Specific research clusters

In addition to ESSEC's multidisciplinary research center (CERESSEC), ESSEC Business School is committed to developing research in a wide range of fields. The institution believes that a cross-functional approach is essential for understanding economic, financial and societal issues and developing relevant solutions.
This is the role of the research clusters developed by ESSEC.

ESSEC's European Center for Law and Economics offers an integrated approach to law and economics. Such an approach is now understood to be necessary by economic actors who are aware of the role of law in defining their strategies and the importance of legal regulation for the competitiveness of economies.

The CISE (Center for Social and Sustainable Innovation) aims to develop concrete initiatives in support of the social and environmental transition.
It also leads a community of social and environmental innovators within ESSEC to facilitate their cooperation and boost their visibility.
Finally, it brings together a wider community of players in social and ecological innovation – students, alumni, professors, companies, associations, foundations, local authorities, etc. – to strengthen their ability to act and collaborate in support of the transition.

CORTEX is the research center on Coordination, Control and Crisis Organization in Extreme Situations. It aims at advancing knowledge on the management of extreme situations, which are characterized by uncertainty, complexity, and high risk to cause severe physical, psychological or material damage. CORTEX promotes interdisciplinary perspectives, building on management at large (including organization theory, control, information systems, …), sociology and psychology. Its research projects currently focus on crisis organization and preparation in hospitals; on sensemaking and coordination for police SWAT forces, and on new forms of control and organizations.

Cortex builds strong ties between academics and professionals in its research projects. It ambitions to improve the ability of organizations to better prepare and organize for extreme situations and for future disrupting challenges.

CREAR is an autonomous organization within the ESSEC Research Center. Its mandate is to foster the production of research on the quantitative analysis of financial and insurance risks. As part of the new regulations targeting risk, it focuses on (re)insurance and bank-insurance. Its objectives include facilitating exchanges between professionals and academics, encouraging future collaborations, and conducting research on the issues identified.
With the support of the Banque-Finance-Assurance, the Société Française de Statistique, and the Institut des Actuaires Français (IA), it works to establish productive links with research laboratories and international companies..

The ESSEC Business School's Energy and Commodity Finance Center promotes research and disseminates knowledge in the field of commodity markets and energy finance. Its research projects and activities encourage interaction between disciplines, including finance, economics, financial mathematics, operations research and management sciences. Emphasis is placed on establishing international collaborations between researchers. The center organizes scientific conferences, hosts a monthly webinar, oversees a dedicated graduate track, and manages Argo Review, a journal devoted to cutting-edge knowledge in the field.

In 2021, ESSEC was the first business school to create a center dedicated to geopolitics, defense and leadership. Its ambition is threefold:

to help our students understand the geostrategic complexity of the world, marked by the return of high-intensity conflicts
to understand the world of defense (a) as a regalian policy and an instrument of sovereignty, and (b) as a sector of economic activity.
to inspire responsible leadership by drawing on the values at the heart of the armed forces' group performance: exemplarity, team spirit, perseverance, loyalty, and respectful relationships.

The Center has partnerships with companies (AIRBUS) and prestigious groups(Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, 1er Régiment étranger de génie).The Center is co-directed by Professor Aurélien Colson, Professor Frédéric Charillon and Admiral Loïc Finaz, and is supported by a Scientific Advisory Board. It produces studies and participates in public debate.

The Institute for Research and Teaching on Negotiation was founded at ESSEC in 1996 to bring together researchers and practicing professionals (academics, senior civil servants, elected officials, company managers and employees, trade unionists, social mediators) interested in negotiation, mediation and conflict management. Since 2008, IRENE is directed by Aurélien Colson, professor of political science at ESSEC. The activities at ESSEC's IRENE are structured in programs that allow the decompartmentalization of research, field intervention, continuing education and higher education.

Research: IRENE hosts doctoral students, publishes research and brings together an international network of researchers. Since 2008, 67 interdisciplinary research seminars and panel discussions on negotiation (SIRENE) have been organized. In June 2019, IRENE organized the international colloquium "The Military and Negotiation," in partnership with the French Ministry of the Army's War College.
Education: IRENE designs seminars for higher education institutions (including ENA since 1997), companies and international organizations (including the European Commission since 2004, several UN agencies, the Ministry of the Armed Forces since 2010, the Diplomatic and Consular Institute since 2010, the European External Action Service since 2011). Each year, about 2,000 people participate in our courses.
In the field: IRENE conducts actions for conflict resolution; in 2008, IRENE became the first French organization to join EPLO (European Peace-Building Liaison Office). From 2012 to 2021, the European Commission has asked IRENE to lead the governance team of the European Union's centers of excellence for the prevention of CBRN risks and threats, notably in the Sahel, West Africa, the Caucasus and the Balkans.

To date, IRENE has worked in 82 countries around the world. In July 2010, the Institute inaugurated IRENE ASIA in Singapore, a platform where researchers and practitioners from Europe and Asia can exchange on negotiation, mediation and conflict management. In June 2014, IRENE inaugurated IRENE EUROPA, its office in Brussels.