Frédéric POIGNANT

LUDOPARC SA, a subsidiary of PLASTIC OMNIUM Group, manufactures and distributes playground equipments and fitness products. 50 employees, turnover ~15M€.

This 500 hours work was part of the academic project at EM Lyon business school during the MBA.

• Studied the industry and assessed French private markets to grow existing business opportunities.
• Recommended new offers, entry strategies into foreign markets, and partnership opportunities with Chinese companies.

Sector: Leisure products - Toys - Games

KEMSTREAM SAS builds and sells innovative and advanced vaporisation systems, designed for MOCVD, ALD and all gas phase processes and precursors. It also offers consulting services. 4 employees, 1st year turnover 250k€.

Co-founder of the company, I was more especially in charge of financial aspects, partnerships, intellectual property and R&D.

• Wrote the business plan and found first customers.
• Obtained 150k€ of subsidies and a 35k€ zero interest loan.
• Developed first prototypes and selected subcontractors.
• Registered a patent and a trademark.

• Won the 8th ANVAR-Emergence contest supported by the French Ministry for Scientific Research (Nation-wide contest to help new ventures innovating in technologies) (2006).

Sector: High Tech

QUALIFLOW SA, MBO of an ASM International business, manufactured valves and flow regulator for high purity gases and liquids. It diversified in vaporisation systems and thermal equipments for various industries (semiconductor, steel, sensor, optical fiber, photovoltaic…). 100 employees, turnover ~20 M€.

As Research Manager, I led a team of 5 engineers and was a member of the product committee of the company. I reported to the VP Operations and was directly responsible for a budget of ~ 250k€.

• Defined R&D new axes after a restructuring.
• Closed and redirected some projects resulting in a cost saving of about 400k€.
• Designed gas and liquid flow sensors and registered a patent.
• Developed innovative systems for the vaporization of liquid precursors.
• Provided a technical support to the Chinese staff (joint venture).

Sector: Industry

PIXTECH SA was a flat panel display company, commercializing a field emission display technology. With facilities in Santa Clara (CA), Montpellier and Rousset, the company had a partnership with ACER UNIPAC Optronics (Taiwan). 150 employees, turnover ~15 M€.

I reported to the CTO of the company and coached a team of 3 engineers. My responsibilities encompassed numerous transverse projects amongst which the improvement of displays characteristics and the product life time and reliability.

• Managed a European research project (EC-IST program, with THALES AVIONICS).
• Characterized PVD and CVD coatings used in vacuum display technologies, resulting in new designs and manufacturing processes.
• Provided expertise and technical supports to Operations and Product Managers.

Sector: Electronics and microelectronics

• Developed an assembly process for FED flat panel displays.
• Transferred the technology to a Taiwanese foundry (8 months spent in Hsin Chu).
• Registered a patent.

Sector: Electronics and microelectronics

• Created a computerized measurement set-up and studied the oxygen diffusion into some electronic materials.
• Teaching & tutoring

Sector: Research and development