Researchers in the Pays de la Loire Region: Learning the Spirit of Entrepreneurship
The Pays de la Loire Region (PDL) aims to strengthen the entrepreneurial mindset of its young researchers and research professors to support the development of their research projects. This initiative is built around the “Chercheur entreprenant” program, designed by Onepoint teams in collaboration with Maria Schools.
In its pursuit to become an innovative and forward-looking region, the Pays de la Loire Region has embarked on an ambitious initiative. Its goal: to strengthen the entrepreneurial mindset of its researchers and research professors in response to identified needs in the research field. This approach aims to address societal challenges and foster science-society dialogue.
The Pays de la Loire Region’s Commitment to Research
Regional Strengths and Ambitions in the Research Field
With nearly 11,000 researchers—representing 3.3% of the national workforce—and around 100 laboratories, the Pays de la Loire Region ranks 9th nationally in research. The region is recognized in several fields of expertise, notably medical research (biology and health), materials and engineering sciences, earth and environmental sciences, agronomy and ecology, mathematics and computer science, and the social sciences and humanities.
The Pays de la Loire Region supports research through a broad range of initiatives aimed at developing scientific employment, promoting scientific excellence, and addressing the region’s societal challenges.
R&D in Pays de la Loire stands out for its promising momentum, with annual R&D spending increasing by 5.4% between 2017 and 2020. The region devotes 1.33% of its GDP to R&D efforts—0.8% from the private sector and 0.45% from the public sector.
An Innovative Regional Strategy to Boost Research and Support Local Talent
As part of its strategy to support research talent, the Pays de la Loire Region has developed a continuum of four programs (co-funded PhD grants, PULSAR, Étoiles Montantes, and Connect Talent) to support researchers from their doctoral studies to the settlement of world-renowned scientists. This customized path aims to enhance the attractiveness of the region and increase the visibility of local research teams on both national and international stages.
In line with this policy, the Region launched a pioneering initiative in France in 2019: PULSAR – The Young Researchers’ Academy of Pays de la Loire. The academy aims to attract promising early-career researchers to regional laboratories as soon as they receive their first academic appointment. PULSAR provides an optimized environment offering the best conditions for success at the start of their scientific careers.
As a talent accelerator for research, PULSAR aims to offer a path of professional excellence and the opportunity to join a dynamic community of young researchers. Each year, the PULSAR Academy welcomes a new cohort of early-career researchers recruited in the region for a two-year program, enabling them to launch their research journey under optimal conditions.
To enrich the PULSAR initiative, the Region chose to collaborate with Onepoint, whose expertise in R&D&I and training was a key asset in supporting this approach.
PULSAR supports newly recruited researchers by equipping them with key tools for success at the very start of their careers. Beyond financial backing, the program offers a wide range of knowledge and skill-building opportunities—such as networking, entrepreneurial mindset development, legal fundamentals, and insights into funding channels.
There is also strong value in fostering connections and cross-disciplinary exchanges among researchers from various institutions and organizations across the regional landscape.
The dynamism and expertise of Onepoint
Concerned with equipping its researchers and research professors with the necessary skills to excel in their fields and adapt to the realities of the socio-economic world, the Pays de la Loire Region decided to launch the “Chercheur entreprenant” program in 2023.
The Vice President of the Regional Council and Delegate for Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, explains the choice:
It was an opportunity. The Region had launched the PULSAR academy with a multitude of ideas, and after experimenting for a few years, connecting with Onepoint helped direct the focus towards an experimental program that would have a stronger impact within the academy. The innovative positioning of Onepoint and Maria Schools, already engaged with research, along with their proposal to co-create a new offering for young researchers, quickly proved to be appealing.
The first cohort of this program took place in Nantes from October 2023 to March 2024. It consists of researchers from fifteen laboratories within the following institutions: Nantes Universités, IMT Atlantique, Université Gustave Eiffel, ESAIP, Léonard de Vinci Engineering School, INSERM, IFREMER, CNRS, Le Mans Université, Centrale Nantes, INRAE, and Institut Agro Rennes-Angers.
Sharing the expertise and soft skills of our specialists in a way that respects both fundamental and applied research challenges is the ambitious goal we set out to achieve with the region starting in the spring of 2022. The customized and modular approach of the program led to strong engagement from both the learners and the 15 research institutions that participated in the exercise. This exercise was crucial, as time is always precious for researchers just starting their research projects. However, choosing to invest in training them in an entrepreneurial mindset during this specific period is strategic if we want to see sustainable and multiple outcomes emerge. I would like to congratulate and sincerely thank the entire teaching team, who worked with great dedication and without counting their time, making this first pilot a success.
To enrich the PULSAR initiative, the Region chose to collaborate with Onepoint, whose expertise in R&D&I and training has been a major asset in their approach.
An experimental program: “Chercheur entreprenant”
This innovative program builds on Onepoint’s recognized expertise in innovation, research, development, education, and entrepreneurship. It offers researchers and research professors a rich and stimulating educational experience. This approach combines:
- Collective intelligence workshops to foster collaboration, idea sharing, and creativity
- Virtual classes for accessibility and interactive learning
- A network of experts to guide, advise, and support researchers throughout their training journey
- Opportunities to meet and expand their professional network
The “Chercheur entreprenant” program combines training on soft skills, enabling researchers to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and engage a team, with hard skills training to provide them with practical tools for project development. Key moments within the program allow the group to get to know each other better, meet peers, and share their respective experiences.
6.5 Days of Immersion to Acquire Key Skills
Over a span of 5 months, thirty researchers and research professors from the Pays de la Loire region received tailored support to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and the essential technical and operational skills for researchers.
This program enabled them to:
- Master the construction of products using short iteration cycles (MVP), an essential agile methodology
- Develop project management skills to effectively lead their entrepreneurial projects
- Adopt an entrepreneurial mindset by understanding the importance of risk-taking and boldness through practice
- Understand the importance of social media for communicating their project
- Grasp the legal challenges related to the valorization of research work, protecting innovations, and commercializing them
- Explore available funding models and techniques and understand the mechanisms for integrating into the investment ecosystem
- Expand their professional network with other researcher-entrepreneurs
Muriel TOUATY, Partner for Education, Research & Innovation at Onepoint, sheds light on this collaboration and the benefits that the Pays de la Loire Region has gained from this experience:
We are proud at Onepoint to have supported and trained the researchers of the Pays de la Loire region in the entrepreneurial researcher dimension. For the Region, this training is structuring because it works on the collective consciousness of researchers, fostering hybridization and an agile mindset, which contributes to talent retention and the creation of scientific growth and wealth in the region.
A Successful First Cohort of “Chercheur entreprenant”
The success of this first cohort demonstrates the value of the program, supported by Onepoint’s resources and guidance, for young researchers and research professors.
By investing in such training, the Pays de la Loire Region reaffirms its commitment to developing the potential of its researchers and research professors, who will become the driving forces behind the social and economic evolution of the region.
Today, they have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to strengthen their entrepreneurial mindset and develop or promote their research projects within their organization and ecosystem.
Onepoint’s “Chercheur entreprenant” program paves the way for a promising future where researchers are not only key players in discovery but also central actors in social, societal, and economic innovation.