Business and Research: an indispensable partnership
Amplify the impact of UCLy research projects and foster the development of concrete solutions for our partners
"How to articulate research and applied research?" This was the question UCLy had to answer when it set up the Research Center : CONFLUENCE Sciences and Humanities in 2019, then the Chaire Vulnérabilités in 2021. "The theme of vulnerability has emerged as a cross-cutting, multi-disciplinary theme," says UCLy Rector Olivier Artus. With the conclusion of the Chair's work this year, it was time to perpetuate its work and anchor its new methods in UCLy's habits. " The necessary link between research, applied research and training is now set in stone," sums up Olivier Artus.
This new space is divided into two 500 m² floors, linked by a central staircase. The fourth floor is dedicated to Research. It provides UCLy's 160 lecturers and 60 PhD students with suitable work and meeting spaces. The 5th floor, meanwhile, has been designed as a modular space, offering several configurations to suit the needs of businesses. These include coworking areas, training rooms, social spaces, etc.
The project cost 1.8 million euros. It was financed 1/3 by public funding from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and 2/3 by a sponsorship campaign. For Gabriele Fioni, Deputy Rector for Higher Education, Research and Innovation for the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes academic region: "This is an important moment, the culmination of a vision. There can be no university without Research"
The aim of this collaboration is to enable companies to benefit from the in-depth work carried out by UCLy's teaching and research staff, in areas such as vulnerability studies and the socio-ecological transition. For scientists, it's a chance to put theory into practice and benefit from feedback from the field.
Between tradition and future
For UCLy, the link between research, education and the business world is a long-standing tradition. The university was founded in 1875 by Lyon's business community. At the time, the aim was to respond to the growing need for new professions among the region's companies.
With this in mind, the "Maison de la Recherche et de l'Entreprise" aims to become much more than just an office space. It is conceived as a place to live, meet and collaborate. UCLy's teaching and research staff and economic players will have the opportunity to exchange ideas, share knowledge and initiate joint projects.
New short training courses have been specifically designed for managers and company directors who are sensitive to societal issues and wish to reflect on their managerial posture. " These modules offer a time of inspiration and perspective, to anticipate tomorrow's decisions and directions," explains Olivier Artus.
"For the patrons, financing this initiative is not about buying indulgences," laughs Guy Sidos, CEO of Groupe Vicat and President of Cercle des Mécènes de l'UCLy. "These are the beginnings of a partnership that combines research, teaching and debate. It's now up to all of us to bring this agora to life."