Marseille offers considerable potential for research , as recognised in national and international plans, and represents the second biggest concentration of public research in France, with over 2,500 researchers and 2,000 technicians and administrative staff, in the most prestigious laboratories of the universities, CNRS , INSERM, IFREMER, etc.

The Maison Méditerranéenne des Sciences de l'Homme  represents a recognised centre of influence. This research and education campus specialising in the Mediterranean world in the field of human and social sciences, groups together 10 laboratories, various research units, 400 researchers, research teachers and engineers, at the crossroads of history, linguistics, sociology and anthropology.

Téthys, wall-less Euro-Mediterranean university

Erected on the site of the Aix-Marseille Mediterranean university, the Thétys university groups together 22 universities (from Algeria , Morocco , Tunisia , Egypt , Lebanon , Spain , Italy and France ) around an operational project to circulate skills. It has two main purposes: high-level qualifying training and the association with joint research laboratories focusing on specifically Mediterranean issues and pooling human resources and technical facilities.