UniLaSalle and the Advitam Group have signed a three-year partnership agreement, strengthening their ties in the areas of education, work-study programs, and innovation to support agriculture in the Hauts-de-France region.
The UniLaSalle Polytechnic Institute and the Advitam Group share much more than just geographical proximity. As two major players in the agricultural sector in the Hauts-de-France region, they share a common conviction: educating future generations is essential to building a sustainable and high-performing agricultural sector. It is in this spirit that Philippe Choquet, Executive Director of UniLaSalle, and Armel Lesaffre, President of the Advitam Group, signed a three-year partnership agreement formalizing and structuring a multifaceted collaboration.
A key player in regional agriculture, the Advitam Group is a cooperative group rooted in the Hauts-de-France region, originating from the historic Unéal cooperative. With 12,000 farmers (including 6,000 members of the Unéal cooperative) and 2,400 employees, it covers the entire agricultural value chain, from raw material production to the distribution of finished products. Its activities are organized around two main areas: agriculture, encompassing the collection, storage, and marketing of grains, agronomic consulting, and agricultural machinery; and distribution, through the Gamm vert and Jardiland retail chains.
Work-Study Programs and Recruitment at the Heart of the Initiative
Work-study programs form the cornerstone of this agreement. The two institutions have agreed on a joint recruitment and sourcing initiative focused on two flagship programs: the Bachelor’s in Sustainable Agribusiness and the Bachelor’s in Agritec Embedded Systems for Agronomy. Specifically, five work-study students in Sustainable Agribusiness and three in Agritec will join the group’s sites each year, with these numbers expected to grow as the companies within Advitam expand.
Beyond these figures, the agreement includes a series of concrete initiatives to bring students and the company closer together: recruitment days at Advitam sites, participation in UniLaSalle’s AgoraJob forum, work-study and employment job fairs, “Live My Life” field days, and employee testimonials in lecture halls. The group also plans to offer at least one research project each year to 4th- and 5th-year engineering students, creating direct links between academic research and real-world operational challenges.
Continuing Education: A Path to Skill Development
Beyond initial training, the partnership opens up concrete opportunities for Advitam employees. UniLaSalle will present its new continuing education programs tailored to the group’s business areas. The two partners also aim to jointly develop customized programs—short or long-term, potentially leading to degrees or certifications—designed to support teams in building their skills as they face the challenges of the agricultural transition.
This partnership with the Advitam Group is fully in line with our mission: to train professionals capable of addressing the real-world challenges of tomorrow’s agriculture. By forging this close relationship with a major cooperative player in the Hauts-de-France region, we offer our students hands-on experience in the field, and together we help build the skills the sector needs.
Philippe Choquet, Executive Director of UniLaSalle
Shared Ambitions in Research and Innovation
The partnership also paves the way for collaborations in the field of research. The Advitam Group is exploring a partnership with UniLaSalle’s Research & Innovation teams, particularly regarding the creation of or participation in a Chair. This initiative aligns with the group’s strategic vision, which launched its “Impact 2030” CSR roadmap with the goal of engaging 1,000 farmers in regenerative agriculture by 2030.
UniLaSalle, whose programs in agronomy and agro-industries are nationally recognized, is a natural partner to support this profound transformation. A sponsorship initiative for these fields is also under consideration and will be the subject of a dedicated addendum once the project is formalized.
Our partnership with UniLaSalle reflects a shared ambition: to strengthen the ties between agricultural higher education and agricultural cooperatives.
First and foremost, it opens up new opportunities in research and innovation—essential drivers for supporting the major transitions currently taking place in agriculture.
For we have a collective responsibility: to enable young people to gain training within organizations like ours, where they can discover the richness of the cooperative model and the diversity of career paths it offers.
Armel Lesaffre, President of the Unéal cooperative and the Advitam group
A Long-Term Partnership
This agreement marks a significant step forward in strengthening ties between the academic community and the cooperative agricultural sector in the Hauts-de-France region. An annual monitoring committee comprising representatives from both parties will oversee the progress of the initiatives undertaken and the evolution of the partnership, thereby ensuring its long-term sustainability and its ability to adapt to on-the-ground needs.
Much more than an institutional agreement, this partnership embodies a shared vision: that of a region committed to training and innovation to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s agriculture. For both UniLaSalle and the Advitam Group, this represents a concrete investment in the talent and skills that will shape regional and national agriculture in the coming decades.
