Interview of Perrine Hamel, Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University
Perrine Hamel, Nanyang Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University is Principal Investigator at the Earth Observatory of Singapore and Scientific Advisor for Entropia Capital.
She wears different hats: researcher, educator, science communicator, project manager and consultant on nature-based solutions projects, and recently co-founder of Pulse, an environmental services start-up.
What triggered your interest in French Tech?
I was trained as an Engineer at Ecole Centrale Nantes and I got more exposure to the tech world in San Francisco, where I lived for close to 5 years. I was working for a project called the Natural Capital Project at Stanford University, a consortium between NGOs and academic institutions aiming to mainstream natural capital thinking into decision-making. Being based in the Silicon Valley, I got exposed to the innovation and start-up ecosystem and I enjoy bringing part of this culture in my work as an academic.
The thing you're most proud of?
One thing I’m proud of is the research group I founded at NTU: The Resilient and Inclusive Cities lab, which aims to build scientific evidence and decision-support tools to mainstream nature-based solutions in urban areas. Nature-based solutions get a lot of attention these days – they refer to approaches using natural or semi-natural systems to provide benefits to people and nature. Think protecting an urban forest (instead of developing hard surfaces) or integrating green roofs into our buildings. I am proud to train bright scientists to tackle important questions about urban nature-based solutions and to strengthen the relationships between Singapore and the region through collaborations with amazing colleagues in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
What is your wildest career goal?
I am currently working on a start-up, Pulse, aiming to catalyse nature-positive action in the private sector in Southeast Asia. We are developing an AI-powered solution (who doesn’t these days?!) to support the sustainability transition for companies small and large, with a footprint in Southeast Asia. This venture ticks a lot of boxes for me, building on my expertise on nature-based solutions and aiming to support transformative change in a region where swift biodiversity action is crucial. One of my wildest career goal is that Pulse gains traction, making a difference to how business is done in Southeast Asia, and creating vast opportunities for action research in my lab and beyond.
If you could go back in time, is there anything you would do differently?
Good question. There are probably 1 million things I could have done differently, to be honest. I don’t see myself as someone with a strict career plan. I crafted opportunities and enjoyed learning from different experiences, working as an engineer, as a researcher, as an educator, and collaborating with amazing people all around the world. In an ideal world, I would try and be more intentional about these learnings to catalyze the change – social and environmental – that many of us are working toward. Maybe more ambitious too, but that’s a fine line with taking the time to learn from people and with people.
Which 3 women from French Tech inspire you?
I was fortunate to be selected in the Women 4 Climate program by C40 in 2018, when I was living in Paris. The program promotes mentorship and networking with women working in the space of climate action (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8752804/) So there were far more than 3 women who inspired me but I’ll highlight one here: Alexandra Palt, former Chief Sustainability Officer of L’Oreal and now President of WWF France -- I still cherish the reflections that our meetings sparked and admire her relentless engagement.
Connect with Perrine Hamel on Linkedin
Get in touch with us @ womenfrenchtech at gmail dot com
In collaboration with Amel Rigneau & Romeo Aguilar Bernard
