November 25, 2022

Excellence is IVADO’s trademark! This is especially true of the Institute’s team, whose many talents and achievements speak for themselves. In this regard, its CEO, Luc Vinet, stands out.

During the 78th Gala de l’Acfas on November 24, 2022, Mr. Vinet was awarded the prestigious Urgel-Archambault Prize. Sponsored by the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie du Québec, this distinction recognizes an outstanding research career in the physical sciences, mathematics, computer science or engineering.

“I am extremely grateful for this special recognition of my work. I have been very fortunate to receive a lot of encouragement throughout my life from my parents, my wife, my children, as well as my teachers, colleagues, and friends. It is so precious. This award adds to that good fortune and further supports my passion for discovery. I warmly thank the Université de Montréal for nominating me and all of those who contributed to my receiving this prize that so many others also deserve.” – Luc Vinet, CEO of IVADO

A world-leading expert in mathematics and theoretical physics, Dr. Vinet is renowned for his study of a universal phenomenon: symmetries. This broad expertise has allowed him to make pioneering contributions in a large number of fields, from geometry and algebraic combinatorics to quantum information and signal processing.

In addition to his many scientific accomplishments, Dr. Vinet stands out for his remarkable capacity to create synergies. He is indeed well known for having brought together usually disjointed disciplines, thereby giving them novel and decisive impulses.

Dr. Vinet has also put his talents as a bridge builder at the service of university administration. A visionary and seasoned strategist, he served as Provost of McGill University from 1999 to 2005, before becoming Rector of the Université de Montréal from 2005 to 2010.

It is not surprising, then, that Dr. Vinet agreed to take the helm of IVADO, which shares his unifying spirit. Since its foundation, the Institute has organized an impressive research, transfer, and training community centred on digital innovation. This has enabled IVADO to catalyze an unprecedented and fruitful union between machine learning, operations research, and data science, and thus to shape artificial intelligence (AI) as we know it today.

The Urgel-Archambault Prize, then, only confirms what IVADO and its community already knew: with Luc Vinet at its head, the Institute is promised renewed scientific leadership and a future filled with even more trailblazing advances. This future is already being built from a very solid foundation.

In fact, Dr. Vinet is one of the architects of IVADO’s newest scientific endeavour: robust, reasoning, and responsible AI (R3AI). Because of its transformative potential, this project will require the involvement of a diversity of people, from scientists to entrepreneurs, and a wide range of disciplines, from neuroscience to the humanities and social sciences.

As a proven leader, there is no doubt that Luc Vinet will guide this new venture to success.

Université de Montréal publication

Les symétries sont des forces fondamentales