GIF11 Patrons

Browse the list of our valued partners in 2010

AEPI

Véronique PEQUIGNAT, Manager, International Business Investment

Biography

Véronique Pequignat is currently head of the international business investment department at AEPI, more specifically in charge of the Information Technology sector and the American market.

She has assisted Sun Microsystems, Entegris, Novellus, SOITEC among others, for their development in the region, and is currently active in establishing dialog and cooperation between Mico/nanoclusters of the regions of Albany(US), Dresden (Germany) and Grenoble, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the newly created Semi Europe Grenoble office. She is also a founding partner in the Colorado Rhone Alpes Economic Development partnership, fostering in particular on transatlantic business and R&D collaboration in Renewable energy.

Her mission is to foster and support R&D local partnerships, creation of French subsidiaries and promote the technological, research and industrial assets of the Grenoble Isère region.

At the beginning of her career, Ms. Pequignat worked for 12 years in the field of communication and strategic information for local authorities, then as Project Manager in charge of the Northern European market and IT sector at AEPI, from 1997 to 2005.

Véronique graduated in 1983 with a degree in Political Science from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques of Grenoble, and in 1984 with a Master’s in information and communication techniques at Science Po Paris.

ARDI Rhône-Alpes

Bruno RAGUE, General Manager

Biography

Since the beginning of 2008, Bruno Ragué is the General Manager of the Regional Agency for Development and Innovation (ARDI).

This agency is a tool of the Region and the State and supports the sustainable economic growth of Rhône-Alpes companies through innovation. ARDI Rhône-Alpes collaborates with companies to generate and support short, mid and long term innovative projects through the implementation of collective actions, collaborative projects of innovation and technology transfer projects.

Before being ARDI’s General Manager, Bruno Ragué carried out various missions General Manager of Jessica France, General Manager of CRT-GRETh, coordinator of the CEA’s technology spreading’s network, Project manager for OSEO, Development Manager of Cis-Bio Industrie.

Bruno Ragué graduated from the Grenoble Institute of Technology

AXELERA

Pierre Henri BIGEARD, Président

Biography

Pierre-Henri Bigeard est Président du pôle Axelera depuis juin 2011 pour un mandat de 2 ans.

Diplômé de l'Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Lille Il intègre l'IFP en 1981 en tant qu'ingénieur de recherche au sein de la Direction de recherche Développements, dont il prend la direction en 1995. En 2000, il devient chef du projet transfert Rueil Malmaison/Solaize pour l'IFP, puis chargé de mission à la Direction Générale, avant d'être nommé en 2005 Directeur de l'établissement de Lyon d'IFP Energies nouvelles.

Pierre-Henri Bigeard est également Vice-président de l'Association pour le développement durable de la Vallée de la Chimie, membre du World Chemical Engineering Council (WCEC) et administrateur de CPE Lyon et de Rhônalpénergie-Environnement.

Le pôle de compétitivité Chimie-Environnement Lyon et Rhône-Alpes, Axelera a été créé en juillet 2005 par Arkema, le CNRS, GDF SUEZ, l'IFP Energies nouvelles et Rhodia.

BNP PARIBAS

Alain BERGER, Business Development Manager

Biography

A business development manager specialized in high-tech companies, Alain Berger has been advising regional start-ups since 1995: SMEs spun-off from Grenoble research labs, with strong venture-capital backing.

These 15 have allowed him to gain extensive experience and broaden his activity to include biotech companies, software development firms, and renewable-energy businesses and electronics firms.

Thanks to this experience, the BNP Paribas bank is known today as the innovation bank in the Grenoble area, by making available a full palette of services in its business center, Arc Alpine Enterprise, located near Grenoble in Montbonnot.

CCI Grenoble

Dominique LE GIGAN, Companies development director

Biography

Since november 2007 : Companies development director – Grenoble Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

2006 – 2007 : Various projects of company creation and purchasing.

1998 – 2006 : General manager of hightech companies in robotics and lab-automation for pharmaceutical research, and in large scale high precision metallic parts for aircraft and gas exploration industrie.

