RESEARCH AXES

Our research focuses on clarifying the process of energy consumption and identifying the barriers to achieving energy efficiency goals. In this context, the understanding of energy demand, individual preferences and user behavior is an important mediator of expertise for operational actors. It is an essential element in the implementation of public policies to achieve the objectives of the energy transition.

We study how environmental, societal and technological transitions, of a sustainable and innovative nature, are taking place within organizations, particularly through the development of new economic models and value chains. We live in a very dynamic world where traditional commercial companies and social impact companies, or even companies with a social mission, are forced to be resilient and adapt to the major challenges of development. We strive to better understand the ways in which governments, companies and the financial system (banking sector and financial markets) communicate and take into account extra-financial criteria. A more global assessment of impacts is conducive to innovation and more sustainable development.

One of the first objectives is to understand how societal changes related to the development of new technologies and the omnipresence of digital technology are taking place. Artificial intelligence, connected objects, and companion robots are revolutionizing our modes of consumption, travel, energy efficiency, and care-giving. Social networks allow the emergence of new economic models and citizen participation in movements that can be global. However, progress does not automatically reduce inequalities and social divides.

Beyond the technical and energetic aspects of the smart city, transitions can also be observed in the environment. The city will only be alive and sustainable if humans and non-humans can thrive in it in good health. We therefore seek to find ways to allow ecosystems to function naturally in cities so that they provide the services that both human and non-human inhabitants expect from them. This often requires changes in the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of city dwellers. We address themes as diverse and complementary as functional biodiversity, well-being, mobility and health.