Our projects

Project-based research

Excelia Business School favours a project-based approach to research.

These projects bring together researchers, businesses, local authorities, institutions and academic partners in order to produce knowledge and solutions that are transferable to the field.

CO4HUB (Driving Urban Transitions Partnership – DUT)

Reinventing urban logistics
The Horizon CO4HUB project aims to design scalable urban logistics solutions capable of addressing the spatial, economic and competitive constraints encountered in cities.
In the context of the 15-minute city, the project looks in particular at the availability of space, willingness to pay and stakeholders’ reluctance to change.
CO4HUB combines pilot experiments, simulations and innovative governance and business models.

The scientific lead for the Excelia Business School team is Jesus Gonzalez-Feliu.
 

Three areas of action:

  • Organisation of transport systems
  • Business models creating sustainable value
  • Public policies and incentive mechanisms fostering cooperation


CO4HUB in figures

  • Launch: January 2026
  • Total budget: €2.1 million
  • Total funding: €1.4 million
  • Excelia funding: €122,000
  • Partners: 23
  • Countries involved: Austria, Finland, France, Sweden
  • Experiments: 10, including 3 in La Rochelle and Bordeaux


The project draws in particular on a local ecosystem bringing together the Coopérative Carbone, the University of Bordeaux, ELISE, La Rochelle Urban Community, Bordeaux Métropole and local businesses.

 

W.E.L.L.-EU (Wellness Efficiency & Low-carbon Leveraging in Europe, PHOENIX 4.0 Alliance)

Supporting the sustainable transition of wellness tourism SMEs

PHOENIX 4.0 is an applied research project led by Excelia Business School, in partnership with Raccourci Agency and Relais Thalasso Île de Ré – Hôtel Atalante. Launched on 1 July 2026 for 12 months, the project has a budget of €25,000 and aims to support tourism SMEs in their environmental, digital and resilient transition.


Artificial intelligence at the service of environmental e-reputation
The project draws on artificial intelligence to analyse online customer reviews and identify how establishments’ environmental commitments are perceived. The analysis focuses in particular on issues relating to water, energy, biodiversity, soft mobility and short supply chains.
GreenCast technology, developed by Raccourci Agency, is adapted to the specific features of wellness tourism in order to develop indicators for measuring, comparing and showcasing the perceived environmental performance of establishments.


An experiment at Relais Thalasso Île de Ré
Relais Thalasso Île de Ré – Hôtel Atalante is the project’s pilot site. Experimentation in real-life conditions will make it possible to test and refine the analysis models, while identifying the most relevant uses for SMEs in the sector.
The project will also result in the production of the report “Wellness Efficiency and Low Carbon Leveraging in Europe”, intended to formalise good practices and to propose indicators to support the sustainable transition of wellness tourism at European level.


PHOENIX 4.0 is led by Luc Béal, lecturer-researcher at Excelia Business School.

 

Weaving NFT co-creation, Women’s Voices and Sensory Education into the Future of Colombian Coffee Value (TRAMPOLIN ECOS-NORD 2026 – Institut Français de Bogotá)

Promoting women’s integration into the coffee supply chain
The project led by Morgane Fritz is being developed in cooperation with a Colombian university.
It focuses on women’s integration into the coffee supply chain in Colombia.
The project provides for the funding of two doctoral students, one in France and the other in Colombia, as well as mobility between the two countries.
This project is a “springboard” towards the preparation of an Ecos-Nord application in 2027.

 

Project owner assistance

Excelia Business School supports the La Rochelle Urban Community on planning and decision-making issues related to sustainable urban logistics. Excelia’s main actions are as follows:

  • Assist and advise the Urban Community (CdA) in carrying out the studies conducted or led by the CdA, as well as support it in monitoring and evaluating the actions included in them.
  • Provide scientific and technical expertise for the consultation meetings and the charter on sustainable urban logistics.
  • Monitor urban logistics projects; support and advise the CdA in the production and harmonisation of the data available on urban logistics.
    The scientific lead for this contract is Jesus Gonzalez-Feliu.
  • Duration: 24 months, renewable
     

 

Sociétés à Missions Europe (SaMEur – ERDF funding)

Excelia Business School is a partner in the SaMEur project led by the University of Picardie Jules Verne and funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The project is dedicated to responsible business at European level, in particular the status of “mission-driven company” at European level.
The scientific lead for Excelia Business School is Philippe Schafer.
Launch: February 2026.