Can students learn to be entrepreneurs?

Editor's note: Guy Champagne, Director of Entrepreneurship at ESSCA, was interviewed by Le Figaro on this issue common to all management schools. Here are the main points of the article, which appeared in the December 13, 2024 issue.

"For those who already have a fairly precise idea of their project, training is an opportunity to fine-tune their preparation under the right conditions.

As part of their curriculum, for example, students have the opportunity to devote a semester to their start-up project, supported by a tutor and a professor", explains Guy Champagne, Director of Entrepreneurship at Essca.

Those who have already made real progress are often invited to join the school's incubator. They've started to network, learned how to "pitch" and, at the same time, found a home for their start-up.

But not all students are so precocious. The aim of these training courses is to provide a knowledge base for future entrepreneurs who are still searching for their feet.

Editor's note: entrepreneurship is a major focus of the school's development. In addition to infrastructures (such as the Boulogne incubator or the 2 business nurseries in Angers and Bordeaux) and a dedicated Master's degree, the school regularly organizes pitch competitions and entrepreneurial marathons, such as the joint one with Ensam that we mentioned in our December issue.