InTent Internship Programme 2025 (#IIP): Paid Internship for Master/Phd Students or Recent Graduates in Materials or Polymer Engineering (3-months) at ER Ocean Recherche

Key Facts 

📍 Location: Paris, France 
🗓 Duration: Starting June 1, 2025 (with flexibility for a longer-term internship) 
💼 Format: Hybrid (flexible on-site/remote balance) 
🌍 Sector: Bio-based Materials / Circular Economy / Sustainable Innovation 
💸 Salary: Paid internship 

About ER Ocean Recherche 

ER Ocean Recherche is a Paris-based startup innovating at the edge of material science and ocean conservation. By transforming marine biomass into high-performance, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional materials like plastics, rubber, and textiles, ER LAB is building a circular economy for the oceans. Their mission is deeply rooted in sustainability—collaborating with local coastal partners to preserve marine ecosystems while developing patented biomaterials for the future. 

About the Position 

As a Bio-based Materials R&D and Product Development Intern, you'll join a passionate team exploring seaweed, algae, and other organic feedstocks to create new-generation biopolymers and sustainable textiles. From lab experiments to material testing and working with production partners, you’ll be part of a mission-driven journey to prototype, analyze, and prepare scalable materials for market readiness. 

This role is ideal for someone at the end of their engineering education (or recently graduated) who thrives in a dynamic, startup setting with both scientific depth and real-world impact. 

Your Role & Responsibilities 

• Contribute to multidisciplinary R&D of novel sustainable materials (polymers, leathers, fibers) 

• Explore scalable extraction and purification methods for marine and plant-based sources 

• Conduct lab experiments: mixing, compounding, curing, prototyping 

• Use analytical techniques like tensile testing, spectroscopy, and rheology to guide formulation 

• Document results and coordinate across scientific and production teams 

• Help prepare material certifications and assessments for go-to-market readiness 

• Collaborate with external partners in France and beyond to scale lab ideas into industry 

About You 

• You’re currently pursuing or have recently completed a degree in Materials Engineering, Polymer Science, or a related field 

• Ideally, you’re at the end of your studies, with at least 3–4 years of higher education, depending on your academic system 

• You have a strong grasp of chemistry, molecular structures, and analytical techniques such as rheology, spectroscopy, and mechanical testing 

• A PhD in Polymer Science, Materials Science, or a related field is a strong plus, but not required 

• You bring hands-on experience in labs, ideally in polymer chemistry or biopolymer formulation 

• You’re skilled in project management, organization, and cross-functional communication 

• You’re fluent in English, and French is a strong plus for local collaboration 

• You’re entrepreneurial, dynamic, and not afraid to jump between strategic and operational tasks 

• You’re motivated by a mission bigger than yourself—and you’re eager to build something that matters 

Bonus: If you’re looking for a longer internship or apprenticeship (6–12 months), extension is possible based on agreement with the startup. Please mention your preferred duration in your application. 

Your Benefits 

• Impact: Be at the forefront of developing circular, ocean-based biomaterials 

• Personal Growth: Work hands-on across R&D, lab work, and market-readiness in a high-energy startup 

• Community: Collaborate with sustainability pioneers and material scientists along the French Atlantic coast 

• Future Opportunities: Possibility of long-term collaboration or apprenticeship 

• Flexible work-life balance

• Mentorship and guidance from a passionate engineering and innovation team 

• Participation in the InTent Internship Kick-Off (mid-July) and the Geneva Summit (end of September) 

• Join a global community of like-minded students who are passionate about making a real difference—challenging the status quo to create a more sustainable future for our planet and society 

About IIP – Ready to Make Waves in Sustainability? 

Apply now to be part of the InTent Internship Programme 2025—a fully funded global initiative that connects students with purpose-driven organizations like ER Ocean Recherche. 

By joining, you’ll become part of a global community of changemakers, all working to build a more fair, resilient, and nature-positive world. This is more than just an internship—it's your chance to help shift the status quo and create real impact. 

🌍 #TakeAction and shape the future of sustainable materials with ER Ocean Recherche. 

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