First of all, since the first encounter with the teams around Joseph Zyss, we were deeply impressed by the ability of the IDA  to gather and combine a wide array of skills, knowledge and technological expertise  in around biological questions. Over the past months some direct interactions, especially between the late Dominique Chauvat and Jean Livet, despite a tragic event, have led to the identification of the first set of projects that could be conduced together, around imaging tissues and neurons. We welcomed with great enthusiasm the proposal by Joseph to hold this meeting here as we anticipated that many more collaborations would stem from direct encounters. All the day long the awareness of the massive potential of the technologies developped at IDA in understanding the structure and function of the retina in health and disease became stronger. We come to realize better that we can expect more than we can ask, manage and understand, which means that our collaborations should last.

Our approach is not based on a theoretical method, nor on any structured industrial experience. It stems from the pragmatic development of projects that needed to be conducted earlier or later at both the academic and industrial level. Working together on identified, joint programs, with numerous pitfalls and occasional successes is a good way to lay the  basis, including cultural and management background, to work together on the long term. We have developped partnerships with dozens of companies of various size in various fields, e.g. imaging, therapies, prosthetics, optics,.. and derive daily from this experience that the best way to work together is to build strength on both sides and avoid interdependence, which implies that an academic lab is in a better position to work with industry, if its public funding is sufficient. Also, when no suitable partner is identified, creating/incubation start-ups is a logical, risky and difficult step.

There is no need to conciliate these as long as all the focus of the endeavour is kept on patients needs. Affected and disabled persons constantly remind us that they are in wait of global, efficient solutions, that require, most often the contributions of many players. As long as each of them knows that he is both necessary, but inefficient alone, no real issue arises. The only task of the director is to maintain this perspective and focus.