Alexandre Violle

Dr. Alexandre Violle is a sociologist specializing in the intersections of science and technology studies, economic sociology, and political sociology. He is currently coordinating the "Mapping Controversies" course at Sciences Po's School of Management and Innovation and has a research affiliation with the Center for the Study of Social Movements at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS). Previously, he completed his PhD at the Center for the Sociology of Innovation (CSI) of PSL-Mines Paris University and conducted postdoctoral research funded by the Institut Francilien Recherche Innovation Société (IFRIS).

His academic journey includes:

• Doctorate in sociology of science and technology from École des Mines de Paris
• Postdoctoral research at Centre d'étude des mouvements sociaux of École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (2021-2023)
• PhD research at Center for the Sociology of Innovation (CSI) of PSL-Mines Paris University

Dr. Violle's research examines how expertise drawing on economic or financial knowledge transforms public action in France and Europe across various sectors. His work spans the sociology of science and technology, economic sociology, and political sociology, with particular focus on:

• Social studies of science: knowledge production processes, controversies, science policy
• Political sociology of public action: instrumentation of public action, regulation, state and European action recomposition, energy and economic policies
• Economic/finance sociology: valuation, green finance, theories of money and currency, the role of economic expertise in shaping public action

His current research focuses on the "Anticipation: the futures of French subsoil use" (ANTICIP) project, a five-year initiative examining how different actors conceptualize and plan for the future use of subsoil resources in France. This work builds on his previous research on the European Banking Union and climate stress testing in financial systems, revealing consistent patterns in how technical instruments shape governance approaches to complex societal challenges.

Dr. Violle's scholarly contributions have been recognized through numerous publications in prestigious journals. His research has explored topics including:

• The political dimensions of financial supervision in the European context
• The material politics of climate stress tests in Europe
• The territorialization of industry during energy transitions
• Scaling imperatives in technological innovation
• Critical mineral supply chains and environmental governance

As an educator, Dr. Violle has supervised numerous master's students through their thesis work and has been instrumental in developing innovative pedagogical approaches. He has coordinated the "Mapping Controversies" course at Sciences Po for several years, guiding students through complex analyses of science-society interactions. His teaching spans multiple institutions including École des Mines, IEP de Paris, and Sciences Po, demonstrating his commitment to bridging theoretical knowledge with practical application in understanding contemporary societal challenges.

Dr. Violle is actively involved in collaborative research initiatives, currently working with teams from Ecole des Mines de Paris, IMT Mines Alès, and Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM) on the subsoil resources project. His interdisciplinary approach bridges sociology, political science, and economic analysis to address contemporary challenges in governance and public policy, with particular relevance to the energy transition and financial regulation in the European context.