The equine sector is a major economic sector in Normandy. The territory has more than 4,800 breeders, 670 equestrian centres, and generate nearly 18000 jobs with the 6,470 Norman companies that have an activity related to equidae. Normandy is the headquarters of the Competitiveness Pole dedicated to the equine sector in France. It also has structuring sites such as the site of Deauville with the racecourse/sales complex/Pôle international du Cheval, the site of Saint Lô with its horse pole or the Haras national du Pin. In this context, the Normandy Region and the Calvados Department created in 2010 the joint trade union for the research and development of the equine sector in Calvados and Lower Normandy, called Syndicat Mixte Hippolia. Its objective is to promote the attractiveness of the Norman territory by developing a site of excellence in the field of research, diagnosis, reference activities and training in the field of health, well-being and horse performance. It must contribute to the development of the equine sector. The joint union is currently carrying out a large infrastructure project called “Hippolia platform to strengthen the two leading Norman sites in equine health research: 1) Labéo (St Contest: site "in vitro) by the construction of laboratories P1, P2 and P3 dedicated to biotechnology and 2) the CIRALE, Centre d’Imagerie et de Recherche sur les Affections Locomotrices Equines of the National Veterinary School of Alfort, (Goustranville: clinical investigation site ‘in vivo’ by the creation of a Sectional Imaging Unit (CIRALE III UIS) complementing existing equipment (CIRALE I: 1999 and CIRALE II: 2005). The proposed project called “CIRALE III UIS, therefore, has as its main objective the acquisition of the high-level imaging equipment that will fill the platform built by the communities (completed the building in August 2017). Among the final objectives expected, it is to restore the CIRALE’s technological lead and power in medical imaging and research in locomotor and therapeutic pathology of these diseases, strategic axes that have made the strength, international renown and attractiveness of CIRALE for more than 15 years. Indeed, when it was founded in 1999, CIRALE was the only structure in the world to benefit (and master perfectly) different imaging technologies such as MRI, scintigraphy, ultrasound, radiography. Today, more and more private and public centres are tending to reach similar levels of equipment. In this, CIRALE has fulfilled its mission by raising the level of competence of private actors in the field. It is therefore now urgent to invest to keep up with technological advances in medical imaging. The CIRALE III UIS project will make it possible to reposition CIRALE as one of the world’s leading research centres in the field of imaging and investigation of horse sports disorders.