Grenoble and Rennes that he left his most lasting mark: there he founded and headed the Inria research centres, before becoming the institute’s deputy director-general. His work, focused on parallel and distributed computing systems and networks, has made him one of the discreet yet essential architects of the rise of French computing.

A visionary who has forged links between research and industry

What everyone admires about Jean-Pierre Verjus, beyond his scientific excellence, is his rare ability to foster dialogue between the academic and business worlds. Even after leaving the civil service, he never stopped serving the innovation ecosystem in Grenoble and, more broadly, that of the Alpine region, notably through his work advising and supporting businesses. Over ten years ago, he founded French Tech Alpes, of which he remains honorary president to this day.

A family, a legacy

Jean-Pierre reserved the end of his speech for his family, summarising in a few words the guiding principles of a lifetime devoted to research and responsible innovation: faced with the challenges of digital technology and artificial intelligence, he called for a balance between innovation, energy efficiency, sovereignty and ethics. He also had a word to say about AI, which must remain a tool in the service of knowledge and critical thinking, training its users in responsible and informed use.

© Inria / Photo B. Fourrier

The presentation of the insignia of Officer of the Legion of Honour to Jean-Pierre Verjus by Michel Cosnard (former CEO of Inria), in the presence of numerous prominent figures from the worlds of science, politics and business.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)