Odile Dubois joined the team CY Transfer

Interview with Odile Dubois who joined the team POI CY Transfer 21 May 2024.

Could you describe in a few words your professional career until today

I came from a general training course in Business School and Sciences Po Paris, which allowed me to have a very diverse career. I started my career in the electrical equipment industry, specialized in fire safety equipment, at LEGRAND and then at a subsidiary of EATON. I went through all positions related to the sales, communication, event, product marketing or corporate.

Since I found myself elected from my municipality in the meantime, I discovered the local economic development and I turned towards this sector in 2002. I contributed to the conversion of an industrial wasteland and the creation of two local economic development agencies in the Auvergne Rhône Alpes region.
I then seized an opportunity to go to Canada where I was an advisor to the Quebec Ministry of the Economy in positions related to the promotion or financing technological innovation.

I had to go back to France in 2019 and reinserted myself into similar posts, CNRS and Cerema where I developed the technological start-ups acceleration system.

Could you tell us more about the major projects that await you as part of the University Innovation Centre CY Transfer ?

I'm joining him. POI CY Transfer for increase the efficiency and effectiveness of innovation support actions within the territory covered by members of the POI. It will strengthen and increase the partnership research and technology transfer with impact, at the service of society.

My main mission is interface on business needs andacademic and technological offer of our laboratories and technology platforms.
Through the POI, the university wants to strengthen its anchor in the territory. We will implement mechanisms and programmes allowing local actors, companies or local authorities to facilitate access to our scientific and technological expertise.

For this we have several tools or devices of which some are already in action like the CIREX, which allow companies to deploy a collaborative research project quickly with the support of our research structures (lab, PFT) and the employment of dedicated staff (engineer, post-doc or doctoral). Over the last four years, this CIREX programme has contributed to the lift more than 4M€ and generated 3 patents.

We will also continue to create « industrial clubs » on strategic lines in 4 areas that cross the specialties of our laboratories: cosmetics, water, safety, advanced mobility. This will help to gather the needs of companies and local actors in these fields, to bring them together and to bring about the emergence of partnership research centres of excellence while promoting technology transfer.