Being the student of your own life

A few words about who you are?

I was born, raised and educated in Ile-de-France.

I’m a graduate of ESIEE Paris, a general engineering school where I specialised in renewable energy and energy efficiency. I chose this specially because ever since I was a child I’ve been interested in environmental protection and sustainable development. In middle and high school, I always chose a subject related to these subjects for my presentations. During my studies, I discovered that I had a particular interest in physics and I naturally combined these 2 interests to make it my trade.

I joined Lab Crigen’s Future Industry Lab at the beginning of 2024.

Did you choose ENGIE because of your interest in renewable energy?

Although I hadn’t managed to put it into words, I felt a keen interest in the R&D trades. I knew that I wanted to solve problems, explore issues and develop new solutions. I wanted - and still want - to be at the heart of the decarbonisation and energy transition of our world.

My first position was in a research laboratory in Germany working on tidal energy. Among other things, my mission was to identify and map potential tidal turbines and develop new structures for collecting plastic waste while optimising tidal production. I also did my end-of-study placement in the R&D division of a major group, where I worked on modelling solar thermal systems in Dymola. These 2 placements confirmed to me that R&D was really the business line I wanted to go into.

2 criteria guided me in my career choice: decarbonised/renewable energy and R&D. I started my career in photovoltaic solar energy R&D in another group where I worked on optimising energy efficiency on the scale of a PV power plant. My tasks included studying and understanding the influence of the solar spectrum on panel production and studying albedo-boosting materials and their implementation in a PV power plant to optimise production. After 2 years I felt the need to work on multi-energy issues and discover new fields, which is why I chose ENGIE and more specifically Lab Crigen. By the way, I applied to Crigen when I left school and I’m very happy to have joined a few months ago.

What is your role in the Future Industry Lab?

In the Future Industry Lab, we study innovative solutions that make it possible to expand the range of low-carbon solutions deployed by the Group for industry. In this context I’m working in particular on solar thermal, thermal energy storage, recovery of waste heat, performance studies of energy systems or industrial processes, always at the crossroads of decarbonization and industry.

I’m delighted to discover a wide range of subjects and technologies. If I had to choose the subject I enjoy most, it would be solar thermal energy, which has a special place in my heart because it was the subject of my end-of-study placement.

What do you love about your job?

We are working on decarbonisation issues and on different types of energy. I enjoy learning every day about existing and potential technologies, digging into the subjects and discovering the physical laws behind them. In R&D, on certain subjects, the solutions are not necessarily intuitive, and sometimes they don’t even exist yet. This stimulates our creative spirit, which I really appreciate.

I know you play badminton, but what are your other passions outside work?

I’ve played badminton regularly for years and I'm planning to get back into it very soon. When I’m not working, ever since I was a child I’ve loved creating with my hands, whether it’s knitting, sewing, painting, modelling, etc. I also like to learn about a whole range of subjects in various fields, such as healthy eating, learning and speed reading, organic, ecological and ethical consumption, etc. I buy lots of books, watch documentaries and try to learn more. I also love doing Escapes Games with my friends. Our aim is to test all the venues in Paris.

Is there a little phrase or mantra that follows you?

As an observant and curious person, a phrase that resonates with me and that I often repeat to myself is: “Let’s be the students of our own lives”.

Virgil said, “You get tired of everything except learning”. I would add that, in my opinion, in addition to learning from books, we can also learn from ourselves, from those around us, through our experiences and those of others. I’ve often heard it said that “intelligence is learning from experience and wisdom is learning from others”. This sentence highlights the importance of human relations in the transmission of knowledge.

At the end of my studies, I thought I would be nostalgic for that period when the main role in my life was to learn. In the end, through my trade, and even in my daily life, I realise that I remain a student of my own life and that I will continue to learn throughout my life.

At Lab Crigen, depending on the labs, between 30% and 50% of the staff are women. Do you see any solutions, for example in your own experience, to encourage more women to go into research?

A first intuitive response - but easier said than done - is to increase the number of girls in science courses, which will increase the number of girls in research. That’s why female role models are so important. At the moment, there are few female role models to identify with in the research trades and the sciences in general. I have noticed, however, that they are increasingly being highlighted, which is encouraging for the future.

At Crigen, our R&D/applied research trades are different from academic or fundamental research. From middle school onwards, we understand what academic research is, we know what a researcher is, we imagine him wearing a lab coat and mixing chemicals. But we are much less familiar with applied business research, which consists of studying specific, concrete, short-term problems.

Another solution could be to raise awareness of what applied research is, particularly through communications and presentations in schools and forums. During the career presentations, students are told about trades in design offices, sales branches, project management and team management, but R&D is not the area that companies highlight the most.

It is also important to communicate the difference with fundamental research. When I talk to other young engineers about R&D, the words that often come up are “not dynamic, repetitive, long...”. But in reality, no! R&D offers shorter-term research with clear objectives from the outset. It’s often quite dynamic, you don’t do the same things over and over again for months or years, and some projects may only last a few months. R&D appeals to the creative spirit within all of us, so a warm welcome to all who are curious!

3 words to describe yourself?

Dynamic, curious, creative

Is there anything you’d like to add?

At ENGIE, or at least at Lab Crigen, I appreciate the support that is offered. In our team, we work in junior/senior pairs, which allows us to develop more quickly and to be well trained. It’s often said that it’s very instructive to learn on your own, but you may not realise your mistakes very quickly, whereas by being mentored (without being controlled) you can build up your skills smoothly and efficiently.