EuraTechnologies appoints Emmanuel Durand as President of the Management Board

EuraTechnologies, a major innovation hub, incubator and gas pedal for the Lille European Metropolis and the Hauts-de-France Region for the past 16 years, is embarking on a new phase of structuring and development.

Faced with the rise of artificial intelligence, the acceleration of technological breakthroughs and the importance of digital sovereignty and cybersecurity issues, Lille’s ecosystem is being strengthened to accelerate the support and growth of its technology-intensive startups, stimulate collaborations between innovative entrepreneurs and local companies, and continue its contribution to metropolitan and regional economic development.

The appointment of a new director of the Lille Innovation Incubator and Accelerator is a major step forward in the structuring and development of the company.

The appointment of Emmanuel Durand, confirmed on Thursday December 4 at the last Supervisory Board meeting and scheduled to take up his post on January 1, 2026, fully embodies this ambition. Drawing on his experience as former CEO of Snapchat France, and in environments marked by strong transformation and innovation challenges, Emmanuel Durand brings his expertise in innovative projects, innovation financing, hyper-growth, as well as development on a European and international scale.

At the helm of the company, Emmanuel Durand will be in charge of the development and management of the Snapchat Group.

Having steered the opening and rapid expansion of Snapchat's French office, after a solid growth track record at Warner Bros and L’Oréal, her entrepreneurial expertise will enable her to densify the support and acceleration of startups at EuraTechnologies and adapt it to market expectations.

« I am delighted to be joining EuraTechnologies, to put my experience in business development and transformation at the service of a unique entrepreneurial ecosystem. After accompanying the growth of major international companies and ambitious startups alike, I would now like to extend this commitment by contributing to the evolution of EuraTechnologies and its tech innovators, by creating the conditions for sustainable growth that balances impact, public service and economic performance. says Emmanuel Durand, the new Chairman of the Management Board.

A strategic integration of cybersecurity at the heart of the EuraTechnologies hub

The recent appointment completes the strengthening of governance begun last August with the arrival of Chekib Gharbi as a member of the EuraTechnologies Board of Management and Director of the Campus Cyber Hauts-de-France Lille Métropole.

As he continues to head the CITC and CSIRT Hauts de France, Chekib Gharbi embodies a dynamic of strengthened collaboration between the region’s players - startups, major accounts, innovation centers, public and academic players. His role within the digital ecosystem positions Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Digital Sovereignty and Quantum as essential foundations for the region’s technological development and innovation.

A new governance cycle to support the hub’s evolution

The two appointments strengthen EuraTechnologies’s governance and are fully in line with its roadmap: accelerating digital and technological innovation, while consolidating a responsible and sustainable model capable of generating a tangible economic and societal impact on the territory and beyond.

« Emmanuel Durand convinced the jury with his pragmatic and resolute approach. His digital and managerial expertise will be essential in enabling the SEM to meet the economic and technological challenges that lie ahead. I am delighted by the Supervisory Board's unanimous support for his nomination, which perfectly illustrates the shareholders' shared vision of the challenges ahead of us," concludes Michel Colin, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of EuraTechnologies.

At the end of this process of renewing the Management Board, the Supervisory Board took note of the end of Etienne Westphal’s duties as Chairman of the Management Board, as well as his resignation from EuraTechnologies. The shareholders would like to thank him for the quality of his work and for the intensity of his commitment to EuraTechnologies, first as Company Secretary and Member of the Management Board, then as Chairman of the Management Board.