Clément Renaud

Clément Renaud - CV

Born in 1983. Married. Lives in Tours, France.
clementrenaud.com - +33 (0)6 43 34 56 55

Trained in humanities, Clement Renaud is both a social scientist and a software engineer. In his practices, he explores the relationships between digital technology, territories and representations.

Research interests

  • the visual representation of change
  • the planning and history of the city of Shenzhen
  • the making of digital technology
  • the evolution of writing tools and technics
  • the frontiers of visual arts
  • the intersections of technological and natural ecosystems
  • living pedagogies and how to teach theory by practice.

Selected References

Digital Technology / Design

15+ years experience as a practicioner of creative technology in global projects and teams.

  • 2020-today: Board Member at Fabricatorz Foundation supporting creative technologists (St Louis, MO. USA) - fabricatorz.org
  • 2018-2020: Executive director at Qi Hardware - pionneer organization in open-source hardware and electronics wikipedia.org/Qi_hardware
  • 2016 - 2018: Founder at Topogram, an open-source web toolkit to visualize how networks evolves over time and space - topogram.io
  • 2015-today: “full-stack” software developer for open-source projects, startups and companies worldwide - github.com/clemsos
  • 2015-2018: Co-founder of Processing Lyon, Le Club and several other initiatives to promote and spread the practice of creative coding in France

China / Urban Studies

With more than 10 years spent in China, Clement speaks Chinese and has lead extensive research about urban development and digital technologies there.

  • 2017-2019: Postdoctoral researcher at EPFL for SNFS-funded project Politics and communities of innovation in contemporary China - epfl.ch
  • 2015-2017: Postdoctoral researcher at ParisTech Telecom for ANR-funded project OPen Innovation : Models and Places in Urban China (OPIMPUC) - anr.fr
  • 2015-2018: Shanzhai Archeology with the art collective DISNOVATION.ORG - disnovation.org/shanzhai
  • 2011-2013: Co-founder of Sharism Lab (Hong Kong) to investigate social networks dynamics in Chinese cities - sharismlab.com
  • 2011-2012: Social media editor at Urban China magazine in Tongji University. urbanchina.com.cn

Data Visualisation

Clement’s research explores how can digital technology can help us produce new visual and mental representations.

  • 2018-2019: Researcher at Rhone-Alpes Institute for Complex Systems (IXXI) to develop a core competency in data visualization. Creation/organization of the Micro Meso Macro conference at ENS de Lyon (France) - micromesomacro.com
  • 2017: Postdoc at LIRIS, Lyon 1 (HCI) - automated analysis of mind maps drawn by middle schools students - META EDUCATION at SICAL team
  • 2015-2017: Co-founder of the Lyon Dataviz community - lyondataviz.github.io
  • 2014: phD thesis at Telecom ParisTech - Design of a Internet memes data visualisation toolkit - The case of the Chinese social network Sina Weibo - clementrenaud.com/phD
  • 2013 : MOOC about Gephi in Chinese (first MOOC in China, 25K viewers) - udemy.com/gephi

Innovation / Consulting

Clement also consults for governements, institutions, non-profits and industry players about innovation strategy.

  • 2023: Anonymity and Reputation report - Ethereum Foundation
  • 2018-2020: urban prospective at Direction de la Prospective et du Dialogue Public - Grand Lyon Metropole (FR). millenaire3.com
  • 2018-2019: International strategy support at Baoan District Supply Chain Alliance (Shenzhen, CN)
  • 2017: Post-shanzhai tech culture in China - Institute for The Future (San Diego CA, USA)
  • 2016: Collaboration recherche et culture dans les Sciences Humaines et Sociales en région Rhône-Alpes for ARC5 research cluster - Rhône-Alpes Région (FR)
  • 2016: Data mining for Sina Weibo - Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) (Berlin, DE)

Teachings / Pedagogy

Clement has taught in universities, schools, bootcamps, festivals, online and offline about topics related to design, digital technology, data visualization and innovation in China.

  • University lectures: EPFL, Harvard GSD, Goldsmiths University, ENS de Lyon, Heidelberg University, Beijing Communications University, etc.
  • Workshop / on-hands trainings: Lyon 1, ENSSIB, HEAD Geneva, EM Lyon, Fudan University, DSAA Numérique Villefontaine, Raffles Singapore, etc.
  • 2023-today: development of a complete curriculum for “advanced digital literacy” - biface.tech

Selected Publications

To be published

  • 2024 (book): Shenzhen - Edifier le numérique at B2 Editions about the history of Shenzhen.
  • 2023 (working paper): Shenzhen, global entanglements in digital territories - Chaire Villes et Numérique - Sciences Po

Books (as editor and writer)

Peer-reviewed papers

  • Renaud, C., & Bideau, F. G. (2020). Le Maker, Construction d’une Figure Politique de l’innovation En Chine Urbaine. EspacesTemps.net Electronic Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences.. https://doi.org/10.26151/espacestemps.net-t0f8-r859
  • Renaud, C., Fernandez, V., Puel, G., & Zhen, F. (2018). Urban Modes of Assemblage: The Changing Spaces of Innovation in Shanghai. Management International Review, 23(3), 131–140.
  • Renaud, C. (2017). L’assemblage comme forme d’innovation. Techniques & Culture. Revue Semestrielle d’Anthropologie Des Techniques, 67, 100–115. https://doi.org/10.4000/tc.8476
  • Maigret, N., Roszkowska, M. R., & Renaud, C. (2017). Shanzhai Archeology. INMATERIAL. Diseño, Arte y Sociedad, 2(4).
  • Renaud, C. (2016). Les mèmes internet : dynamiques d’énonciations sur le réseau social chinois Sina Weibo. Travaux De Linguistique, n\textdegree 73(2), 27–43.
  • Renaud, C., Puel, G., & Fernandez, V. (2016). Topogrammes : Les Mèmes Internet Ont-Ils Un Mode de Propagation Spécifique ? Réseaux, 2016/1(195). https://doi.org/10.3917/res.195.0107

Education

  • 2016: Qualified Assistant Professor in Geography (section 23) - CNRS
  • 2012 - 2014 : Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Management & Information Systems - Telecom ParisTech.
  • 2007 - 2008 : M2 Pro - Création et édition numérique - Université Vincennes-Saint-Denis (Paris VIII)
  • 2006 - 2007 : M1 Research - Medias & Communication - Université Michel de Montaigne (Bordeaux 3)
  • 2005 - 2006 : Licence - Communication - Université de Montréal
  • 2003 - 2005 : L1/L2 - Médiation Culturelle & Communication - Université Nancy 2
  • 2002 - 2003 : Journalism - CNED (France) National Center of Distance Education
  • 2001 - 2002 : Fine Arts (First year) - Ecole Supérieure de l’Image, Poitiers

Clement speaks French, English, and Chinese Mandarin.