The research chairs and future institutes at Grenoble Ecole de Management aim to produce rigorous, interdisciplinary scientific research capable of observing and illuminating the major transitions in energy systems, work and organisations, as well as territorial transitions serving sustainable performance and well-being. By working closely with companies, institutions and field actors, GEM generates knowledge that can be mobilised by decision-makers. By linking scientific approaches, professional expertise and operational practices, GEM’s research chairs and institutes create impact and contribute to the emergence of resilient models in response to economic, geopolitical, environmental and societal challenges.

Research chairs, institutes and the EAGLE 2030 strategy

Research conducted within GEM’s chairs and institutes is fully aligned with the EAGLE 2030 strategy, which positions GEM as a catalyst for transitions. By helping anticipate energy, technological and territorial transformations, this research supports the School’s ambition: to understand in order to act in a world marked by profound transitions and shifting economic models.

True to its identity as a business school grounded in science and innovation, GEM strengthens its academic ambition by developing chairs and institutes that combine scientific excellence, interdisciplinarity and strong field engagement. This momentum lies at the heart of EAGLE 2030, where research contributes both to the “Sciences” pillar—accelerating the integration of new knowledge into professional practice—and to the “Transitions” pillar, by supporting energy, technological and organisational transformations.

Objectives

GEM’s research chairs and future institutes aim to deliver impactful, collaborative and applied research, aligned with contemporary transition challenges and the scientific ambition underpinning the EAGLE 2030 strategy.

Strategic objectives

• Develop high societal-impact knowledge
  Produce rigorous scientific research capable of shedding light on energy, digital, managerial and place-based transitions, while identifying weak signals that are reshaping organisations and practices.
• Support companies and places in their transformations
  Work collaboratively to co-construct diagnoses and provide operational frameworks enabling organisations to implement sustainable transition projects.
• Experiment with innovative solutions
  Mobilise internal expertise, research laboratories and partners to explore, design and test new approaches in real-world contexts, and to assess their tangible impact.
• Disseminate insights to decision-makers
  Make applied and interdisciplinary research accessible in order to inform executives, elected officials, institutions and public stakeholders, and contribute to national and international debates on transitions.
• Enrich a cutting-edge learning experience grounded in field realities

The research themes addressed by GEM’s chairs and institutes span energy transitions, the transformation of work, place-based transitions, and the future of mountain regions. Each institute under development will structure its own scientific priorities, building on the existing work of GEM’s research chairs and academic teams.

Energy transition

• Renewable energy systems
• Decarbonisation and energy efficiency
• Societal impacts of energy choices
• Innovation and governance in energy transitions

Research on energy transition focuses on analysing the social, economic and political conditions underpinning transformations in energy systems, with a particular emphasis on social acceptance. Building on the work of the Energy for Society Chair, the EnerG Institute, scheduled for launch in 2026, will broaden this scope by integrating issues related to energy sovereignty, democratic governance, market fragmentation and technological uncertainty.

Rooted in dialogue between research, companies and local and regional stakeholders, the EnerG Institute aims to become a European reference platform on the interactions between energy, society and transition.

Place-based transitions & mountain regions

• Climate change adaptation in mountain regions
• New economic and tourism models
• Water resources and sustainable management
• Social and place-based dynamics

This research theme explores the transformations of so-called sentinel places facing major climatic, economic and social challenges, with a particular focus on mountain regions and rapidly changing territories. Currently in its third cycle, the Local Sustainability Transition and Well-being Chair analyses the capacity of territorial actors to adapt, innovate and cooperate in a context of systemic ecological and socio-economic crisis, with the aim of advancing sustainability.

By 2027, it will evolve into the Moving Mountains Institute, dedicated to studying transition pathways in sentinel places by combining scientific research, field experimentation and the co-construction of solutions with local stakeholders.

Future of work

• New forms of work
• Digitalisation and organisational transformation
• New management models
• Workplace design and quality of working life

Research on the futures of work examines the profound reconfiguration of organisations, professions and employment relationships. A Future of Work Institute is currently being developed to structure research around transformations in work, digitalisation, future skills and evolving employee expectations. Its objective is to inform organisational decision-making in the face of changing work dynamics and to contribute to the education of tomorrow’s managers.

GEM’s research chairs and institutes are led by their scientific directors, in close coordination with the Associate Dean for Research. Their operations rely on a strong partnership-based approach involving companies, public institutions, academic experts and media partners. Each structure oversees its research programmes, leads study cycles, contributes to scientific and public debates, and supports field-based experimentation.

Academic governance is overseen by Thibault Daudigeos, Associate Dean for Research, Professor at GEM, member of the Alternative Forms of Markets and Organisations research team and co-holder of the Local Sustainability Transition and Well-being Chair. His research focuses on the growing role of companies in society and examines how these new responsibilities reshape corporate strategies, organisational models and governance practices, particularly at the territorial level.