1985 – 1998 : R&D manager – Marketing development manager – World marketing & sales director – Quality control instrumentation for agrofood industry.

CREALYS, Incubateur Rhône-Alpes Ouest

Nadia KAMAL, Director

Biography

Nadia KAMAL is an Immunology PhD from University of Montpellier after obtaining an engineering DEA of protein and genome sequencing. Her PhD thesis allows her to be co-inventor of a patent operated by Biorad (ex Sanofi Diagnostics Pasteur). In parallel to her PhD, she realised a DESS at IAE (CAAE). Very interest in innovation and biotechnology, she moved to an economic laboratory so as to work in an European program context about innovation and biotechnologies systems in Europe.

Following this first year of experience, she began to work as a Life Science responsible business at CREALYS, Incubator Rhône West located in Lyon (FRANCE), before to become director of CREALYS in January 2006. In 11,5 years, CREALYS helped to the creation of more than 139 societies.

DELOITTE

Dominique VALETTE, Partner

Biography

Dominique Valette is an audit partner specialized in TMT – Technology Media Telecommunications – and responsible for Region Rhône-Alpes audit practice.

Dominique has over 24 years of public accounting experience within Deloitte, particularly in manufacturing and high technology business with middle market companies. He serves a variety of publicly traded and privately held entities. He has participated in various French Technology IPO’s including Atari, Esker, Abel and Akka Technologies. His experience includes practice of International and US Accounting Standards, leading and coordinating audit for multinational clients.

His international background includes two years in the Deloitte Boston office, serving French and US High Technology clients located around the famous route 128.

He was also involved in the successful launch of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 in France, an international program recognizing the fastest-growing technology companies.

In addition, Dominique is treasurer of Fondation Scientifique de Lyon et du Sud Est, which amoung other, organize the BIOVISION forum.

Grenoble Ecole de Management

Sylvie BLANCO, Director for contractual research in innovation and technology management

Biography

Since 2001, Sylvie Blanco is a full professor at Grenoble Ecole de Management in charge of contractual research and development activities in the field of innovation and techno-entrepreneurship. Sylvie participates regularly in executive training seminars and coaching, focussing on anticipation, entrepreneurial innovation and emergence of business opportunities.

She’s been working as a consultant in the creation and development of high-tech new ventures, especially in the field of microtechnologies.

Sylvie holds a PhD in business administration. Her thesis dealt with technological and market intelligence in high-tech firms.

I3P - Innovative Enterprise Incubator of Politecnico of Torino

Mario VITTONE, Director

Biography

Since 2002, Mario Vittone is director of I3P, the Innovative Companies Incubator of Politecnico of Torino.
Mario also hold a position as adjunct marketing professor at Politecnico di Torino.

I3P is Italy’s most important university-based enterprise incubator. I3P hosts start-ups with high growth potential, founded either by university researchers or entrepreneurs from beyond the university sphere.
In twelve years, over 131 companies have been supported and coached at the incubator with more than 600 job places created, being offered office space, strategic and technical advisory services, and connexions with investors, partners and customers.

Prior to join I3P, Mario took several sales and management positions in electrical/electronic manufacturing industry (Moeller Electric, SIEI, Ghisalba).

Mario graduated at the Politecnico of Torino in Electrical Engineering.

INPG Entreprise SA

Henri-Marc MICHAUD, C.E.O

Biography

Henri-marc Michaud is CEO of INPG Entreprise SA since April 2004.

Founded in1991, INPG Entreprise SA is the private subsidiary of Grenoble Institute of Technology. It is dedicated to the promotion of the research activities and results of the Institute which counts 6 engineering schools recognised internationally for their excellence, 26 high-quality laboratories and 900 research experts. INPG Entreprise SA invests in early stage research-based and has a portfolio of 12 high potential companies.

Before working for INPG Entreprise SA, Hank served from 1992 to 2000 for Alcatel in the Optical Fiber Division in various operational positions in the production area. He used to work in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and USA. From 2001 to 2003 he was General Manager of Uponor; business unit producing water, gas, twinwall telecom products.

