Meet with Élodie Billard, Project manager
By Radi Khodr
To mark the 25th anniversary of Réseau Biotechno, we’re launching a new series dedicated to the people behind the network. Our alumni gave their time and energy as volunteers, and that commitment is a large part of what built our association and carried its name beyond the lab. We begin with Élodie Billard, who was active in the network between 2019 and 2022.
A volunteer at the heart of the network
Élodie joined Réseau Biotechno in 2019 and stayed involved through 2022, wearing two hats at once. In the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region she helped organize the local forum, and at the national level she took on the role of communication and community manager.
On the ground in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, that meant building the partnerships that make a forum possible from drafting the first emails, to making contact, and sitting down with prospective partners. It meant finding and inviting speakers, shaping roundtable sessions, and running the practical side of social media across LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. On the day itself, she was there to welcome participants and keep the schedule on track.
Nationally, she carried the network’s voice on social media and, when there was no webmaster on the team, stepped in to manage and maintain the website. It was the kind of “someone has to do it, so I will” responsibility that ends up teaching you more than any job description promises.
What the experience gave back
The forums were run on trust. Volunteers were handed real responsibility and the freedom to deliver, and for Élodie that was the most formative part of the whole experience.
“I learned an enormous amount, both professionally and personally. The responsibility we were given, and the confidence placed in us to put the forums together, was hugely motivating and empowering. I’ve been able to carry that experience into my professional life ever since. Réseau Biotechno also gave me genuinely rewarding encounters, a window into different corners of the biotech world, and the chance to learn how to engage with companies and start-ups. This was something I hadn’t mastered, coming from an academic background.”
That last point matters. Like many researchers, Élodie came up through academia. The network became the bridge that connected her to industry and the start-up ecosystem, broadened her view of what biotech could be outside the university, and helped her build a network she still draws on today.
The path from Réseau Biotechno to today
Élodie’s career reads as a steady move from research toward leading projects that shape how science is taught and funded.
PhD, Université Grenoble Alpes
The foundation: a doctorate and the rigor that comes with it.
Teaching
Biology, biochemistry, and life & earth sciences at the high-school level.
Internationalization Officer for PhD students, Université Savoie Mont Blanc
A first step into program and project work.
Project Officer, ANR / France 2030, Université Savoie Mont Blanc
Managing nationally funded research and innovation projects.
Project Manager, Green Chemistry Academy, Université Savoie Mont Blanc
Her current role, leading a national Master’s-level training program.
Today: leading a national training program
As Project Manager for a nationwide Master’s-level program, Élodie sits at the center of a project that brings together public and private partners. Her experience allows her to cover the full picture: the organizational, administrative, financial, and legal management of the project, keeping up with every partner involved.
Day to day, that means producing the deliverables and performance indicators funders ask for, keeping a close eye on similar initiatives and projects across the field, and owning the program’s communication and visibility. It’s a role that draws directly on the partnership-building, coordination, and communication muscles she first experienced when organizing forums for Réseau Biotechno.
Her advice for young researchers
“Our needs and expectations change over time and depending on circumstances. Our vision of the future isn’t always what tomorrow will actually bring – so don’t be afraid of change!”
