Gwenn Pallier
Organisation: Cailabs Role: Product Line Manager for Industrial Applications Based in: Rennes, France Education: MSc in Optical Engineering from Institut d’Optique, MSc in Fusion Science from Ecole Polytechnique, BSc in Fundamental Physics from Paris-Sud University
In Gwenn Pallier’s opinion, ‘there is only one big thing coming for all of us, and that is climate change’. The whole industry has huge challenges related to climate change: reducing its carbon footprint by 80% by 2050; reindustrialising western countries, which is the only way to produce cleaner products; and being extremely innovative as so many areas rely on the industry to invent new solutions to reduce their carbon footprint. The most interesting topic Pallier asserts is e-mobility. ‘With no more combustion- engine cars being sold in Europe by 2035, the challenge is at the same time huge and stimulating. Lasers are everywhere when we look at e-mobility, and there are great challenges to address, from the high-quality battery manufacturing to the stator and the lightweight components welding,’ she said.
"With no more combustion-engine cars being sold in Europe by 2035, the challenge is at the same time huge and stimulating. Lasers are everywhere when we look at e-mobility"
Cailabs has developed technology for making both copper and aluminium welds in e-mobility. The biggest challenges that Pallier
suggests for Cailabs are very similar to other companies. It has to handle the complex geopolitical situation and all its consequences, as well as the post-Covid-19 constraints, related especially to the zero- Covid-19 policy from China and associated supply chain issues. Cailabs also faces a recruitment
challenge because while it is experiencing strong growth, hiring highly skilled R&D candidates is very difficult. Away from e-mobility, Pallier has been
working on the manufacturing of large mirrors for a defence satellite for the French government. She said it was very challenging to make the right decision related to the manufacturing of what is at the end only one component of a much more complex system, and all the while under the
scrutiny of the government. Pallier said ‘a more personal challenge
was probably the Covid-19 period’. She was pregnant with her second child, and had relatives who were unwell. She remarked that a career in photonics
‘is the chance to work in an innovative environment and the chance to work on the main issues of tomorrow’. Lastly, Pallier suggested taking time to
listen to more experienced people: ‘One can save a lot of time by being humble and just listening’. For Pallier, her sailing instructor, Anne,
gave her the confidence that she could succeed in a career in physics. She said her first project manager, Thierry, taught her how to handle a project from beginning to end. Finally, her current manager, Pu, is a strong support in the development of applications. In the industry, Pallier believes that Cailabs is an up-and-coming ‘rock star’ on
multiple applications, such as new space (having recently delivered its first optical ground station), as well as e-mobility or surface functionalisation. The company has already demonstrated that tuning light properly can be a game-changer for hot topics, and that it can accelerate when needing to tackle a challenge. Within her own organisation, Pallier
highly commended Ivan Gusachenko for original thinking and for having a deep understanding of science globally. She also highlighted Amplitude for its
femtosecond lasers: ‘There is a lot more coming from their R&D department to solve main industrial issues in the future.’ Connect with Pallier online at
linkedin.com/ in/gwenn-pallier-48230263/. She will be at the PLI conference (Procédé Laser pour l’Industrie), and you can sign up for the CLP newsletter (
www.clp-laser.fr/en) to know more about the event. Pallier will be at Photonics West, Laser World of Photonics and ICALEO.
2023 Photonics 100 49
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