Research Chairs and Funded projects

Faculty members of Esdes conduct research in their area of expertise in collaboration with companies. Over the years, there have been various research contracts and projects.

CURRENT PROJECTS

Researchers of Esdes participate in different research projects with our institutional partners:

CAPSIDE project (Setting a new direction and developing capabilities in the steel industry) (2024 – 2025)

As reindustrialisation progresses, the steel industry faces major challenges such as rethinking training, attracting a diverse workforce, improving working conditions, supporting sector transformation and energy transition and retaining older workers.

This research project aims to address these challenges by focusing on the development of capabilities, exploring three dimensions:

  • The logic of attractiveness and inclusion through the prism of capabilities, addressing the question: why (not) industry?
  • The issues of work and skill development, exploring what it means to work in the industry today, the potential of work situations and how to transition from maintaining to developing in the workplace.
  • "Imaginable situations" and experiments with industry actors to design a more "enabling" industry.

The project is funded by the FERCIS (Fondation d'Etudes et de Recherches sociales pour des Coopérations Internationales et de Solidarité dans la Sidérurgie et la Métallurgie) with 90 000 euros for 2 years.

It involves researchers from Esdes, University of Paris 12, University of Lille, University of Paris 1, University of Stavanger (Norway), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Germany) and University of Sherbrooke (Canada).

ANR/PEPR Household waste (2023 – 2027)

To address ecological, economic and technological challenges for transitioning to a competitive and environmental-friendly circular economy, the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research) leads the PEPR national strategy program (Priority Research Programs and Equipment). This program focuses on five materials: plastics, composites, textiles, strategic metals and paper/cardboard.

This project aims to analyse the levers and obstacles to circular paradigm shifts in household waste management for these materials. It will investigate key factors such as demographic characteristics, psychological factors, perception of convenience and effort, social norms, moral standards, environmental attitudes and concerns, recycling habits, trust in the system and community, economic factors, and political context.

The project is funded by the National Agency for Research (ANR) with 1 500 000 euros for 4 years.

It involves researchers from 12 institutions in France, including Esdes, National Institute of Applied Science of Toulouse, Université de Nice, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon - Laboratory Triangle and Université de Lorraine - Bureau of Theoretical and Applied Economics.

PAST PROJECTS

PrIORRA project (2020 – 2023)

This project aimed to bring together companies and researchers to promote, develop and implement new responsible practices in the Rhône-Alpes region. It had three objectives: identifying and promoting responsible organisations in the region, supporting their innovative and responsible practices and measuring the impact of these organisations on their ecosystem.

About 15 researchers from Esdes and UCLy worked with 21 SMEs in the Rhône-Alpes region.

The project was funded by the Rhône-Alpes region and Europe through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) with 700 000 euros over 3 years (2020-2023).

Circular Economy in the Cosmetic Industry project (2020 – 2023)

Circular economy is at the heart of economic development in Europe. In 2019, the European Commission adopted a new action plan making circular economy (CE) one of the key elements of the Green Deal for Europe: "This new growth strategy aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy, characterized by zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and in which economic growth will be decoupled from resource use.", (European Commission, 2019).

The objective of this project was to identify the determining factors for the circular economy approach in European countries and the specificities of each country. It aimed to define the policy measures to be adopted and how to adapt circular economy implementation across different industrial, institutional or cultural contexts.

The project involved Esdes researchers and was funded by a leading company in the flavor and fragrance industry with 300 000 euros over 3 years (2020-2023).