A thesis reflecting the school’s philosophy

A thesis more in phase with the values of the EM Strasbourg business school would be hard to find. Tackling the matter of a clean and eco-friendly energy production, Sébastien Schladenhaufen, Pierre Boesch, Benoît Thomann and Matthieu Schiff, students in the Master’s degree in business administration, killed two birds with one stone.

“They managed to demonstrate the feasibility of a disruptive innovation, and to integrate the notions of management control, finance and marketing to their work in order to show its economic viability”, says Laurence Viale, head of the Executives department for the Master’s degree in business administration. Even better: they complied with two aspects which make the school stand out among the French business schools. “With his background as a store manager and his passion for sciences and technologies, Sébastien Schladenhaufen embodies the adage of the EM Strasbourg “Be Distinctive””, adds Frédéric Cambecèdes, consultant for the Master’s degree and thesis advisor specialized in start-ups and innovation.

Finally, the thesis topic in itself “Energy transition: a future between earth and sky” which highlights a clean electricity production system, could only be praised in a school that has made of the environmental protection and sustainable development its key values. The risks taking, distinctive topic and authors’ expertise paid off. Their work helps to understand the long-term stakes of a decarbonated energy production using the space based spatial power. “They managed to use all levers required at that level of education” continues Laurence Viale “critical research, hindsight, ability to summarize and rigor”.

Besides, if most of the subjects chosen by the students include an environmental dimension, the big difference lies in the fact that this bold topic tackles “a heavy technology, with long-term investments in an area still little explored by the energy specialists” adds Frédéric Cambecèdes. During the process and at the request of their thesis advisor, the students tried indeed to handle the subject with both the initial investment (including R&D) and the operating costs in mind. Which makes it a particularly accomplished thesis on such a tricky subject. A synthesis of this work would deserve to land on the desk of energy experts and French aerospatial specialists.