Hank is an engineer from Grenoble INP. He has a Ph. D in materiel science defended in 1991.

LYONBIOPÔLE

Yves LAURENT, General Manager

Biography

Master in biology graduate, Yves Laurent began his career in 1986 as a teacher in Life and Earth Sciences in Blois (France). Less than three years later, he decided to turn to the private sector and joined Sanofi as pharmaceutical sales representative. He rapidly became Regional Director and left the company after contributing to the launch of flagship products such as Ticlid.

At more than 30 years old, Yves Laurent obtained a Master Degree in biophysicochemical and molecular biology from the University of Tours (France). After his training, he joined as a sales engineer, an American society, Applied Biosystems, a leader in instrumentation dedicated to biotechnology research.

Two years later, he founded his own company, Genome Express, specialized in DNA sequencing .He managed and developed this company for 10 years. After two fundraising for an amount exceeding € 10 million, he left in 2003 Genome Express which is now part of Beckman Coulter Genomics.

The same year, always looking for new challenges, Yves Laurent joined Apibio, a company created jointly by CEA Valorisation and bioMérieux-Pierre Fabre SA, specialized in biochips. The following year, Yves Laurent was appointed Deputy Managing Director of Advanced Technology Direction of bioMérieux. In particular, his mission was to set-up the bioMérieux R&D Centre in Molecular Biology and Microsystems named Christophe Mérieux Center. He became General Manager of the Centre in 2005 and developed rapidly its activities. At his departure in late 2007, the Christophe Mérieux Centre had over 100 employees.

In January 2008, thanks to his past experience in the public and private fields, large companies and SMBs, Yves Laurent decided to become more involved in supporting innovation in biotechnology. Therefore, he took the direction of Lyonbiopole, a worldwide competitiveness cluster with for mission to foster collaboration and development of the health sector and especially of infectious diseases one in the Rhone Alpes region.

MINALOGIC

Jean CHABBAL, Délégué Général

Biography

Jean Chabbal, now aged 60, qualified as an engineer at the Institut National Polytechnique of Grenoble and holds a DEA postgraduate degree in the Physics of Solids and a Master’s degree in Business Management.

He occupied several positions at Thomson CSF where he worked on the development and fabrication of imaging components and systems for professional and medical applications. In 1997 he was appointed Managing Director of Trixell, the global leader in digital radiology detectors.

In 2001 Jean Chabbal moved to the CEA in Grenoble where he headed the Department of Microtechnologies for Biology and Healthcare till December 2010.

In February, he took over as Delegate-General at the Minalogic competitiveness cluster.

MINATEC

Jean-Charles GUIBERT, Director of the Technology Transfer Office, CEA and Director of MINATEC

Biography

In October 2004, Jean-Charles Guibert was appointed Director for the Technology Transfer and Commercialization activities of CEA, a leading technological research organisation in Europe (15.000 staff, 3.3 B€ annual budget). This on-going responsibility covers strategic marketing, contracts, intellectual property and spin-off creation.

In addition, Jean-Charles was elected as Director of MINATEC in June 2008 by the steering committee. His first tasks will be to foster cross-exchanges between the different institutions within Minatec and to develop an international vision and recognition.

Jean -Charles is an expert for the European commission and national authorities for micro and nanotechnologies and at the board of different companies and non-profit organisations (Air Liquide Electronics System, Minatec Enterprises, CEA-Valorisation, incubator GRAIN 2, post-incubator PETALE...).
He is member of the scientific board of INRS (Institut National Recherche Scientifique) in Québec/Canada, UJF (Joseph FourierUniversity) and ARDI (Agence Rhone-Alpes du Développement et Innovation) in France.

Jean- Charles graduated in 1981 from Languedoc University 'Institut des Sciences de l'Ingénieur de Montpellier" in Materials science and then in 1983 from Strasbourg University "Ecole d'Application des Hauts Polymères" in Polymer science.

OSEO

Philippe KOCH, Alps regional Deputy Director

Biography

Philippe KOCH has been OSEO’s Regional Deputy Director in the Alps region (Isère, Savoie, Haute-Savoie) d’OSEO since January 2007.

