The entrepreneurship and innovation department

The Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, led by Professor Pia Arenius, is dedicated to advancing the study and practice of entrepreneurship and innovation. Professor Arenius's research centers on nascent entrepreneurs and the interplay between individual actions and contextual factors, shaping outcomes at both individual and venture levels. An editor for Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, having worked in Europe and Australia before joining emlyon, she brings extensive international experience in entrepreneurship education and research.

The department comprises 29 international and French professors and instructors of which 34 % are women. We offer over 50 courses in entrepreneurship and innovation, both mandatory and elective, across all major programs. We view entrepreneurship as a mindset and skills, and a tool to integrate knowledge from various fields, empowering students to create meaningful real-world impacts. For example, in the course Organizing Social Innovation, students explore diverse models for managing social change initiatives, focusing on their potential benefits and unintended consequences.

Faculty directory - Discover the profiles of our professors

Undergraduate Programs

  • Programme "Bachelor in Business Administration" BBA:
    Mandatory courses such as the PCE and Innovation Management, electives courses, specialization tracks in innovation and entrepreneurship

  • “Programme Grande Ecole”, PGE:
    The “PCE” mandatory course, 45 different elective courses, three specialization tracks (businesss mediation, parcours start-up, and entrepreneurship)

Master of Science and “Mastère Specialisé”

Three different programs:

MSc in Global Innovation & Entrepreneurship - Professor Rickie Moore:

  • Vision/mission: The objective of emlyon business school's MSc in Global Innovation & Entrepreneurship is to prepare professionals, entrepreneurs, and business leaders who embrace sustainable entrepreneurship as a major driver of the future.
  • Started in 2023
  • Number of students 2023-24: 20
  • Profile of incoming students: BBA or Master 1
  • Program conducted on the following sites: Lyon, Oulu Business School, Finland, CFVG (Franco-Vietnamien Centre of Management) Vietnam
  • Duration : 18 months – 24 months
  • Career Prospects: Young Entrepreneur, Intrapreneur, Family Business / Succession, Business Developer, Innovation (Sustainable) Catalyst, Product Development Manager, Business Intelligence Developer

18 months

English

Full-time

ECTS 120

MSc in Leading Sustainable Transformations - Professor Vincent Giolito:

  • Vision/mission : Master change management and elevate your leadership with our Master of Science degree. Develop the expertise to drive positive change in organizational strategies towards sustainability
  • Started in 2024 (first cohort)
  • Number of students in September 2024: 15
  • Profile of incoming students: Bachelor + 1-year prof. exp. prof. (8 nationalities) diverse backgrounds: fashion design, marketing, BBAs, Engineering, etc
  • Program conducted on the following sites: Paris, London Interdisciplinary School+ Learning expedition Brussels, Amsterdam
  • Duration: 16-18 months plus 4-6 months internship
  • Career Prospects: Change management and project management

18 months

English

Full-time

ECTS 120

Mastère Spécialisé Entrepreneuriat & Management de l'Innovation - Professor François Scheid:

  • Vision/mission: Innovation and entrepreneurial development managers are responsible for initiating and developing new growth-oriented activities in existing and new firms. They are responsible for managing the innovation process, developing new business models, implementing new products and services, and developing disruptive innovations, often connected to information technologies.
  • Started: 2018 for the current MS EMI, borne out of the merger between the “Mastère Entreprendre” created in 2000 and the “MS Mngt de la Technologie et de l'innovation” created in 1989.
  • Number of students: 2023-2024 n=48 in Lyon, n=52 in Paris 52; 2024-2025 n=45 in Paris A 45, n=50 Paris B, n= 42 in Lyon
  • Profile of incoming students: 65 % Engineering, hard sciences, other profiles 35% (business, law, political sciences etc…)
  • Program conducted on the following sites: Lyon or Paris
  • Duration: 12 months, mixing apprenticeship and courses
  • Career Prospects: Entrepreneurs (start-ups and scale-ups) , Consultancy in business development and innovation (strategy or technology), Product Development Manager, Business Intelligence Developer, with a focus on sustainability, transition, and digitalization.

12 months

French

Alternance

ECTS 75

Postgraduate and Exed