What’s the rationale behind the study?
The goals of the IRTs are far-reaching. So, we felt it was important to take a good look at the socioeconomic impacts of the Institute. Assessing the economic impacts of public policies is common practice. The IRTs, a particularly ambitious initiative, are no exception. The study comes as we close out the first three-year phase of the IRT roadmap. So the timing is just right. The study is being run by Grenoble Ecole de Management, la Société Française d’évaluation, and Grenoble-Alpes University’s UPMF.
What kind of results can we expect?
Economic impacts are often assessed in terms of revenue generated. One of this study’s objectives is to show that IRT Nanoelec’s programs bring partners a competitive advantage by facilitating cooperation. Our goal is to boost our partners’ capacity to work together, develop their human resources, and attract and retain the talent they need; these things must, of course, ultimately result in job creation and revenue growth.
And what about the other IRTs?
IRT Nanoelec is already working with IRT Bioaster on a PhD research project on socioeconomic impacts financed by the Rhône-Alpes regional government. IRT Saint-Exupéry and IRT SystemX are also involved in our study. As the study was strongly encouraged by the Commissioner-General for Investment, it is highly likely that the other IRTs will follow suit with their own studies.