This blog was created in 2013 by Pierre Alfonsi and Luc Ragon. It is designed as an open space, aiming at launching discussions on Innovation in all its forms.

It is now animated by Benkei (www.benkei.fr) and its team of consultants.

Luc RAGON, founder of Benkei, is an expert in innovation strategy and financing. He has been specialized for 25 years in the support of R&I projects, innovative companies and innovation players. In particular, he has accompanied more than 250 French and European collaborative projects. He has also developed expertise in open and collaborative innovation, the development of innovative SMEs, as well as the strategic positioning of companies, and the valorization and exploitation of research results. He is President of the Association des Conseils en Innovation and Director of the European Association of Innovation Consultants (EAIC).

Pierre ALFONSI is an expert in innovation strategy and financing. With more than 25 years of experience in consulting, Pierre Alfonsi began his career in public policy evaluation before turning to consulting companies on innovation strategy and financing. Pierre has conducted numerous consulting missions in innovation strategy and partnerships for very large companies, ETIs and SMEs. He has also carried out numerous missions to facilitate the ideation and creativity process. Finally, he has a solid experience of the Research Tax Credit.

Doctor in chemistry, Simon BRENET is a consultant at Benkei since 2014, where he has accompanied projects in various fields, from packaging materials to microelectronics, through building or business intelligence. He has extensive experience in high-tech fields: bio and nanotechnologies (for pathology detection, storage of harmful gases), green chemistry (for improving industrial chemical processes to make them sustainable).

Nadège BOCCON, Chemical Engineer, is a consultant in innovation strategy and financing at BENKEI since January 2018. Based on her past experience as R&D Project Manager in the industry, she accompanies project leaders in the definition of their objectives by being a force of proposal. Moreover, having held the position of Industrial Property Manager in an international company, she brings a strategic vision of IP and quickly grasps the global stakes of the projects of the companies she supports

Thibaut VITTE is Doctor in Energy and a consultant in innovation strategy and financing at Benkei since 2018. He has set up, bid, won, and led several innovative projects in the field of energy, buildings and new technologies. Thibaut Vitte has accompanied the growth and structuring of an SME specialized in the field of energy, going from 15 to more than 90 employees as Director of Innovation Projects.

Elodie SOLLIER is an engineer from INPG and Doctor in Physics. After 6 years in public research (CEA Grenoble, UCLA), she participated in the creation of an innovative company in the United States, on cancer detection. As co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Elodie led the feasibility studies, participated in the fundraising, as well as the first sales of the finished product. Today, Elodie accompanies start-ups as well as large companies in the key phases of their innovation and marketing strategy

Tania LANGON is an expert consultant at Benkei. She holds a PhD in Biology (Virology) from INSERM in Lyon, France, and was a postdoctoral researcher at the Welcome / CRC Institute, Cambridge, UK.  She has a solid experience of 15 years in Innovation consulting covering engineering and management of European (FP7, H2020) and national (FUI, PIA, PSPC…) projects. She provides support to projects in various fields such as health, biotechnologies, materials… in academic or private environments. She is PMP© certified since 2016

Marjory WACHTEL, Development Director at Benkei, is an expert in innovation strategy and financing. In particular, she has accompanied more than 200 collaborative projects in France and Europe (including more than 100 European projects since the 4th FP), in various technological fields (materials, NTIC, Health). Passionate about technological innovation, she wishes to provide support to project leaders in order to guide them towards public or private funding with the best chances of success, as well as to help them develop solid and ambitious but realistic innovation and R&D projects.

Guadalupe VINADO BUIL just graduated with an Engineering master’s degree in Material Sciences from INSA Lyon, where she specialized in the fields of Polymer Science and Environmental Studies. During her training, she contributed to several projects for companies in both of those fields, including a 6-month research project on biopolymers for cosmetic, with IMP Lyon and Gattefossé. Guadalupe joined Benkei in March 2021 for her 6-month internship where she helped in the set-up of European collaborative projects as well as in national funding programs.

Stephane GAMEZ has a PhD in chemistry from University Lyon 1, and worked for 15 years in an innovation financing consultancy, where he was able to work on the various levels of innovation financing for his clients (collaborative R&D projects on a national and European scale, investment financing, Research Tax Credit, Innovation Tax Credit, Young Innovative Company, European Investment Bank, etc.). Stéphane Gamez then worked for 2 years at Biom’up, where he was able to participate in the development of this company as Innovation Financing Manager, by seeking financing (more than 2 M€ / year), and by managing a portfolio of 7 patent families.

Maud BOSSARD has a PhD in biology from Queen Mary University in London, and a degree in biotechnology engineering from ESIL. She turned to innovation finance consulting and obtained the Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification. Since 2012, she has acquired a recognized experience in innovative collaborative projects engineering and management, for companies/entities of all sizes and in various technological fields. Her experience has allowed her to ensure the coordination of complex missions for large accounts in France and abroad, involving up to 53 public and private organizations, for budgets up to 45 M€.