Strategic Research Analysis Corporate Project

Recognition Year(s): 2019

School: Toulouse Business School

Location: France

Innovation Statement

The SRA Corporate Project is a academic-industry collaboration where students and faculty work together with a firm on a research-intensive question initiated by practitioners' needs and resulting in research reports and publications.

Call to Action

This Strategic Research Analysis (SRA) Corporate Project, which works to bridge academia and business practice, was established based on the following motivations:

Provide an opportunity for postgraduate students and research faculty to familiarize themselves with the corporate and institutional environment of a high-tech company or public organization sponsor of the project
Develop a strategic research approach based on core project question(s) and expectations in line with the corporate project description before, during, and beyond the corporate company contact
Create a team-working approach with different roles and sharing of work packages for (student) speakers, team leaders, time keepers, editors, reviewers, etc.
Learn how to write a research report and other possible outputs, such as articles, while also answering practical questions from the field
Secure training and future placement of students, like internships, research project assignments, junior enterprise projects, jobs
Enable joint publications following the project-inquiry research approach through enhanced knowledge obtained in a collaborative project that impacts both practice and theory
Stimulate innovation in the partner firms and academia alike while developing the intrapreneurial space between theory and practices in ways that create value with corporate results and positive impact for society, education, and research

Innovation Description

Overall, each project is a win-win configuration through cross-functional and interdisciplinary teamwork of students with practitioners and research faculty for academic and business outcomes.

Time frame, process, and activities: Students and faculty inquire within the corporate and institutional environment of the partner company or public organization as a sponsor of the project. Projects evolve in a three-to-six-month period on a part-time basis in small groups of five to seven participants, as students often are taking other classes. The professional partner organizations provide tutors (managers) to answer corporate questions leading to the extension of knowledge and a joint strategic research analysis approach.

Structure and objectives: The objective for the research and small student groups is to develop a team-project working approach with different roles and division of work for the research analysis, such as speakers, team leaders, time keepers, and editors. The objective of these SRA projects is threefold:

Reply with a strategic research approach to a professional practitioner’s question emerging from the corporate world
Gather information and build knowledge with an inquisitive research-minded and action-learning approach
Design, learn, and implement a strategic research and innovative project management approach by the students and their academic supervisor(s) with cooperation from the professional partner(s)

Innovation Impact

Research faculty must develop strong ties with the private business community, public organizations, and larger society beyond academia to attract innovative research questions triggered by the field of management and business practice. Interested companies and organizations become sponsors of strategic research analysis student projects and set core questions for inquiry in joint coordination with research faculty. This fruitful collaboration leads to numerous outcomes:

Increased in research mindset of practitioners and their companies that enhances thoughtful business practice
Impactful research based on business practice with continuous publication opportunities useful for both academia and practicing managers
Development of responsible, accountable management practice among students to make sure the written report and final presentation receive approval from the corporate sponsor
Expanded networking and job placement opportunities as well as future renewed projects with more corporate partners

Currently, several conference and journal papers are either accepted or under revision.

Reference Links

Innovation Partners

Airbus Group; Better Human & Cie.; Daher Aerospace; Airbus Defence & Space; CNES; AKKA; CLS - Collect Localisation Satellites; Aerospace Valley; PwC Consulting & Advisory; Capgemini; Thales Group; Relaer (Aerospace Solutions); ENAC; 3AF