Meeting with Pierre Meynard, former CEO of Alcan France and Rio Tinto France, who chairs the Arts et Métiers think tank.
Why did you agree to chair theArts et Métiers think tankArts et Métiers
I knew a little about it from school because I had the opportunity to meet many Arts et Métiers engineers Arts et Métiers my industrial career. I have always appreciated their practical approach and rigor.
Above all, I was interested in the ambitious goals set by this think tank: to conduct forward-looking discussions on industry and technology, as well as on the future of the school and its identity.
Furthermore, as someone outside the Arts et Métiers community, I felt it would be useful to bring an outside perspective to the work.
Finally, I was convinced that our country needs more engineers and that Arts et Métiers engineers Arts et Métiers play a key role in addressing the challenges we face: the digital revolution, climate change, and environmental issues.
What are its first concrete achievements?
The steering committee, which has 12 members, held its first meeting in February 2019. Since then, six meetings have been held and two focus groups have been launched, one of which has already submitted its report.
This group, led by Marc Lassagne and Stéphane Lapujoulade, worked on the theme of "technology" and the positioning ofArts et Métiers a "leading technology school serving the industry of the future." Among its main conclusions was the idea that the Arts et Métiers community, which has historical legitimacy in this field, would benefit from taking a more explicit interest in this area.
We therefore recommended that "science and technology" be included in the institution's identity, with an English version "institute of technology." This proposal was accepted and is clearly visible in the school's new logo.
The second focus group, led by Michael Rivette and Eric Dhenin, is looking at the expectations of industry and businesses. They have met with many prominent figures, including Louis Gallois, and will soon be meeting with Arts et Métiers laboratory directors Arts et Métiers students Arts et Métiers recent graduates. Their report should be ready by the end of the year.
The advisory board has also just launched three other focus groups: "How to attract young talent to technological education," "Engineers as actors in environmental and societal challenges," and "Manager 4.0 or what kind of manager for the industry of the future."
What conclusions do you draw from this first year?
I am impressed by the quality of the discussions and the ability of the focus group participants to open up to the outside world.
I also believe that the combination of the steering committee and focus groups works well and lends itself to the emergence of new topics to explore.
One regret, however: the under-representation of women on both the strategic council and in the focus groups. This is something we need to work on.
What is your priority today?
Continue the think tank's groundwork and communicate to share our initial thoughts.
We will give priority to the Arts et Métiers community, particularly the school's staff and students. The first report will be sent to them shortly.
We will then launch an external communication campaign to position Arts et Métiers debates on technology, the industry of the future, environmental issues, and more.
