Adrienne Jan shared her career trajectory, starting from Orange to becoming Scaleway's Chief Product Officer. Her journey took her from France to California and back, working with startups and major companies like AEG. She emphasized the importance of international experience, saying, "Go work abroad. It gives you a lot of interesting insights on cultural differences and how they also affect the way our products are used."

Adrienne highlighted the significance of her diverse team at Scaleway. The team consists of product managers, designers, tech writers, product marketers, and UX researchers. She explained, "Product managers are in charge of implementing the product strategy and working with the engineering team to build the product." She stressed the importance of each role in creating successful products.

One of Adrienne's notable achievements at Scaleway was tripling the velocity of product development. She explained that this rapid development is crucial for competing with major American cloud providers. "We're going to probably launch 30 new products this year," she stated, emphasizing the need for speed and efficiency in bringing products to market.

Adrienne discussed Scaleway's partnership with the French AI company H, providing a supercomputer of GPUs for training large AI models. She noted the importance of European innovation, stating, "Not all of AI is American or Chinese. There's a lot of opportunity for Europe to have a strong positioning with great engineers and a lot of innovation."

Adrienne is optimistic about AI's role in product management, believing it will automate routine tasks and allow for more focus on creativity and innovation. She advised future product managers to be pragmatic and take risks, saying, "Our job is creating products, and that requires human intelligence in terms of strategy and positioning."

Céline Farcet's journey at L'Oréal R&I exemplifies a profound evolution in corporate innovation, transitioning from material science to spearheading tech partnerships.

She shifted her focus from academia to startup collaborations, particularly in Deep Tech, to enhance L'Oréal's innovation pipeline. "I was super curious about it," Farcet explains, highlighting her proactive move towards more open and collaborative innovation models.

This strategic shift in tech partnering strategies underscores L'Oréal's commitment to integrating sustainable technology and deep tech collaboration into their corporate fabric.

The scope of Farcet's role at L'Oréal is truly global. Her activity spans across the U.S., Israel, Asia, and Europe.

This international strategy allows L'Oréal to "scan globally all the innovations that could come from the ecosystem of startups."

This ensures that only the most fitting advancements are chosen, aligning with their strategic challenges. Such global scanning is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving cosmetics sector.

Farcet shares insights into some exciting projects, such as L'Oréal's acquisition of Lactobio. This Danish microbiome startup (the microbiome is the community of microorganisms, such as fungi, bacteria and viruses, that exists in a particular environment) is part of L'Oréal's portfolio alongside Gjosa, a Swiss company. Gjosa developed a low-flow showerhead in partnership with L'Oréal.

These examples highlight L'Oréal's dedication to diversifying its technology base and enhancing sustainability efforts. Furthermore, they reflect L'Oréal's strategic approach to improving product offerings through innovative external collaborations.

Participation in events like Hello Tomorrow is crucial for Farcet and her team.

These events help them identify and integrate cutting-edge technologies. "It's not enough to just meet [startups]," Farcet explains.

She emphasizes the importance of conducting meticulous technical due diligence. This process determines the potential cosmetic value of new technologies. Consequently, this thorough vetting ensures that only the most promising innovations meet L'Oréal's rigorous selection criteria.

Farcet is particularly excited about the role of sustainable technologies in meeting L'Oréal's future goals.

The 'L'Oréal for the Future' program aims to transform L’Oréal’s activity by taking into
account the complete value chain (upstream and downstream) by 2030. One of the commitments leads to increase in the incorporation of bio-based ingredients through sustainable processes without increasing
land use.

This ambitious plan requires continuous innovation and effective partnerships, leveraging both to maintain a balance between growth and sustainability.

This podcast episode was recorded onsite at JEC World.

Stephan Savarese's career evolved from aerospace engineering to climate advocacy, a testament to adaptability. Initially immersed in R&D, a significant moment at COP 21 ignited his shift towards environmental solutions.

Consequently, TechnoCarbon was born. At its core is Carbon Fiber Stone, reflecting a profound commitment to green technology and CO2 negative growth.

Carbon Fiber Stone stands as a beacon in TechnoCarbon's lineup. This composite is revolutionary, surpassing traditional materials in both robustness and eco-friendliness.

Savarese is confident in its potential. Ultimately, he sees this carbon-negative material redefining the industry and spearheading a shift towards sustainable composites.

Indeed, collaboration has been instrumental in TechnoCarbon's rise. The company's journey, from a Paris-based incubator to global accelerators, showcases a series of strategic alliances.

These partnerships have been more than beneficial; they've been crucial. They have propelled Carbon Fiber Stone into the spotlight, emphasizing the collective drive for environmental innovation.

TechnoCarbon's bold vision initially faced industry skepticism. Yet, Savarese addressed these doubts with unwavering advocacy for Carbon Fiber Stone.

He has continually highlighted the importance of embracing new, sustainable materials. Through this, he demonstrates that innovation is not just about creating but also about convincing and converting the market to be change-ready.

With regard to the future, Savarese anticipates TechnoCarbon will experience significant growth thanks to their innovative work in sustainable composites. He predicts a future where such materials are key to business success.

Furthermore, he urges entrepreneurs to establish ventures that align financial viability with environmental advancement. This foresight lays the groundwork for innovations that are both economically beneficial and vital for reducing carbon footprints.

2 more podcast episodes from JEC World with startup founders and other industry experts: Chris Skinner, Blanca Garro

JEC World 2024 Recap

JEC Startup Booster: the premier startup competition at JEC World, where 20 finalists gather in the Startup Booster Village to showcase their innovations, network, and engage with potential investors over three dynamic days.

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