OSEO was created in 2005 through the regrouping of the expertise of different companies and placed under the authority of the French Ministry of the Economy, Industry, and Employment, and the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. OSEO’s mission is to support SME innovation and growth, the objective being to ensure greater continuity in the financing of their projects, thanks to the complementary nature of its three vocations: lending support to innovation, financing investments and the business cycle in partnership with the banks, and guaranteeing bank financing and raising capital stock.

He began his career in 1994 at ANVAR, the French Agency for Innovation, as a business development manager to assist businesses in their innovation process and R&D program financing. He then joined OSEO in 2005.

Philippe worked as Business development manager in the Limousine area (1994-1997), then in Alsace (1998-2000), where he contributed to the development of innovation in the different sectors in these areas and in the different stages of development of many businesses.

Appointed deputy director in 2000 in the Haute-Normandie department, then in Lorraine in 2005, he pursued ventures in innovation in these two areas.

He holds an engineering degree in Industrial Maintenance from ESSTIN (Nancy), which he obtained in 1993.

Région Rhône-Alpes

Jean-Louis GAGNAIRE, Member of Parliament from the Loire Department and Vice President of the Conseil Régional

Biography

Jean-Louis GAGNAIRE is a Member of Parliament from the Loire Department (since 2007) and Vice President of the Conseil Régional in charge of Economic Development, Industry, and SMEs (since 2004- re-elected in March 2010).

He has been a member of the Conseil Régional since March 1998 and was Conseiller Général of the Loire from 1998 to 2007, when he became a member of the French Parliament.

After studying Educational Sciences at the Institut Supérieur de Gestion Commerciale, he earned a degree in Public Administration from the Political Science Institute in Lyons. He was head guidance counselor in a high school in Saint Etienne until 2007.

Since 2004, he’s been dedicated to pragmatically improving the economic development tools of the Region with a large consensus between unions and economic players. As a result, the Rhône-Alps Region has been very active in creating industrial and economic infrastructures (such as clusters, techno-poles, sector-specific contracts) and contributes to the emergence of financial tools for the development and buyout of regional businesses.

Réseau Entreprendre® Rhône Alpes

Marie- Noëlle ARLAUD , Directrice

Biography

Marie- Noëlle ARLAUD est directrice de Réseau Entreprendre® Rhône Alpes, coordination régionale des 7 associations départementales du réseau. Par ailleurs elle intervient spécifiquement auprès des créateurs d’entreprises innovantes dans le cadre du programme INNOTECH.

Réseau Entreprendre, réseau de dirigeants d’entreprises reconnu d’utilité publique, accompagne depuis plus de 25 ans créateurs ou repreneurs d’entreprises à potentiel de développement, futures PME.

L'objectif de Réseau Entreprendre® est de faire émerger et réussir les nouveaux entrepreneurs en les accompagnant avec des méthodes d'entreprise.

Chaque nouvel entrepreneur bénéficie gratuitement

• d'une aide à la validation de son projet par des chefs d'entreprise
• d'un soutien financier par un prêt d'honneur de 15 K à 40 K€ (voire plus pour les projets innovants), sans intérêts ni caution, remboursable sur 5 ans
• d'un accompagnement humain de proximité par un chef d'entreprise expérimenté pendant une durée de 2 à 3 ans
• d'un club d'échanges, d'entraide et de formation avec d'autres nouveaux entrepreneurs.

En 25 ans Réseau Entreprendre® a accompagné 5000 entrepreneurs créateurs de 50000 emplois

Réseau Entreprendre® en Rhône Alpes, partenaire du dispositif de financement régional de l’innovation INOVIZI, compte 700 chefs d’entreprises adhérents.

Avant de prendre la direction de Réseau Entreprendre® Rhône Alpes, Marie- Noëlle, Pharmacien spécialisée en industrie, en cosmétique et dispositifs médicaux a exercé plusieurs années dans différentes industries de santé. Après quelques années à l’ARTEB, puis au sein Protein'eXpert, elle a dirigé 5 ans durant Réseau Entreprendre® Rhône.

