UTBM trains engineers who are quickly ready for the workforce and particularly adaptable to technological advancements and societal changes. Its programs are grounded in research and commercialization.
Faced with the urgent challenges posed by climate change, ecosystem degradation, and the depletion of natural resources, it is imperative to bring about profound and rapid transitions by implementing innovative and sustainable solutions. These transitions are not merely options, but essential requirements for ensuring a viable future for future generations.
Technology must therefore play a key role—not as a miracle solution, but as a strategic tool for making concrete progress toward sustainable development. The University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard (UTBM) is deeply aware of the significant responsibility it bears as an institution of higher education and research.
In a global context marked by unprecedented environmental, social, and economic challenges, we play a crucial role in developing the skills of tomorrow, producing cutting-edge research, and setting an institutional example.
These 17 goals established by the UN aim to ensure basic social rights, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030.
Recognizingits rolein society, the UniversityfocusesoneightfundamentalSDGsthatparticularlyreflectits humanistic values and its scientific andtechnicalexpertise.
We prepare our students to tackle the environmental, social, and economic challenges of tomorrow…
Adapt the curriculum
A common core curriculum offered to all our students:
Since the start of the 2023 school year, all of our Core Curriculum students (1st cycle) have been acquiring a common foundation of knowledge and skills regarding the challenges of ecological transition for sustainable development. Four themes are addressed through a systemic approach—both technical and humanistic—which is essential for raising awareness of the nature of these challenges:
Starting in the 2024 academic year, this common foundation will take the form of a dedicated course unit, consisting of 30 hours of instruction and awarding 3 ECTS credits.
Raising Awareness in Everyday Life
Systematic awareness-raising initiatives for students and staff
Several workshops on climate change and the environmental impact of energy were held:
Various conferences addressing socio-environmental issues were organized. Among them were:
In addition, the UT Group (comprising UTBM, UTT, and UTC) has committed to organizing an annual residential training program on “Sustainable Engineering” for its staff, focusing on the question: “What technological approaches should the UTs adopt to build a sustainable society?”
Seminars:
We support committed and sustainable research
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We are taking action to protect the environment
Environmental Management
Since 2015, the institution has formalized its environmental management system to reduce its environmental impacts, particularly to lower its energy consumption. This commitment applies to all of the University’s campuses, regardless of the activities carried out there. It is symbolized by ISO 14001 certification. It is important to emphasize that this initiative is made possible by the involvement of the entire university community, and more specifically through the network of prevention coordinators who act as liaisons within the FISE and FISA units, laboratories, and administrative departments. Several campaigns have been conducted to raise awareness and encourage the community to change its practices regarding these issues. This has notably led to a 60% reduction in paper consumption over the past decade.
Building Renovation
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Biodiversity on Campuses
UTBM aims to adopt a more sustainable approach to managing its green spaces. Since 2022, the Sevenans site has been partially managed using eco-grazing. When carried out properly, this management practice is considered environmentally friendly. It offers numerous benefits:
In everyday life
Transportation
The three UTBM campuses are easily accessible by non-motorized transportation.
Bicycle
Bike paths—most of which are separated from the road—also run past the sites or just a few hundred meters away. There are bike racks on all three campuses.
Sample itineraries:
> From downtown Belfort to the Belfort campus: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kTwwh9r3wCnkyUCQ7
> From downtown Belfort to the Sevenans campus: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sVDBkXYUqTcZthmm9
> Montbéliard Campus from downtown Montbéliard: https://maps.app.goo.gl/qWsm8kekw1FjwzyZ6
For the adventurous, this route connects the Belfort and Montbéliard campuses via Sevenans: https://maps.app.goo.gl/EcUFnJw1uyykksbZ9
Carpooling
Of course, carpooling is encouraged at UTBM! At the Sevenans campus, there are marked parking spaces reserved for cars carrying more than one person.
Students in the AE program at UTBM have signed a beneficial partnership agreement with Karos (a commuter carpooling app). The app makes it easier for all members of the UTBM community to carpool and is subsidized by local governments. Please refer to the app for details, but as an example:
Un trajet <30km en covoiturage jusqu’à, ou au départ de, un des sites de l’UTBM est gratuit pour un/les passager(s).
The driver, on the same route, is paid €2 per passenger.
We are committed to providing an optimal work and study environment for all members of our university community
Because social cohesion is an essential aspect of the transitions ahead, UTBM has long pursued an ambitious social policy focused on quality of life at work, inclusion, and equal opportunity.
As evidence of this commitment, UTBM has been ISO 45001 certified since 2019. This ISO standard covers occupational health and safety management systems; it enables both operational and strategic management and ensures a commitment to continuous improvement, particularly through monitoring using pre-established indicators. In this context, a system has been implemented to report occupational health and safety risks, whether physical or psychosocial. A support center has also been established to assist and guide victims of gender-based and sexual violence.
In addition, in 2022, the UTBM entered into a four-year agreement on Quality of Life and Working Conditions (QVCT). The goal of this initiative is to improve employees’ well-being in the workplace while balancing it with the institution’s overall performance. Furthermore, the institution relies on program coordinators to address key human issues: gender equality, racism and anti-Semitism, and disability. More recently, UTBM drafted its master plan and its disability charter.
In 2024, a new professional equality plan for students and staff was adopted for a three-year period. The “equal opportunity” aspect was significantly strengthened, with a section of the plan specifically dedicated to it. The goal of this initiative is to eliminate inequalities among individuals throughout their professional careers or academic paths.
The Belfort-Montbéliard University of Technology (UTBM) stands out for its commitment to providing a rich and fulfilling student life. The engineering program, which is demanding and rigorous, requires an optimal balance between academics and extracurricular activities. With this in mind, UTBM has formalized and adopted its student life master plan through 2024. It aims to create a diverse and stimulating environment that fosters both academic success and students’ personal and professional development.
I'm calculating my carbon footprint
Several projects related to SDRS issues are funded each year by the institution’s Student and Campus Life Contribution (CVEC).
Among the latter are:
> https://www.wecount.io/mon-empreinte-etudiante (optimized for students)
