Creating a start-up is an incredible human and professional challenge, an endeavour that requires strategy, networks and perseverance. EDHEC Business School is truly committed to the dynamics of entrepreneurship. As well as the EDHEC Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) incubator, which has a presence on the 3 EDHEC campuses, the school is developing a veritable ecosystem to facilitate entrepreneurship: specific academic programmes, a dynamic Alumni network, a wide range of events and highly active student associations.
EYE incubator
“Our job is to teach but also to go beyond teaching and provide an environment that allows companies to be set up, and projects to be achieved”, says Olivier Oger, Dean of EDHEC. “The changes taking place in higher education must help produce not only managers, but also entrepreneurs.”
“In 2010, we created the EYE incubator based on the needs expressed by our students and graduates”, explains Jean-Michel Ledru. From exploring initial entrepreneurial ideas to incubation and on to support for start-ups in their first three years and boosting growth, EYE offers a free service “without taking rent or any capital share”. At a national level, 120 companies have been set up with a significant economic impact (650 jobs created).
“Despite the difficulties facing entrepreneurs, we ensure they do not find themselves in risky situations. The incubator offers a real human dimension: we support individual men and women first and foremost.”
In 2016, EDHEC opened a new co-working space on the Nice campus, marking a significant step in the incubator’s development. This space is a reflection of the dynamics and importance of entrepreneurship at EDHEC Business School.
In addition to the 70 workstations available for student and graduate entrepreneurs on the Lille campus, EDHEC is expanding the co-working spaces available for entrepreneurs on the Nice campus with a view to catering for even more students and graduates in incubation. There are now 30 workstations available to young entrepreneurs on the Nice campus, just a stone’s throw from the international Nice Cote d’Azur airport.
“In Nice, Lille and Paris, our students and graduates have an increasing appetite for entrepreneurship (between 25 and 50 appointment requests every month). The role of EDHEC is to encourage and support this dynamic. The incubator coaches, accompanies and advises these new entrepreneurs. The current trend suggests we will reach 200 companies supported by EYE by 2019!”, says Jean-Michel Ledru.
Alumni network and events
Life on campus is punctuated by various entrepreneurship-oriented events. Their objective is to fuel the entrepreneurial fibres of wannabe entrepreneurs by facilitating encounters and discussions with start-up entrepreneurs, and also to address themes that are central to the concerns of start-ups in a way that is enriching, original and sometimes a little quirky (Pitch Sessions, Workshops, Friday Lunches, thematic meet-ups, start-up weekend, Start-up day, etc.).
EDHEC Alumni has more than 30,000 members and is an active network that supports and promotes entrepreneurship. For example, the Entrepreneur Cafés are open events for EDHEC students and graduates, giving all participants the chance to expand their knowledge and network in a relaxed atmosphere.
Whether through Club Entreprendre or EDHEC Business Angels, EDHEC Alumni members benefit from a dynamic and attractive network to come together, debate issues, network, offer financing or find investors.
The entrepreneurship track (for student entrepreneurs) gives EDHEC students the chance to take on an entrepreneurial adventure beginning in the year before their Masters programme.
Since September 2015, EDHEC students with personal entrepreneurial projects have had the possibility to make their project part of their training at EDHEC.
The entrepreneurship track is highly flexible. It allows EDHEC students to work and expand their personal entrepreneurial projects while at the same time completing their studies thanks to an adapted timetable. They can step in and out of the curriculum (with the agreement of their academic supervisor) from one semester to the next. This allows them to complete the full Grande Ecole curriculum and benefit from a specific coach to help them progress in their entrepreneurial project. Their academic coach will teach them to be methodical and offer advice and support. The objective is for them to successfully achieve their project in the best possible conditions!
At the end of each semester, student entrepreneurs are evaluated by their coach, and at the end of the year by the project validation commission. These evaluations look at motivation, commitment, creativity, the quality of materials produced, and the development of strategic reflections on their project.
The entrepreneurship track offers EDHEC students a wonderful opportunity to explore the adventure of entrepreneurship, test their ideas and build up a network while completing their studies.
Contact and admission requirements: sabrina.boughagha@edhec.edu
MSc in Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurs are hard-working, intelligent, creative and willing to take risks. If you think you have the stomach and motivation for it, join us!
- EDHEC supports students at all stages of their entrepreneurial projects with support from the EDHEC incubator, the EDHEC Young Entrepreneurs club and EDHEC Business Angels.
- Immersive trip to Silicon Valley in California
- The north of France is a highly dynamic region that boasts many great entrepreneurial success stories.
- Entrepreneur is a French word, so where better to specialise in entrepreneurship than France!
Claire Gately (Co-Director of the MSc. in Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management)
Jean Michel Ledru (Co-Director of the MSc. in Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management/Director of EDHEC Young Entrepreneurs)
Go a step further:
Examples of companies supported by the incubator: Lemon tri, Pumpkin, Senya, Immojeune, Heek, Soyez BCBG, La relève, Wash-Wash, Make U learn and others
Specific academic programmes: MSc Entrepreneurship, BBA Horizon, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship track, etc.
Events run by the association Total Edhec Entreprendre: Start-up Weekend, TEE competition.
Comments0
Please log in to see or add a comment
Suggested Articles
