Olivier Scheffer

Background

About Olivier Scheffer

Inventing a better future by bringing bright ideas to adoption, through collaborative research, open innovation and strategic business development: this is what has driven my 30 years experience in developing innovative products, start-ups and research centres, first in digital tech then in sustainable architecture and finally in Biomimicry. My main area of interest today is regenerative design and development, with a strong focus on nature-regenerative / nature-inspired innovation, a topic I have been developing over the last fifteen years both at national and international level, within or with several organisations (XTU Architects, Biomimicry Europa, CEEBIOS, AFNOR/ISO, NOBATEK/INEF4, Biomimicry WorldTour, Territory Lab, Regenesis Institute.). Technically, my expertise today covers business management at top-executive level, with a strong focus on innovation management, ranging from continuously spotting trends, evaluating projects and ideas, building business plans and strategies, initiating strategic research, setting-up, managing and motivating teams, recruiting and coordinating strategic partners from various fields, defining collaborative research programs, leveraging private equity or public subsidies, developing prototypes and pilot projects, promoting and valuing the research, and launching new products and services. As lead coordinator of the SymBIO2 research program (5M€ and 9 partners), I delivered in 2016 the first 200 m2 operating biofacade (facade-integrated microalgae photobioreactors), which was only a patent-pending concept at XTU in 2011. Later I initiated the transformation of a French regional-level (Aquitaine area) technical research center into a national-level Institute for Energy & Environmental Transition for the construction industry. I am now helping the strategic development of Ceebios, the French biomimicry research and expertise center. Specialties: research and innovation, new product & business development, management, strategy, marketing, eco-design, bioinspired architecture & planning, regenerative design & development