diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..675f50e68df4239f6ac524529576ba6942e7a158
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "stduuid"]
+	path = src/libRender/Dependencies/stduuid
+	url = git@github.com:MathiasPaulin/stduuid.git
diff --git a/src/libRender/CMakeLists.txt b/src/libRender/CMakeLists.txt
index 8a4f6979f2b42f270868dc395e00fbd45caea129..130fbe79205b27a141cf399a6e7db20e88953af8 100644
--- a/src/libRender/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/libRender/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -178,6 +178,14 @@ set(resources
     Resources/RadiumNBR/RenderGraphs/fullfeaturerenderer.flow
     )
 
+# std::uuid dependency
+# Note, follow the progress of integration of uuid generator in the C++ std lib. When supported by std, remove this dependency
+set(UUID_BUILD_TESTS OFF)
+set(UUID_SYSTEM_GENERATOR ON)
+set(UUID_USING_CXX20_SPAN OFF) # change this when going to C++20 as language standard for Radium libs
+add_subdirectory(Dependencies/stduuid)
+# TODO verify correct installation and usage in Config.cmake.in
+
 
 # Our library project uses these sources and headers.
 add_library(
@@ -200,6 +208,7 @@ target_link_libraries(
     PUBLIC
     Radium::Core
     Radium::Engine
+    stduuid
 )
 
 if(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "Debug")
diff --git a/src/libRender/Config.cmake.in b/src/libRender/Config.cmake.in
index f645bde9eb155d465a0bfaa977fa4610f3a692d8..4ed6ecfebab99934d646d847e97f923dc4b71b25 100644
--- a/src/libRender/Config.cmake.in
+++ b/src/libRender/Config.cmake.in
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ if ( NOT Radium_FOUND)
 endif()
 
 if (NBR_FOUND)
+    # TODO : search for installed stduuid
     include("${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}/NBRTargets.cmake" )
     radium_exported_resources(
         TARGET RadiumNBR::NBR
diff --git a/src/libRender/Dependencies/stduuid b/src/libRender/Dependencies/stduuid
new file mode 160000
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..5c538cca02932aa0266659661d5b4726f3a317c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/libRender/Dependencies/stduuid
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 5c538cca02932aa0266659661d5b4726f3a317c7
diff --git a/src/libRender/RadiumNBR/NodeGraph/Node.cpp b/src/libRender/RadiumNBR/NodeGraph/Node.cpp
index 59d3352ff3aa0df9dfd2a4c6bb7301f0de2857a6..44b1c5abf183f59304b47b081ab1fddb4ddc6bad 100644
--- a/src/libRender/RadiumNBR/NodeGraph/Node.cpp
+++ b/src/libRender/RadiumNBR/NodeGraph/Node.cpp
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ void Node::fromJson( const nlohmann::json& data ) {
 #endif
 
     // get the common content of the Node from the json data
-    m_uuid                   = data["id"];
+    std::string struuid = data["id"];
+    m_uuid                   = uuids::uuid::from_string(struuid).value();
     std::string readTypeName = data["model"]["name"];
     if ( readTypeName != m_typeName )
     {
@@ -37,7 +38,8 @@ void Node::fromJson( const nlohmann::json& data ) {
 
 void Node::toJson( nlohmann::json& data ) const {
     // write the common content of the Node to the json data
-    data["id"] = m_uuid;
+    std::string struuid = "{" + uuids::to_string(m_uuid) + "}";
+    data["id"] = struuid;
 
     nlohmann::json model;
     model["instance"] = m_instanceName;
diff --git a/src/libRender/RadiumNBR/NodeGraph/Node.hpp b/src/libRender/RadiumNBR/NodeGraph/Node.hpp
index aaa3c211c09c2470654c5a73a796e62794e66f8c..cd9ecc47380a4be5470654c0d28fca391248b03c 100644
--- a/src/libRender/RadiumNBR/NodeGraph/Node.hpp
+++ b/src/libRender/RadiumNBR/NodeGraph/Node.hpp
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 
 #include <RadiumNBR/externals/json.hpp>
 
+#include <uuid.h>
+
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <memory>
@@ -194,7 +196,8 @@ class NodeBasedRenderer_LIBRARY_API Node
 
     /// The uuid of the node (TODO, use https://github.com/mariusbancila/stduuid instead of a
     /// string)
-    std::string m_uuid;
+    //std::string m_uuid;
+    uuids::uuid m_uuid;
     /// The type name of the node
     std::string m_typeName;
     /// The instance name of the node