LECTRA: Lectra and ESCP Europe establish a Fashion and Technology Chair to develop an innovative education and research program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lectra and ESCP Europe establish a Fashion and Technology Chair to develop an
innovative education and research program
Lectra and ESCP Europe - a common goal: the implementation of new strategies for
innovation
Paris, February 6, 2014 - Daniel Harari, Lectra CEO, and Edouard Husson, dean of
ESCP Europe Business School, have inaugurated the Fashion and Technology Chair.
The new Lectra-ESCP Europe Chair, with a three-year tenure, is positioned at the
crossroads of innovation and research. The Chair's aim will be to develop and
convey knowledge based on innovations within the fashion and luxury sectors,
thanks to cutting-edge technologies.
Lectra and ESCP Europe started collaborating in 2011 with the establishment of
i7, the Institute for Innovation and Competitiveness, of which Lectra is a
founding member. The Fashion and Technology Chair is the next step in this
cooperation and intends to create a joint center for teaching, passing on
expertise and research, with an emphasis on the interaction between technology
and innovation.
Market globalization, competition from emerging countries, fast-fashion, and
growth of retail and communication channels are requiring the fashion and luxury
sectors to address major issues mainly related to innovation. The Chair's main
objective is to explore the specificities of the fashion and luxury sectors and
their approach to technologies linked to design and supply change management.
There will also be a focus on the challenges of digital development and on the
emergence of value-added strategies for innovation and original business models
in developing countries, particularly China.
The Chair will promote technology as a catalyst for innovation among students
and alumni. This will be one of the themes studied by ESCP students every year
and the subject of research dissertations and professional theses.
"ESCP Europe, i7, the Institute for Innovation and Competitiveness, and Lectra
share a common vision of the key role that innovation plays in the economy, and
it seems only natural for us to create this Chair. The purpose of a business
school, such as ESCP Europe, which trains tomorrow's leaders of European and
global companies, is to investigate the economic sphere's empowerment and to
offer tools in order to respond rapidly to the dynamics of a polycentric
globalization," said Edouard Husson.
The Chair's scientific board members are Valérie Moatti, professor at ESCP
Europe and expert on supply chain management and growth strategies, and Céline
Abecassis-Moedas, visiting ESCP professor and professor at the Universidade
Católica Portuguesa, where she teaches strategy and innovation management.
"Innovation is part of Lectra's DNA. It expresses itself through our
technological breakthroughs to serve new business models. For 40 years, we have
supported changes in the fashion industry and contributed to our customers'
development. Our commitment to future professionals and innovation has led us to
create the Fashion and Technology Chair with ESCP Europe. We want thus
contribute to encourage new technological advances in teaching and research for
the fashion industry in France as well as around the world," said Daniel Harari.
Steering and management committees will oversee governance and will be composed
of Lectra and ESCP Europe representatives. Together, they will define and
approve the academic program, including research guidance, and advise the
scientific board on the Chair's actions.
"FASHION AND TECHNOLOGY" ROUND TABLE
A round table entitled "Fashion and Technology: a paradoxical driver of
innovation?" organized by Lectra and ESCP Europe for the Chair's launch took
place on February 6 at the campus of ESCP Europe Paris, bringing together
several emblematic leaders and personalities from the fashion sector, including
John Palacin, advisor to the minister of Industrial Renewal; Didier Grumbach,
chairman of the Fédération Française de la Couture, du Prêt-à -Porter des
Couturiers et des Créateurs de mode; Christian Blanckaert, chairman of Petit
Bateau; and Jacques Bungert, chairman of Courrèges
About ESCP Europe - The World's First Business School (est.1819)
Established in 1819, ESCP Europe is the World's First Business School and has
educated generations of leaders and entrepreneurs. With its five urban campuses
in Paris, London, Berlin, Madrid, and Torino, ESCP Europe has a true European
Identity which enables the provision of a unique style of cross-cultural
business education and a global perspective on international management issues.
Triple-crown accredited (EQUIS, AMBA, AACSB), ESCP Europe welcomes 4,000
students and 5,000 executives from 90 different nations every year. The School's
alumni network counts 40,000 members in 150 countries and from 200
nationalities.
Through a combination of innovative pedagogy, cross-campus programmes with
integrated curricula, and a research-active faculty, ESCP Europe is an essential
contributor to the development of a European, cross-national management culture.
The aspiration of ESCP Europe is the credo of Europe: to remain faithful to its
humanistic values while at the same time anticipating the new ways of the world.
ESCP Europe is founding partner of heSam Université, a cluster of well-known
institutions for research and higher education structured around the Sorbonne
University
About Lectra
Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions that automate,
streamline and accelerate product design, development and manufacturing
processes for industries using soft materials. Lectra develops the most advanced
specialized software and cutting systems and provides associated services to a
broad array of markets including fashion (apparel, accessories, footwear),
automotive (car seats and interiors, airbags), furniture, as well as a wide
variety of other market sectors, such as aeronautical and marine industries,
wind power, and personal protective equipment. Lectra serves 23,000 customers in
more than 100 countries with 1,350 employees and $256 million in 2012 revenues.
The company is listed on NYSE Euronext.
For more information, please visit www.lectra.com
Contact - Lectra Headquarters / Press Dept.: Nathalie Fournier-Christol
E-mail: n.fournier-christol@lectra.com
Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 64 42 37 - Fax: +33 (0)1 53 64 43 40
Lectra_ESCP Europe_Chair:
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