Schneider Electric

Sylvain PAINEAU , R&D Partnerships & Valorisation Manager

Biography

Sylvain Paineau is with Schneider Electric since 2004 where he is in charge of managing innovation project portfolio and R&D partnerships. He is also coordinating strategic cooperation between Schneider Electric and a major European research centre.

He represents Schneider Electric in the “petale” committee, the Grenoble Alps Incubation organisation. He is also member of micro-nano evaluation and orientation committee of MINALOGIC competitiveness pole and member of ANR P2N evaluation committee.

He held several innovation management positions in the industry during these last 25 years and managed several R&D European projects.

He was in charge of MEMS lab in Thales (1997-2001) and more recently Marketing and Technical Director of PHS MEMS (2001-2004) a start-up in MEMS foundry business.

Sylvain Paineau holds an optronic engineering degree from Paris XI University.

STMicroelectronics

Dominique THOMAS, Director, R&D Cooperative Programs

Biography

He is with STMicroelectronics since 1999 were he has been in charge of managing and coordinating R&D projects, and is now also managing the cooperation between ST and 2 major European R&D institutes.

He is a member of the technology steering group of MEDEA+ since 2004, founder and former chair of the “micro-nano COE” a similar committee in the Minalogic Pole de Compétitivité, has been active in ENIAC (the European technology platform on Nanoelectronics) working groups between 2005 and 2008, and chairman of ENIAC/AENEAS support Group in 2008. He is also active in promoting internal and open innovation at ST.

Dr. Thomas has held several r&d management positions in the industry, during his 20+ year long carrier. He was visiting Scholar at Stanford University were he worked on optoelectronic devices (1989-1990). He was responsible for optoelectronic developments in Thomson-CSF (1991-1994). He was then Vice President and R&D Director of “Environnement SA”, a French SME and the leading European manufacturer of pollution monitoring equipment (1994-1999).

D. Thomas holds a engineering degree from Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau (France), and a PhD in Solid State Physics (semiconductors) from Paris XI University.

Ville de Grenoble - Grenoble Alpes Métropole

Geneviève FIORASO, Deputy mayor of Grenoble, in charge of Economy, Employment, Higher

Biography

Genevieve Fioraso, member of the French Parliament, deputy mayor in charge of Economy, Employment, University and Research, City of Grenoble, 1st vice-president of the Metro, the Grenoble urban area council (26 cities), in charge of economic development and CEO of the SEM Minatec Entreprises.

Diversified professional former activities, all dedicated to development, both in public and private sectors: marketing manager, France Telecom (2000-2004), director of the Regional Agency for the development of digital research and industry in the Rhone-Alpes Region (1999-2000), director of cabinet for Michel Destot, mayor of Grenoble (1995-1999), deputy manager of Corys, a start-up from the French Nuclear Energy Commission (CEA of Grenoble), dedicated to software simulation and modelization (1989-1995), responsible of an association in charge of professional insertion, teacher in professional training organisms.

Committed in economic development, creation of industrial jobs with added value thanks to innovation.

XEROX Research Centre Europe

Irene MAXWELL, Communications Manager

Biography

Irene is responsible for the communications of research activities in Europe and a member of Xerox global corporate communications. Her everyday challenge lies in articulating the value of research to different audiences and stakeholders.

Her focus is on strategy and the role of communications in promoting the transfer of technology from the research laboratories. She has been involved in communicating a number of research projects which led to the creation of start-ups in the Rhône Alpes area. She develops PR strategies and programs to support collaborative projects and technology licensing.

For two years she led external communications on global technology services development, a strategic area of growth for the corporation.

She is currently focused on communicating innovation to a recent Xerox acquisition which had no prior R&D.

Irene joined Xerox in 1993 and has been Communications Manager for the research centre since 1999.

She is a member of several professional communications networks and the Women in Science and Technology working group of the European Commission. Before joining Xerox she worked in teaching, translation and communications consultancy. She holds a B.A. in linguistics from Sussex University in the UK.