Creation of the PÉpIte Chair

Paris, October 14, 2025 — A new research chair is being created within the ecosystem of the Louis Bachelier Institute: the PÉPite Chair — Ecological planning, industrial policies and territories.
Led by Nadine Levratto (director of research at CNRS) and Nicolas Portier (affiliated professor at the Sciences Po Urban School), the PÉpite Chair is supported by the Institut pour la Recherche de la Caisse des Dépôts and hosted by the Louis Bachelier Institute.

Its ambition: link ecological transition and industrial renewal at the territorial level, to inform public decision-making and support local economic strategies.

A double emergency: decarbonize and rebuild

Between 1980 and 2020, French industrial employment fell by 36% (INSEE), weakening the country's productive base and accentuating territorial imbalances.
At the same time, the ecological transition opens up a field of unprecedented opportunities: development of renewable energies, green innovations, eco-materials, sustainable relocations.

The PÉPite Chair is part of this dynamic by placing the territorialization of ecological and industrial policies at the heart of its approach.

“Ecological planning will only take on its full dimension if it is rooted in territories”, underline its founders.

Four areas of research for thinking and acting

The work of the Chair will focus on four main axes :

1. Territorial ecological transitions
2. Industry and productive bifurcations
3. Geography of innovation
4. Financing the transition

This approach interdisciplinary and partnership-based Will gather researchers, businesses, professional organizations, local authorities and public institutions, in order to promote the crossing of expertise and the production of knowledge useful for action.

An action-research space open to partners

The PÉPite Chair will develop a rich offer ofstudies, diagnoses, policy briefs and training, while creating multi-actor dialogue spaces.
Partners who join the Chair will benefit from:

• Of a privileged access to analyses and work of research,
• Of a increased visibility within the scientific and institutional network,
• and the possibility of participate actively in the design of a just transition, reconciling ecology and industry.

Learn more

🌐 www.chaire-pepite.org
📩 contactpresse@chaire-pepite.org

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