Research

Xavier Lessage’s research focuses on impact by design, or the way in which design can be a strategic lever for the social and environmental transformation of organisations. His research primarily takes the form of: 

• Undertaking work and research projects based on issues linked to impact by design in the context of businesses or SMEs
• Co-directing and coordinating research work within his role as Chair for: S’entendre – expérience sonore des espaces partagés.

The research project Impact by design seeks to explore new approaches and practices in design, which will allow organisations to ensure the convergence of economic, social and environmental impacts. This project is by nature transdisciplinary, and aligns itself with the field of Design Studies. It takes a practice-based research approach, drawing on the theoretical and methodological fields of action and management sciences. 

Biography

A former student at ENS Cachan and recipient of a doctorate in management science from the Ecole Centrale Paris, his work focuses on SME innovation and internationalisation strategies, innovation and business models, institutional entrepreneurship, the entrepreneurial process and entrepreneurial support.

In 2014 he was the recipient of the HEC Paris Bruno Roux de Bézieux Foundation Prize at the 5th Georges Doriot symposium with A. Jacquemin (UCL) for the paper: Logiques d’action pour surmonter le doute entrepreneurial : faut-il être ambidextre ou effectual ?. The paper was subsequently published in 2016 in the revue Management International (vol. 20, n°2) under the title How Can Entrepreneurs Overcome Their Doubts? Effectuation Theory’s Contribution

He was also the recipient of the prize for best article at the 24th conference of the Association Internationale de Management Stratégique (AIMS) with his colleagues R. Maucuer (Essca) and S. Ronteau (Audencia), in 2015 for their piece Emergence d’un business model innovant. Le rôle structurant des narrations. It was later published in 2018 in the revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie in 2018.

He was co-editor for a special issue on entrepreneurial support for the revue Entreprendre et Innover entitled “L’accompagnement entrepreneurial sous tension” (n°36). He was also coordinator on a research project which ran from 2016-2019 on support for project leaders in the creative industries for the Ateliers de Paris and the City of Paris' Department of Competititvity and Employment. He was also coordinator of the study project for ADAPEI 49 (2016-2018).

Since 2020 he has codirected the Masters programme Innovation by Desgin at ENSCI Les Ateliers

Alongside his work as a lecturer and researcher, he has worked as an international consultant to Japan for over 10 years. Initially working as a foreign trade officer for METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) and METI Kansai, he now acts as an international expert for the city of Kyoto. He was one of the designers and moderators of the Kyoto Contemporary Project programme (2011-2017) and coordinator of ‘Savoir-faire des Takumi’ (2018), an innovative collaborative project between the cities of Paris and Kyoto.