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Benoit Weil

Benoit Weil

Professor

Center · CGS

Keywords

Team

Conception pour les transitions et transformations industrielles

Biography

Benoit Weil is a researcher whose work lies at the intersection of engineering, theoretical design, and collaborative innovation, with a strong focus on the study of generative design processes and the dynamics of socio-technical transitions. His research focuses in particular on the mechanisms of generative design algorithms (GDAs), their ability to expand designers’ degrees of freedom, and their role in solving complex problems, such as the design of batteries for electric vehicles or the optimization of systems under environmental constraints. A significant portion of his work focuses on analyzing co-design methods tailored to “grand challenges” (climate change, ecological transition, collaborative innovation), where he studies strategies for bridging cognitive, organizational, and institutional gaps among diverse stakeholders. His recent work also addresses the modeling of creative preservation processes, incorporating advanced theoretical frameworks such as C-K theory and category theory to reconcile disruptive innovation with the preservation of existing resources. His approach combines empirical rigor—through industrial or sector-specific case studies—with the development of conceptual frameworks to inform design practices and the management of uncertainty in transition contexts.

Publication(s)

Teaching

Elective Course Period (October and January)

Course Director

Design Science - Generative Processes (TR SCPG Course)

Course Director

The course begins by examining general design theory, which is based on generative processes in closed universes (decision theory, machine learning) and generalized to open universes (general design theory, axiomatic design, C-K design theory). Next, we analyze the specific properties of generative processes using examples from the design of mathematical objects (field extensions, forcing, topos). In the third part, we study two major areas of development in generative processes: the relationship between design and decision-making (how to generate decisions in the unknown); and the effect of knowledge structures on generative processes (independent knowledge, value in the unknown, genericity). For each lecture, we focus on one main concept and an associated application. The concept and application are presented in class and then put into practice during tutorials and case studies. Two guest speakers will provide deeper insights into certain aspects of generativity. The following speakers are already scheduled for 2020: Jean-Baptiste Mouret, INRIA, will present advances in generative data science, particularly evolutionary algorithms such as Novelty Search and Map Elite. Etienne Decencière, MINES ParisTech CMM, will present advances in anomaly detection in machine learning.

Processes and Energy (P&E) track

Guest Lecturer

Course Schedule: The objectives of the personal project preparation periods are to gain hands-on experience with the current scope and equipment of the process industries, and—through industry lectures—to understand the skills, organizational structures, and ways of thinking that drive their progress. These sessions are structured around four modules spread over two weeks: - 2A - Raising awareness of the challenges to be addressed: energy, water, health, nutrition, the environment, and globalization—followed by three weeks of training - 3A - fundamentals of process design, innovative processes, and change management in industrial companies. At the same time, students prepare technology watch reports—CO₂ capture via oxy-combustion, hydrogen, and microalgae; challenges and limitations of ethanol production from wheat; impacts of incinerating new types of waste; new catalytic converters, etc. The personal project, running from November through June, challenges students to produce original work addressing real-world industrial needs at a major company in one of the sectors mentioned above. Topics are carefully selected in consultation with the student. The project is supervised by an engineer from the company, with guidance from researchers in the School’s Department of Energy and Process Engineering. 2-week introductory session in 2A and early October in 3A: “Major Issues”; skills: “Challenges of the process industry in a PEVD”; “Elective Field Trip”; October of the 3A year: “Fundamentals and Language of Processes”; practical skills: “General knowledge of the design, operation, and optimization—economic, energy, and exergetic—of processes and their basic building blocks”; October, 3A: “21st-Century Processes”; Practical Skills: “Overview of the Implementation of New Processes: Energy Decarbonization, CO₂ as a Raw Material, Plasma Processes, Batteries and Heat Pumps, Nanostructured Media, Biorefinery”; October 3A: “Change Management”; expertise: “Methods and tools for the development, management, and improvement of processes: Industrial risk management, Life Cycle Assessment, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Ecology, Industrialization, and industrial enterprises. Process modification. Business ethics"" Some representative elective topics covered in recent years: Optimization of a CO2 capture process: exergetic study, AIR LIQUIDE; Improvement of a biotechnological process for manufacturing an antibiotic, SANOFI-AVENTIS; Optimization of manufacturing times for cosmetic products, L’OREAL; Valorization of ametallurgical byproduct as a raw material, ERAMET; Development and industrialization of a new technical ceramic, IMERYS; Design of a rapid hydrogen tank filling procedure, AIR LIQUIDE; Water policyGroup water policy SAINT-GOBAIN Industrialization and optimization of an onboard cryogenic process AIR LIQUIDE Industrial and regional ecology in the PACA region Ecologie Industrielle Conseil Development of a new offering for personalized heating costs GDF-Suez Selected career paths/positions: Marianne Julien (P86) Energy optimization of oxygen production, then HR Director, Director of Industrial IT, Director of Energy Market Intelligence, Director Air Liquide’s Horizon Hydrogen Energy Program, Carole Le Gall (P89, CM92) Director of ADEME, then Director of CSTB, Jonathan Macron (P05) Technical Manager at Air Liquide, Marie Bessières (P07) Research Engineer in Biomass Gasification at GDF Suez, Benjamin Gauvrit (P08) International Logistics Engineer at L’Oréal, François Deroux (P09) Innovation Manager at Imerys, Olivia Pessinet (P09) Engineer in the QHSE Department at Saint-Gobain.

