The school will host the Cumulus Spring Conference in 2025
Cumulus Conference in Nantes
L'École de design Nantes Atlantique is honored to welcome members of the Cumulus Association for its spring conference in June 2025!
The world's leading network of art, design and media schools, Cumulus will be celebrating 35 years of existence in Nantes from June 3 to 7, 2025, on the theme of “Ethical Leadership: A New Frontier for Design”.
The 2025 Spring Cumulus Conference in Nantes will explore new design ethics through six tracks: Digital Ethics, Food Ethics, Care and public innovative action Issues, Regenerative City and Territorial Development, Informational Issues and Design Entrepreneurship. This event will gather 500 participants from more than 70 countries worldwide, representing nearly 400 establishments. A unique opportunity to put Nantes on the world map of design and the creative industries!
Actively involved in the Cumulus association since 1999, L'École de design Nantes Atlantique is organizing the event with a series of local and international partners: La Cité des congrès de Nantes, Nantes Métropole, la SAMOA, APCI Promotion du design…
Several thematic sessions will be offered during the conference, enabling researchers and professionals to exchange about their expertise around the major challenges facing design: sustainable innovation, digital transformation, mediation and communication, new economic and pedagogical models. These sessions will draw on the expertise of L'École de design Nantes Atlantique's five labs:
- Care Design Lab (health and social innovation),
- City Design Lab (urban change and sustainability),
- Food Design Lab (food and ecological transition),
- Digital Design Lab (digital experiences and AI),
- Media Design Lab (information design and new narratives).
This cross-disciplinary approach will strengthen exchanges between academics and professionals, helping to develop innovative and responsible solutions.
"The theme of ethical leadership is an invitation to rethink designers' responsibilities in the face of the challenges of the contemporary world."
Three days to explore the future of design:
- June 4: Opening day at La Cité des Congrès de Nantes
- June 5: Cumulus Conversations, a space for exchange and reflection between the worlds of business and academia
- June 6: Closing day with an international workshop bringing together some 100 students
Speakers already announced: Gjoko Muratovski, expert in innovation and industrial policy, Fabien Grégoire, head of experience at Saint Gobain and 2021 graduate, Sihem Jouini, specialist in integrating design into organizations, Antoinette Lemens, HR consultant in recruiting top designers, and Matthieu Aquino, co-founder of two global design organizations: 3M and PepsiCo.
Registrations are open. For any inquiries, contact us at cumulus2025@lecolededesign.com.
L'École de design Nantes Atlantique will also have the honor of welcoming guest speaker Cynthia Fleury, a philosopher renowned for her work on ethics and “care”. To mark the 10th anniversary of Sciences du Design and the publication of its 20th issue, the magazine is inviting the world's French-language design research community to Nantes on June 3, 2025, ahead of the Cumulus conference, for an exceptional symposium entitled “New territories in design research”.
Program Highlights:
Keynote Speakers – Thought leaders from academia and industry, including Cynthia Fleury-Perkins, Dr. Gjoko Muratovski, Sihem Ben Mahmoud-Jouini, Antoinette Lemens, and Fabien Grégoire.
Contributions & Research Presentations – A rich selection of 200 contributions from the international design and research community.
Working Groups & Workshops – More than 20 interactive sessions to foster discussions, collaboration, and hands-on learning.
Business Events – Engage in strategic discussions through the Cumulus Design Conversations
Social Events & Exhibitions – Experience Nantes through curated networking opportunities, cultural events, and design exhibitions.
Cumulus Design Conversations
The Design Conversations will bring together key players in innovation and design:
- Climate Change and Resilience: Gilles Rougon (World Design Organization / APCI), Clara Bove (AXA), Katie Cotellon (Saint-Gobain) et Nicolas Buche (Orano), Emmanuel Thouan (APCI), Srini Srinivasan (Design Innovation Institute Shanghai / World Design Organization), Joseph Press (NACAA).
- AI and the Designer: Jérôme Ferrari (Orange), Georgios Alexandros Tsaltas (European Union Intellectual Property Office), Anne Asensio, (Dassault Systems), Quentin Le Pape (Comand AI), Christian Guellerin (L’École de design Nantes Atlantique), Lou Yongqi (Tongji University), Fabienne Munch (Ohio State University).
"Cumulus 2025 is much more than a symposium: it's a platform for exchange and encounters. Several satellite events will enrich this dynamic, offering unique opportunities for collaboration between academic, industrial and creative players," explains Frédéric Degouzon, Director of Strategy, Research and Development at L'École de design Nantes Atlantique.
Find out more on the Event website: cumulusnantes2025.design
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