A3TS day on the North and East France regional sections

21/09/2021 - Nogent - in person and by videoconference

Present:

Joachim Teixera
Frederic Sanchette
Benoit Lefever
Christian Jupin
Eric Mathieu
Mohammed ElGanna
JM Popeau
Alain Cagneux
Julien Bouard
Pascal Lamesle
Anne Mouftiez
Delphine Descorne
Arnaud Tricoteaux
JY Hihn
Veronique Vitry
Frederic Meunier

The meeting starts with a quick presentation of the Nogent site which welcomes us. The infrastructures are modern, lively and host dynamic teams.
The technical, industrial and scientific equipment is of a very high standard.
In the morning, a fascinating visit of the Forges de Courcelles shows the passion of the locals and the strong links with the Nogent platform.
Frédéric and Sandrine are our hosts. Thanks again to them.
A round table discussion allowed to draw up the situation on the activity of the 3 sections concerned

For the France North Belgium region:

The vitality is good. Two technical days are organized per year. There is a good ratio active/retired among the members.
Number of members : 84

For the East Alsace region :

The vitality remains good despite a certain loss of steam. We have gone from a rhythm of 2 days per year to only one day.
It is difficult to find motivated and available people: meetings have to be held on Saturday morning.
Few or no retired people are involved.
Number of members: 129

For the North East region :

There has been no activity for several years.
Number of members : 31 

It is discussed what the role of the regions should be: 

• It is clear that this mission should not be too ambitious so as not to tire the teams in place and to allow the involvement of new recruits without fear of too great a commitment. 

• It is agreed that the role of a region may be limited to the following actions:

  • To have as a federating trajectory the organization of a specific local technical day once a year

  • To know the local A3TS active fabric and to make live the network by "meal meetings

  • Involvement in local support on a voluntary basis in the organization of the congress if it takes place in the region; Frederic Meunier specifies that the majority of the organization remains the responsibility of A3TS Paris 

Regional Offices :

• Frédéric Meunier presents the structure of the Regional Chapters and all its advantages:

  • The local group (2 to 4 people) gets involved at its own pace and according to its means in a very local fieldwork

  • The administrative management (accounting, invoice payments) is done in Paris; Paris helps for the local days (posters, mailing, etc...)

    • This accounting simplification could be extended to the regional sections that wish to do so, notes Pascal Lamesle

  • The Nogent premises are thinking about a possible "Nogent branch".

 Optimization of the current breakdown:

• The current division is no longer relevant because it reflected the industrial fabric and local influences of the past.

• It is not easy to define a new map for 2021, however, the following "construction rules" are put forward:

  • Prio 1: the division must reflect the industrial themes

  • Priority 2: based on short accesses by TGV or freeway, avoid as much as possible travel times of more than 3 hours

  • Prio 3: take into account the local university fabric active in A3TS (research and/or teaching in relation to the attractiveness of young people)

• To show on the new map of the regions the active local epicenters which could be organized as A3TS branches:

  • Nogent, Charleville, Limoges, .....

  • These epicenters being alive and sometimes fragile, nothing forbids us to update them on the map every year in the directory with the message to our members will be "around an epicenter, you have active A3TS contacts".

Limb erosion in low activity areas:

• Joaquim proposes that A3TS Paris try to organize a day in these less active regions

To do:

• Fredo will write an article in A3TS contact and will also thank the Forges de Courcelles for their hospitality

• Véronique will be able to present to the congress the working axes for this new map and the associated "construction rules".

• A3TS Paris will build a proposal for a Q1 2022 map and it will first be submitted to the regional presidents.