Design Engineering (DE) Option

Course Director

National and International Context The program collaborates with leading international academic institutions in its field (Chalmers, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, Imperial College, RWTH Aachen, Delft, etc.) and with France’s top design schools (Strate College, École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle, ENSAD). Compared to the curricula of these leading international scientific institutions, the program allows students to combine courses in “Engineering Design,” “Project Management,” “Innovation Management,” and “Industrial Design” in a unique way. Career Prospects and Opportunities Graduates of this track go on to work in a wide variety of sectors (automotive, aerospace, high tech, luxury goods, services, innovation or intellectual property consulting, healthcare, energy, retail, etc.), including the creative industries. With the expansion of innovation departments in many large corporations, several students have quickly risen to high-level innovation leadership roles (Schneider, Thales, RATP, SNCF, Urgo, Airbus, etc.). Some representative elective topics covered in recent years: The elective project runs from October through June. Topics are carefully selected from a wide range of sectors. They fall into two main categories: • Type 1: Students participate in the development of a range of new products or systems and implement new design approaches. Some examples: Seb / startup incubator: development of devices to combat mosquitoes and vector-borne diseases Soft@Home / Orange: leveraging data from home internet routers Urgo Médical: development of connected devices in healthcare Decathlon: the “freshness” of sportswear: methodology for exploring and structuring a new value proposition. • Type 2: Students participate in the development of design methods. Some examples: Airbus: methodology to support cross-sector technology transfer; innovation support tool for the “design-oriented factory” Thales Avionics: From Operational Need to Innovative Design: The Case of Helmet-Mounted Displays for Helicopter Pilots. SNCF / Zeebra (startup): Development of digital tools and services for coordinating innovation experts within the company. Throughout this work, students receive significant support from the course’s faculty. This is a key educational experience during which students can consolidate their knowledge and gain initial professional experience on a topic that addresses real-world business challenges.

POC and Industry of the Future (Entrepreneurship Quarter)

Course Director

To achieve this ambitious goal, students will carry out a proof-of-concept (POC) project in partnership with an industrial company and will draw on a body of knowledge covered in three course modules. The courses are as follows: Production Systems and Logistics (SPL): Designing for Innovation (CPI). Introduction to Statistical and Generative Learning Models (IMASG) These courses will provide the foundations for understanding industrial challenges and the reasoning required for innovation. POC projects are conducted with industrial partners from the Center for Scientific Management. The teaching team and its industry partners identify areas of innovation that are relevant from an educational perspective and for which appropriate POCs must be developed. The students’ task is to define the POC, carry it out, and analyze the resulting outcomes. Since the fields of innovation can vary, they will lead to different types of POCs (technical POCs, organizational POCs, process POCs, etc.), but they will always follow a dual approach of validation and exploration. Below are a few examples: Data analysis for inventory management (technical POC: Upstream database structuring) A calmer reception for older adults in the emergency room (organizational POC: Simulation of an alternative patient triage protocol) Low-carbon individual urban delivery (process POC: Prototype of a container enabling shared delivery) Launching a business model in the healthcare sector (economic POC: Market launch test to validate usage)

PhD supervision

  • 2025 New forms of engineering organization in response to transitions for the reconstruction of existing technical systems CHABERT Marie
  • 2025 Designing Sustainable Scale-up for Industrial Deeptech Startups: Models, Methods, and the Role of Support Structures JANNIC Matthieu
  • 2024 Exploring the unknown through virtual worlds – action logics, collective dynamics, and the values of digital twins MERCAT Flora
  • 2024 Redesigning debt management to meet contemporary challenges: conceptualization, models, and tools BONET FAUS Jose
  • 2024 What models of collective action for the development of a low-tech alpine ecosystem at the territorial scale? BOISSEAU Timothée
  • 2023 Co-design methods to support transitions through digital twins on Earth observation data. TERFOUS Malik
  • 2022 Design models and methods for environmental transition: redesigning at the interface of actors in a complex industrial ecosystem – based on the case of packaging. DESHOULIERES Marion
  • 2022 Organizations and methods for frugal renovation of railway heritage: a toposical approach to validation in complex systems JIBET Nafissa
  • 2021 Generating value from data: a new mode of action based on anomaly management and model design BORDAS Antoine
  • 2020 Understanding the innovation challenges of industrial companies in the face of the unknowns of transitions: modeling and experimenting with a new engineering of expertise DEVAL Marie-Alix
  • 2019 The design factory for its creation heritage: model, organization, and methods for the regeneration of an industrial rule system HARLÉ Honorine
  • 2019 Model and experiment with BOUDIER Justine
  • 2018 Science-industry couplings with double impact: modeling and empirical testing PLANTEC Quentin
  • 2018 From collective action to link digital and ecological transitions: Modeling and experimenting with a new form of co-design between Earth observation data providers and unknown users BARBIER Raphaëlle
  • 2018 Acceleration programs as levers for corporate competitiveness: methods, performance, and action models BOUFFARON Pierrick
  • 2017 The Patent, a standard for managing inventive activity. New models for thinking about managing inventive capabilities. VALIBHAY Chipten
  • 2016 What remains to be designed when commercializing an innovation? Theory and method of milieu design for managing membranes of the unknown THOMAS Maxime
  • 2016 Economic evaluation of design in the unknown - models based on design theory beyond decision theory under uncertainty GILAIN Agathe
  • 2015 Innovate to decide: Modeling and experimenting with decisional ambidexterity to manage the metabolisms of the innovative organization LE GLATIN Mario
  • 2015 Managing the Dom Pérignon Creation Heritage: Modeling and organizing knowledge transmission for generativity CARVAJAL PEREZ Daniel