A Prestigious Showcase for a Collective Ambition
On November 15–16, 2025, the ECOTRAIN rail shuttle was on display in front of the Élysée Palace as part of the Grande Exposition du Fabriqué en France, an annual event that celebrates the excellence of French industrial know-how. This year, 123 emblematic projects were highlighted—including this lightweight mobility solution designed to revive local railway lines currently underused.
This recognition is a great source of pride for all project partners, and in particular for IMT, which is deeply engaged in innovation that serves local communities.
ECOTRAIN: A Project Driving the Mobility Transition
Developed as a tangible response to the challenge of transport in rural areas, ECOTRAIN is an autonomous, lightweight, electric, and modular shuttle. This demonstrator represents a new model of transport : connected, efficient, and accessible.
Ce projet est l’un des lauréats de l’appel à manifestation d’intérêt « digitalisation et décarbonation du transport ferroviaire », lancé en 2022 dans le cadre de France 2030 et opéré par l’ADEME. Il a été imaginé par Philippe Bourguignon, spécialiste des mobilités durables, et co-développé avec un consortium d’industriels – Groupe Stratiforme-Compreforme -Technoforme, Socofer France, CLEARSY, Syntony GNSS – et de deux écoles de l’Institut Mines-Télécom : IMT Mines Albi et IMT Nord Europe.
The project was one of the winners of the 2022 call for expressions of interest on “Digitalization and Decarbonization of Rail Transport,” launched under the France 2030 initiative and coordinated by ADEME. It was conceptualized by Philippe Bourguignon, a specialist in sustainable mobility, and co-developed with an industrial consortium—Groupe Stratiforme-Compreforme-Technoforme, Socofer France, CLEARSY, Syntony GNSS—and two of IMT’s Technological Universities : IMT Mines Albi and IMT Nord Europe.
A Model Partnership Between Research and Industry
ECOTRAIN is a powerful example of synergy between industrial innovation and academic excellence, powered by two IMT Technological Universities :
- IMT Nord Europe, where Didier Juge-Hubert led work on embedded 5G communications, autonomous driving, and safety systems
- IMT Mines Albi, where Eva Petitdemange developed decision-support tools to assess the shuttle’s regional deployment potential.
This collaboration illustrates IMT’s core mission: to mobilize the strength of its universities to tackle the major challenges of industrial, energy, and ecological transitions, in close alignment with the needs of businesses and local communities.
A Concrete Demonstration of Our Purpose
Through ECOTRAIN, IMT once again demonstrates its commitment to shaping a sustainable future—by training the engineers and decision-makers of tomorrow and actively engaging in high-impact, real-world projects.
A heartfelt congratulations to all the teams involved in this landmark initiative for the mobility solutions of the future.
