Underpinning Focus

The Hub for Business Innovation & Globalization (BIG) at emlyon business school focuses on education, research, and practice in the following areas:

  • Strategic Layout：
    We focus on studying the global macro-political and economic landscape under complex geopolitical and economic cycles, helping enterprises build resilient, high-growth, and geopolitically compliant global operational structures amid uncertainty, and enabling them to make the leap from “passive overseas expansion” to “proactive strategic positioning.”
  • Localization Integration:
    Focused on “Glocal” — a global perspective with local action — this research explores how to deeply integrate Chinese enterprises’ competitive advantages with the host country’s legal compliance, cultural awareness, and industrial ecosystem, providing enterprises with theoretical support for cross-cultural management and localization-driven innovation.
  • Innovation and Sustainable Development：
    Focusing on research into new paradigms for digital overseas expansion in the AI era, as well as how to leverage digital and intelligent innovation to enable globalized enterprises to achieve sustainable development.
  • Global Leading Talents：
    Focused on an executive education system that integrates industry, academia, and research, transforming cutting-edge research findings into teaching practices, and cultivating international business leaders with global competence who can navigate diverse cultures.

Key Principle

  • Academic Rigor：
    Leveraging the academic resources of a top-tier business school and employing rigorous data science and case-study methodologies, we not only focus on business phenomena but also strive to uncover the underlying logic behind them, producing original research with international impact.
  • Practical Orientation:
    We consistently adhere to the principle of “drawing from real-world practice and returning to it,” conducting in-depth field research at the front lines of enterprises to ensure that our academic insights can be translated into actionable business solutions and management recommendations.
  • Ecological Collaboration:
    Break down barriers between academia and industry, build an open research ecosystem, and achieve efficient resource allocation and co-creation of value.
  • Value-driven:
    We not only focus on companies’ financial performance but also place great emphasis on the positive impact of business practices on global society and the environment. We are committed to promoting responsible globalization and guiding companies to become respected global business partners.

Scope of  Work


  1. Outstanding Research and Thought Leadership: The Hub is committed to generating original research findings with global impact and defining management theories for the globalization of Chinese enterprises.
    Joint Research Initiatives: Collaborate with top-tier business schools and research centers both domestically and internationally to conduct in-depth research on the field of corporate globalization.
    Funding and Grants: Actively seek project funding and related financial support from government and industry research funds.
    Academic Output: Continuously publish high-quality academic papers and generate industrial impact.
    Industry and Academic Forum: Establish an annual research forum to create a platform for exchange and networking among policymakers, scholars, and entrepreneurs from China and abroad.
  2. Empowering Global Leadership: Transforming research findings into teaching momentum to cultivate multinational industry leaders with a global perspective and local action capabilities.
    Degree Program Support: Providing support for DBA and EMBA programs in areas such as admissions, teaching, extracurricular activities, and dissertation guidance.
    Customized Executive Development Programs (EDP): Developing specialized executive training programs focused on corporate innovation and globalization, particularly in the context of Chinese enterprises going overseas. These programs cover, but are not limited to, topics such as “Cultural Integration and Organizational Transformation After Enterprises Go Global,” “Cross-Border E-commerce and Global Supply Chains,” “Building Global Compliance Systems and ESG Strategies,” “Country- and Region-Specific Analysis,” and “Geopolitical Economics and Risk Management.” “Cross-border mergers and acquisitions,” etc.
    Global Immersive Study Tours: Leveraging the Hub’s international collaboration network, we provide Chinese enterprises with opportunities for on-site visits to key overseas markets and facilitate closed-door dialogues with top overseas companies, think tanks, and regulatory agencies.
  3. Industry Incubation and Think Tank Consulting: As a “super connector” for companies going global, we bring together industry leaders and academic experts to transform theoretical research into business growth and distill practical case studies into academic insights.
    Industry Consulting: Offering in-depth consulting tailored to the overseas expansion needs of specific industries and enterprises, covering market entry strategies, corporate structure design, and global brand development pathways.
    Ecological Incubation: Providing one-stop support—from legal compliance and tax policies to local resource connections—for innovative projects with international growth potential.
    Think-tank Development: Deeply explore successful case studies and failure lessons from Chinese enterprises’ overseas development, establish a database of data, information, and strategies, and use it to support both teaching and industry research.