The Paul Ricard Oceanography Institute and Pernod Ricard launch the Take OFF project:

Paris, 24 June 2016-Patricia Ricard, President of the Paul Ricard Oceanography Institute and Alexandre Ricard, Chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard, have announced the launch of the scientific sponsorship project Take OFF Thursday 23 June. The initiative has been presented as part of the fiftieth anniversary celebrations of the Paul Ricard Oceanography Institute, with the support of Captain Paul Watson, scientist Françoise Gaill (emeritus research Director at CNRS), Pierre-Yves Cousteau, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and numerous eminent figures.

Take OFF is primarily an ambition: that of supporting young scientific researchers to help preserve the Oceans:

Take OFF: Take Ocean For Future is comprised of four areas:

- A call to sponsor oceanographic science

- Support to oceanographic research, particularly to young researchers in universities worldwide

- A scientific residency for young researchers at the Ile des Embiez, where the Institute is headquartered

- An information and exchange platform for researchers, companies, associations, institutions and the general public.

Based on the artistic residency model, the Paul Ricard Oceanography Institute is creating a scientific residency to welcome young foreign researchers to the Ile des Embiez each year, providing them with access to its resources, expertise and teams. These young researchers will be able to take full advantage of this incredible research tool to successfully complete a project related to the protection of the Oceans. They will benefit from the extensive cooperation network built up by the Institute with institutions throughout the world. Take OFF will also provide researchers, associations and businesses with a digital platform for discussion and sharing which will also be open to the general public.

The first Take OFF partner will be the highly prestigious National Korea Maritime and Ocean University. In a video message broadcast during the launch ceremony, the Dean of the University’s R&DB Foundation, Gyunk-suk Kil, said that he is "very pleased that the institution is to be the project’s first partner. Programmes supporting young researchers will contribute greatly to the development of maritime studies”.

As Patricia Ricard explains, "For 50 years, we have been raising awareness, and today we must become agents for change. We must all share our expertise and help researchers to understand and learn about the solutions that are contained within the ecosystems in order to preserve their capacity for resilience. That is why we are launching the Take OFF project”.

The cause to protect the Oceans now has a degree of urgency, as illustrated by the findings of the recent COP 21 climate change conference, which took place in Paris. Protecting the Oceans means combatting global warming by allowing Oceans to play their role of natural regulator.

The Institute develops solutions based on the way nature works to achieve a better relationship between men and the Ocean, with an ecosystemic approach. Knowing, promoting and protecting the sea, those have been the Paul Ricard Oceanography Institute’s missions for the last 50 years. Researchers have built knowledge and consciences tirelessly day after day, going from discoveries to successes.

This new project follows a long tradition of sponsorship for Pernod Ricard. In keeping with its co-founder Paul Ricard, the Group has always helped to support, in an altruistic manner, those who create for the common good. A commitment to sponsorship which over the past few decades has been evident in the fields of science, as shown by the Oceanography Institute, or in art, where one of the most recent examples has been the creation of the artistic residency at the Villa Vassilieff (the Pernod Ricard Fellowship).

Take OFF is about protecting complex ecosystems like terroirs, which are the essence of the wine and spirits producers. For Alexandre Ricard, "Protecting the Oceans means combatting global warming. It means protecting our terroirs. It’s time to Take OFF”.

Pernod Ricard is defined by its signature, "Créateurs de Convivialité”. The Group and its 18,000 employees strive to facilitate cooperation and dialogue, which are the values that are at the heart of the Take OFF project.

*Thunderclap allows you to voice your support for the Take OFF project on social networks and as such, to be actively involved in delivering this message about protecting the Oceans. Please take part by clicking here.

About the Paul Ricard Oceanography Institute

The Paul Ricard Oceanography Institute is located on the island of Les Embiez, in the Var district. Since 1966, it has been a true guardian of the Mediterranean. As early as the 1990s, its researchers conducted experiments on the consequences of the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere on the development of marine phytoplankton. Today, through several programmes supported by both the public and private sectors, research is geared towards marine biodiversity and the impact of climate change, the preservation of heritage species (e.g. seahorses), the management and monitoring of living resources (e.g. edible sea urchins), ecological restoration (e.g. artificial reefs), the study of nature-based solutions (e.g. biofouling) and the impact of emerging molecules such as endocrine disruptors on marine organisms. This research underlines the deep commitment of the Paul Ricard Oceanography Institute to the issue of climate change and forms part of a policy to protect the species and habitats upon which they depend. The Institute remains one of the rare examples of private sponsorship in the field of the protection of the oceans and scientific research.

About Pernod Ricard: CSR and environmental charter

Pernod Ricard is the world’s No 2 in wines and spirits with consolidated sales of €8,558 million in 2014/15. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 18,500 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 "Brand Companies” and 85 "Market Companies” established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics.

Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index.

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