Research and innovation

Research activities at ESB are rooted in our conviction of the need to closely tie our research to teaching and to the needs and concerns of enterprises.

In fact, in a world in full mutation generated by environmental, societal, and technological changes, companies are exposed today to several challenges which at the same time raise some enticing opportunities. Research at ESB is instilled into our desire to produce quality applied research that has impact:

• An impact on the business world: Consultancy and knowledge transfer activities (action research, digital transformation, intrapreneurship, innovation, business models, new practices in the fields of marketing, finance, human resources, social, environmental, and economic value creation, and strategy, etc.)
• An academic and pedagogical impact on the teaching of our students: Relevant and innovative knowledge transfer, integration of research work into taught subjects, real-life case studies, students’ project supervision, etc.
• An impact on the professional development of our faculty: training workshops, opportunities for cooperation and networking in matters pertaining to research and innovation, participation in academic conferences, workshops and seminars on emerging topics or cross-cutting themes in management.

This priority assigned to applied research and innovation does not exclude the freedom of our faculty to engage in fundamental (academic) research for the creation and dissemination of new knowledge in their own disciplines.

Missions

The main missions of ESB Research Office can be summarized as follows:

•  Define and implement ESB research policy.
• Position ESB as a major player in managerial innovation for our business partners.
• Provide faculty with an environment conducive to the development of research and innovation.
• Provide faculty with the logistical and financial support needed for the smooth progress and the valorization of their research work.
• Contribute to the dissemination of ESB research results among the school’s stakeholders.
• Support and contribute towards the professional development of faculty in areas pertaining to research and innovation.
• Strengthen the bonds between the research teams and the enterprises for better cooperation and for the financing of research projects.
• Facilitate the integration of the school’s policy in connection with Sustainable Development & Social Responsibility (SD&SR) into the school’s research activities.
• Coordinate the various research events (workshops, conferences, seminars, summer schools, etc.)

Values

• Rigor and scientific integrity
• Collaboration and knowledge sharing
• Teamwork
• Respect
• Inclusion and diversity
• Academic freedom
• Transparency
• Commitment and social responsibility

ESPRIT-Tech is the entity (Research Office) that defines the Research & Innovation policy at ESB and that provides faculty with the logistical and financial means required for the realization of their research projects. An external Scientific Committee (in the process of being constituted) is tasked with validating ESB research policy and strategy and advising on future research priorities.
Research at ESB is organized around the Research and Innovation Center (RIC), which brings together four interdisciplinary research programs in management science :

• Accounting, Finance and Economics (ACFINE) – Responsible.
• Marketing (MARK) – Responsible.
• Management and Organization (MANOR) – Responsible.
• Innovation and Sustainable Development (INSUD) – Responsible

A Research and Innovation Committee (RI-C), made up of the heads of the four research programs, was established in 2022. It is responsible for boosting research activities and monitoring the quality of the research output. It meets on average once a month. Although the research programs are organized by discipline, we have taken the decision to promote collaboration among the various research teams by identifying transversal and interdisciplinary projects.

Faculty members with background in Mathematics, Information Systems, or Computer Science have the choice of joining one of the RDI teams within the ESPRIT Engineering School (e.g., Data Science, Mathematical Modeling and Numerical Simulation, Intelligent Information Systems, Risk in Insurance and Finance via Stochastic Control, etc.).

In 2022, ESB developed a strategic research plan aimed at strengthening research productivity, sustainability, and impact. This plan aims to mobilize the EB community around five priority objectives:

1.. Contribute to the capacity building and the training of faculty in research and innovation:

a. Organize workshops and seminars on emerging themes

b. Fund the participation of faculty in conferences, colloquia, workshops, and research schools

c. Leverage potential synergy with faculty members from the ESPRIT School of Engineering (ESE)

d. Engage renowned adjunct faculty in the supervision of young researchers

2. Expand our national/international network of academic / professional collaborators to stimulate knowledge transfer and boost the impact of our research

3. Communicate and celebrate Research achievements: 

a. Disseminate and promote research activities and achievements

b. Further develop our processes and practices to optimize knowledge sharing and
dissemination, as well as the visibility and impact of our research

c. Improve the visibility of research on the ESB website

d. Award annual prizes to most active researchers

4. Promote the commercialization of ESB Research & Innovation outputs:

a.Promote the transfer of research projects for the benefit of enterprises.

b. Solicit funds from private and public sources to diversify the sources of research funding and to promote the commercialization of the Research & Innovation projects

5. Reinforce the aspects of Sustainable Development & Social Responsibility (SD & SR) in the priorities and activities of the ESB research teams:

a. Promote new initiatives related to SD & SR

b. Launch a “SD&SR Grant Call” to encourage research initiatives and pilot projects that are associated with SD&SR themes, as well as with global challenges such as climate change and COVID-19

c. Expand our network of research partners, businesses, and policy makers to cooperate on applied research projects for the benefit of individuals, communities, and society.

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