Cooperation between French higher education’s institutions and businesses: what are the best practices?

Discover the replay of the complete webinar (in French)

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While relationships with businesses have long focused on recruitment and human resources, more structured collaborations around research and innovation are strengthening. Here’s a look back at the Campus Matin webinar on January 23, 2025, in partnership with Emerging.

How do businesses and higher education institutions work together?

This was the question posed to speakers at the latest webinar organized by Campus Matin with Emerging, a consulting firm specializing in human resources and committed to redefining employability.

Through an in-depth analysis, renewed each year, of employers’ needs worldwide, Emerging helps build bridges between higher education and the business world, enabling academic institutions to address the challenges of a rapidly changing economy.Since 2010, Emerging has produced the Global Employability University Ranking and Survey. The 2025 edition, published on November 14, 2024, by the Times Higher Education, provides insight into employers' expectations worldwide.

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University-business cooperation, a key factor in employer satisfaction

‍The topic of cooperation is now central, as universities need businesses to conduct research projects or design new programs. Meanwhile, professionals are seeking future talent while also needing to embrace emerging technologies by collaborating with top researchers.

Sandrine Belloc, Managing Director of Emerging, presented the results of this latest study, which examines collaboration through the lens of employability. According to her, cooperation has become one of the most significant factors in employer satisfaction with higher education. In the short term, these collaborations are assessed based on the skills and professional experience of new hires.

Companies are looking for operational experts who can quickly adapt to new technologies, have a strong collaborative spirit, are connected to industrial realities, and are open to the world. To achieve this, they seek dialogue with higher education institutions. “In France, cooperation has already strengthened beyond internship programs, now focusing heavily on practical projects, whereas in Germany, the emphasis is on creating shared laboratories. In Singapore, employers’ main concern is fostering innovation. But overall, worldwide, cooperation projects are booming," says the Managing Director of Emerging.

Regarding concrete partnership models, while internships remain the main mechanism globally, demand is shifting. "Stakeholders want to go further, committing to long-term collaborations within a global vision of continuous qualification and technological innovation."‍

Evolving expectations

Marie-Christine Bert, Director of Corporate Partnerships at the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC, a member of IP Paris), confirms that companies’ expectations are evolving. "Requests related to innovation and research are increasing. In France, we have a tradition of blending businesses with academia. Foreign institutions frequently reach out to us to share our expertise in this field."

‍Angela Vasanelli, professor at Université Paris Cité and Director of the Denis Diderot School of Engineering, highlights the possibility of fostering close-knit relationships even in a university with 65,000 students. "We must go beyond internships or traditional business relations. Apprenticeships, for example, allow organizations to actively participate in training, skills development, and industrial projects."

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What types of partnerships should be established?

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There are many possibilities for structuring partnerships. At ENPC, "we focus on fully understanding business challenges, with an internal organization that fosters dialogue between our researchers, faculty, and young engineers. This involves carefully identifying and qualifying contacts. Our partnerships span multiple dimensions, from academic chairs and entrepreneurship to scientific conferences. Such initiatives require precise governance to prevent misunderstandings on both sides."

It is essential to offer genuine added value to businesses and focus on concrete projects. "A management infrastructure within our research entities is crucial," adds Angela Vasanelli.

Given the diversity of topics, tracking each initiative is fundamental, according to the Dean of GEM. "We need a reliable CRM system to maintain our relationships properly. There are multiple entry points into organizations, and losing information is not an option."

In a world where public funding is increasingly limited, businesses now play a crucial role in ensuring the financial balance of institutions, contributing to the training of future graduates, and creating value through innovation.

According to Sandrine Belloc, this is the way forward. "Our study shows that structured collaborations have doubled over the past five years. This is a positive sign."

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