TALM has three main types of academic research partner: research laboratories, universities and higher education institutions.

With a view to awarding joint PhDs, TALM has developed academic partnerships locally with the universities of Tours, Angers and Le Mans, and nationally with Université de Paris 8. In 2016 TALM launched the Angers call for projects, co-signed by Marie-Haude Caraës, Pierre-Damien Huyghe, Marc Monjou and Stéphanie Sagot, which brought together key players in the field of design research.

TALM has become part of the local research infrastructure, particularly through active participation in the West Creative Industries consortium in the Pays de la Loire region. A joint project is underway with TALM-Tours and the schools in Orléans and Bourges to create an art and design research platform financed by the Centre-Val de Loire Region. The platform will amplify communication about the programmes and the research unit, develop certification, distribute research grants, and bring visibility and credibility to research at the region’s art schools. TALM is also a founding member of the Grand Ouest community which has a research component.

Certain research programmes have forged partnerships with associations, cultural institutions and businesses.