CEA Paris-Saclay
East entrance of Saclay site of CEA Paris-Saclay center
Formation	March 1, 1946 (1946-03-01)
Location	France
Board of directors	Christian Bailly, director (2021–present)
Parent organization	French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)
Website	www.cea.fr/paris-saclay
Formerly called	CEA Saclay center (+ separate sites)

The CEA Paris-Saclay center is one of nine centers belonging to the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). Following a reorganization in 2017, the center consists of multiple sites, including the CEA Saclay site (formerly a "center"), the Fontenay-aux-Roses site and multiple sites in Paris, Évry, Orsay and Caen.^[1]

Historically, as the main Saclay site was the heart of French nuclear research it was called Saclay Nuclear Research Center prior to the shift towards other fields of research and innovation beyond nuclear.^[2][3]

The center has close ties with the Paris-Saclay University, being located on the Saclay plateau and active in the Paris-Saclay project for innovation.

Organization

Saclay

Paris

Fontenay

Évry

Orsay

5 of the 6 sites of CEA Paris-Saclay, in the Île-de-France region of France

Since February 2017, various sites were grouped together to CEA Paris-Saclay, including^[4][1]

• Saclay site
• Fontenay-aux-Roses site
• Paris site
• Évry site (Genoscope)
• Orsay site (Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, SHFJ)^[5]
• Caen site (GANIL and CIMAP)^[6]

History

On 10 October 1945, de Gaulle launched the CEA. The first site to be realized was Fontenay-aux-Roses in 1946. In 1952 the Saclay site was realized. Saclay was much bigger and was chosen in part to be close to the Université Paris-Sud (which today is part of Paris-Saclay University).^[7]

The Saclay site was designed by the architect Auguste Perret.^[8]

Research

The complex employs more than 7,500 scientists.^[7] Multiple domains of research in energy and other fields are represented at the various CEA Paris-Saclay laboratories. These include^[9]

• Low-carbon energies
• Climate and environment
• Matter and universe
• Health and life sciences
• Technology for industry

Notable subsidiaries

• National Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology (INSTN), which is dedicated to the academic and professional training in the field of atomic energy.
• Saclay Institute of Matter and Radiation (IRAMIS), houses the Lasers, Interactions and Dynamics Laboratory (LIDyL) research unit (French UMR). Anne L'Huillier and Pierre Agostini both attained breakthroughs in attosecond lasers at LIDyL which led to their prize share of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics, along with Ferenc Krausz.
• NeuroSpin is a neuroimaging research center with some of the most powerful MRI machines in the world

Director of the site

• Christian Bailly (2021–present)^[10]
• Michel Bédoucha (2016–2021)^[11][12]
• Jacques Vayron (2012–2016)^[13]
• Yves Caristan (2005–2012)
• Jean-Pierre Pervès (2000–2005)
• Eliane Loquet (1993–2000)
• Jean Bazin (1990–1993)
• Paul Delpeyroux (–1990)
• ...
• Jean Debiesse (1954–1970)
• Jules Guéron (1951)

People

• Jules Gueron, first director of the CEA's nuclear research center
• Jean-Baptiste Waldner, alumnus
• Étienne Klein, physicist, philosopher of science, author, and radio host
• Anne L'Huillier, ultra-fast laser physics, 2023 Nobel laureate in physics
• Pierre Agostini, pioneer of strong-field laser physics, 2023 Nobel laureate in physics

References

External links

• Official website of Saclay in English