An economist by training, Thomas Melonio has been Executive Director of Innovation, Strategy and Research since September 2018. This department aims to find solutions to the complex challenges of sustainable development through research, knowledge sharing and innovation. In order to better support AFD Group's partner countries in their trajectories towards more sustainable development, it in fact produces economic and social research, evaluates projects financed by AFD, trains executives from developing countries, finances innovative environmental projects (via the French Global Environment Facility, or FFEM) and participates in the dissemination of innovation within the Group's other divisions.