Company Mission
With more than 70 corporate partners in Europe, we provide the special opportunity to incorporate concepts learned in the classroom into real-world business situations. Within the company missions, our Fellows deal directly with these challenges. Together, the Collège and its partner companies form a unique European innovation ecosystem.
Learning Through Action –
Qui agit intellegit
At the Collège, you will deep-dive into the dynamic challenges of leading companies through the company mission, which represents 65% of the MBA experience. Here, you will apply concepts taught in the classroom to real problems.
Our innovation network of over 70 partner companies gives you essential and valuable first-hand experience for your career start. Together, the Collège and its partner companies form a unique European innovation ecosystem.
The Variety of Sectors in the Collège Ecosystem
Energy
Mobility
Chemistry
Bio & Life Sciences
Engineering, Machinery & Aeronautics
Electronics & Deep Tech
Finance, Banking & Insurance
Infrastructure
Media
»Every year, we take CDI assignments. That allows us to see what the Fellow can do in a real life situation. To do that, we have to provide a project that is genuinely interesting and strategic.«
Preparing You for Future Challenges
As the learning experience at the Collège is based on Learning Through Action, seminar weeks alternate with periods spent in individually matched company missions.
The development of your management skills will be accelerated by your immersion in the real world of business right from the beginning. We believe that Learning Through Action is an instant career elevator.
The company mission is a managerial and strategical challenge in one of our partner companies requiring scientific competence. A year spent at the Collège will sharpen your business mindset and enrich your professional network.
Individual Company–Fellow Matching
The matching process between the Fellow and the company mission is unique: after admission, every Fellow meets several managers in interviews organised by the Collège for potential company missions.
The missions are within the network of company partners. You will benefit directly from the trust base of our partners and will face challenges you would not see as a young graduate. As a result, working on a Collège mission offers far more than practical work experience.
The Fellows excel during the mission, build and enlarge their professional network and truly understand how managers think and act. This opportunity leads to exceptional job offers after the MBA, inside and outside the Collège's worldwide network of companies.
»We've had many excellent CDI Fellows who made impressive contributions to projects.«
Some Company Missions
of the Last Years
The objective was: Leverage RWE and RWD to transform the company's approach to healthcare solutions
Real-world data (RWD) is the data found and collected on patients in the many databases that have been available for years. Real-world evidence (RWE) is the knowledge gained from this data. With increasing digitisation, the amount of patient data collected and digitally recorded has exploded, providing access to a wealth of information about patients' health, diseases, treatments, co-treatments and so on.
This data can be used in a variety of ways. Data from patients with an untreated condition could be considered an external control arm for a clinical trial if the population and data are relevant to the trial. This saves the cost of clinical trials and the ethical controversy surrounding placebos. Another possibility is to identify new drug indications.
The project was twofold. The first was to lead the RWD scouting and provide evaluation recommendations. The second was understanding and implementing the pharmacometric models and the data integration.
The objective was: Understand the fundamentals of today's business models so the company can better detect how these models may evolve
In a highly uncertain world, a company's strength lies in its great capacity for adaptation and its ability to respond to global transformations. The strategic plan is the compass that helps navigate this complex world. The plan was built upon four priorities: delivering strong financial performance, decarbonising the planet, unlocking progress via technology and acting for all. One of the main goals was to deliver leverageable and quality knowledge to the Group's leaders.
The objective was: Develop the Group's net zero strategy
The sustainable development department is responsible for the development and deployment of the Group's sustainability strategy, in particular the climate strategy, its disclosure to the various internal and external stakeholders, and its performance concerning its commitments and objectives. The transition plan required consolidation into a structured document and set of analysis already launched decarbonisation levers, identifying and filling gaps in the current Group approaches and communication and helping the management position itself on key topics surrounding CO2 ambitions.
The objective was: Ensure innovation-driving, business-oriented research activities
The central research department of Siemens, with its two pillars "Research in Energy and Electronics" and "Research in Digitalisation and Automation", researches cross-business innovations that go beyond the R&D activities of the individual Siemens businesses. As a strategy department, it forms the interface between research, the executive board, and the management of the businesses. In the context of the company mission, the fellow worked on strategic topics such as location and portfolio analyses, supported stakeholder management, and developed concepts on how research can generate more customer impact.
The objective was: Systematically integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into existing business and production processes and expand the value creation portfolio through intelligent hardware solutions
How can Infineon Technologies, a global leader in power semiconductors, derive value from artificial intelligence? This challenging question was addressed in a CDI company mission. The fellow has developed strategies and solutions to enable efficiency improvements for the employees through AI, as well as create functional added value for products for Infineon's customers.
The objective was: Develop a concept for a unified and comprehensive innovation controlling at Evonik Industries, which can contribute to the management of the company's research and development activities
A company's Corporate Controlling aims to distribute resources as efficiently and profitably as possible, track them, and plan for the future. Research and development are key drivers for the maintenance and growth of the business and must be supported with appropriate means. This project aimed to determine the extent of research and development expenditures to maintain ongoing business and how specific increased investments can generate growth.
The objective was: Utilise Generative AI to automate the design process for medical devices, integrating comprehensive documentation and regulatory data.
Generative AI, a cutting-edge technology, can be used to analyse extensive datasets to streamline the medical device design process. This involves examining design controls documentation, including user requirements, design inputs, and outputs. By automating this analysis, AI ensures that all aspects of compliance and functionality are meticulously considered, while drastically reducing the Cost of Non-Quality.
A key output of this automation is the traceability matrix, which provides an evidence-based story of why a product or service is safe and effective. The project had two main objectives: to integrate Generative AI into the medical device design workflow and to enhance the AI's ability to learn from regulatory and post-market data. By automating these critical processes, the tool expedites medical device design, ensuring higher accuracy, compliance, and ultimately, safer and more effective medical products.
The objective was: Design an integrated service to enhance the management of drugs and medical devices (MD) through process automation.
In today's rapidly evolving world, the healthcare sector faces numerous challenges and opportunities driven by technological advancements, socio-economic changes, and geopolitical dynamics. To thrive amidst these transformations, hospitals must harness the power of digital technologies to enhance patient care, streamline operations, and adapt to external pressures. One of the main goals of the mission was to develop an integrated service that ensures seamless coordination and effective utilisation of resources, leveraging logistic optimization.
The objective was: Develop new business opportunities and coordinate the implementation of B2B projects in the agrifood sector.
Agrifood and agritech are increasingly critical sectors requiring new technologies and digitalization of the business in order to support agricultural entrepreneurs and stakeholders in facing the emerging climate crysis amongst other challenges. Innovation and speed in project execution are a key factor when supporting 300,000+ farms, belonging to more than 50 supply chains in more than 100 countries around the world. The mission's primary purpose was executing B2B projects to advance the digitisation of the agri-food sector and the activities encompassed where: the executive coordination for 3 implementation projects across Europe, the improvement of innovative and digital products, and client facing role for the development and structuring of new services.