Innovation, impact of education and impact of science on our society is a long-term process that guided Sami Souissi since his early career.   

Between 2010 and 2011, Sami Souissi was the Programme Manager and Representative of the University of Lille in the creation of the Innovation Platform Nouvelles Vagues (innovative company with a private status) having a new pilot station of R&D in Aquaculture. He was member of all working groups (i.e., gouvernance, business plan, juridic status, financing, research and development) and acted between 2012 and 2015 as a President of the Scientific and Technical Steering Committee of the company. He was unanimously elected to this position.

While remaining in the academic world, Sami Souissi received a solid training on intellectual property and business creation. He has collaborated with several companies of different sizes ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises (i.e., marine hatcheries) to large groups such as VEOLIA Water and ARKEMA.

He encouraged some of his former PhD students to work in private companies or innovation structures. Some of them are currently in important positions in companies such as Total Energies or in innovative incubators for the sustainable city to support the creation of companies. 

Sami Souissi was the Scientific coordinator of a maturation program financed by the SATT Nord (Transfer of Technology Accelerator) between 2016 and 2021 that allowed to consolidate a patent based on the use of certain nanoparticles in the field of aquaculture. 

Sami Souissi’s commitment to actions and projects with a strong societal impact has opened several doors to him, including the strong support of local and regional authorities. For example, he benefited from a space in a business incubator to perfect his research and his partner the Nausicaa aquarium provided a dedicated space to support his research as well as their joint programs (see aquaculture projects).