The 2009 INPI Innovation Trophies were awarded late November. The National Industrial Property Institute has rewarded three of the region’s SMEs for their innovation and industrial property policy. And they have now qualified for the national final.

Winners in the “SME” category

Frénéhard & Michaux / L’Aigle

“Innovating means surviving”
This trophy is a clear illustration of Frénéhard & Michaux’s commitment towards implementing a genuine industrial property strategy. Since 1889, the Orne-based company has been producing and marketing roofing accessories and collective protective equipment against falls from a height: railings, safety ladders, grids and protective barriers for skylights, marking and traffic flow . These activities have enabled the company to acquire expertise in steel transformation and galvanisation. “An SME that invented neither the smartcard nor Windows® only has one solution; keeping a leg ahead of its competitors,” stresses Jacques Frénéhard, the company’s managing director. “And that’s precisely been our policy since 1966, the year we filed our very first patent. This industrial strategy has enabled us to resist competition from countries where manpower is far less expensive. Innovating means surviving.” And it works. Professionals from the public buildings and works sector are all familiar with products such as Securigard®, Polyconsole®, Sécur+®, Eventech® or even Nègre® hangers, without for as much realising that they were all created by Frénéhard & Michaux.
> Jacques Frénéhard
Frénéhard & Michaux - L’Aigle
Tel : 02 33 84 21 21 –
Website: www.frenehard-michaux.fr

Sominex / Bayeux

“A well-rewarded change of direction”
Sominex develops rare machines. This Bayeux-based company, with excellent expertise in mechanical engineering, automatisms and electronics, studies, designs and manufactures integrated systems, from a simple part to an entire machine. Its clients are from sectors such as defence (electronic weapon setting), energy (nuclear and oil exploration), industry (agrifood, construction and public works) and science (ion beam probes). The company has now given a new angle to its sub-contracting mission by elaborating its own high technology products. Sominex protects its creations by means of patent applications for its technical solutions and brand names for its innovations. As far as Sominex’s director, Jean-Jacques Benoît is concerned, “It’s a great honour to be awarded this prize. An honour I’m delighted to share with the entire team whose creativity and expertise have enabled new patents and new brand names to be filed. It rewards the new direction we took in 2003, towards innovation and new technologies. Today, we devote 7% of our turnover to R&D. It’s a genuine priority, for the company’s sustained existence will depend on developing new products.”
> Jean-Jacques Benoît
Sominex - Bayeux -
Tel: 02 31 51 40 00 -
Website: www.sominex.fr

Winner in the « Industrial property awareness” category

Starnav / Chicheboville

“Protecting our innovations”
Specialised in star tracking systems, Starnav, a company founded in 2007 by Georges Lamy au Rousseau, a former serviceman and physics expert, relies on the position of stars to provide navigation systems with extremely accurate information. And since 2008, the company with its 3-man team, has been continuing its development. Over and above expertise studies for the defence sector, it also uses star tracking for applications targeting the general public, such as Vister, a non-satellite locating system, or a computer control system prompted by eye movements via a webcam (EyePilot) - a valuable technology for the disabled, but also a useful tool for video games “Since the company’s creation, we have chosen to reinvest our entire profits in R&D. Following advice from Normandie Incubation, who familiarised us with industrial property, we protect our innovations by filing patents or brand names. We have already filed 2 patents and 5 brand names,” adds the company’s director. A strategy well worthy of reward.

> Georges Lamy au Rousseau
Starnav - Chicheboville -
Tel: 02 31 71 00 48
Website: www.starnav.fr

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