Ecocontact®, winner of the Innovation Award in the PACA region

Originally, the core business of the Atelier Mécanique de Cannes (AMC) was “power electrification.” But that was before. “Because there are fewer and fewer factories nowadays,” observes the head of this company, “one of the oldest in the Cannes area.” Michel Pillet has succeeded in revitalizing “a declining activity” through innovation. He developed a metallic foam that reduces current losses at electrical contact points.

Shortage of Engineers in Traditional Industries

“Five to ten percent of the world’s electrical consumption is wasted due to these current losses,” emphasizes this Cannes-based entrepreneur. His silver-based foam effectively combats this waste while providing new opportunities for AMC. It is already being used at Nice Airport. But Michel Pillet aims further and wants to conquer the international market with his Côte d’Azur-made innovation.

It was “under pressure from industrialists who constantly complained about losing too much current” that he came up with the idea for his “ecocontact” foam. This, according to him, proves that with a bit of ingenuity, it’s possible to revitalize activities once thought to be destined for extinction. Provided that one can attract talent. “There is a shortage of engineers in these traditional industries,” he laments. “They all want to work in start-ups where, as a result, there’s a bottleneck. They would be better off also considering traditional sectors where there is a lot to be done.”