Interview with the CEO of EcoSpare

1) Can you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your background?

I was born in Casablanca, Morocco, where I lived until the age of 30. During this time, I obtained my engineering degree in mechanics and worked in two different SMEs in the public works sector. In 2003, I came to France to join the specialized master's program in technological innovation marketing at EM-Lyon.

These 2 degrees allowed me to join the Schneider-Electric group, Industry BU, where I worked for 14 years primarily in sales and marketing. In 2018, I went back to school to prepare for an MBA at IAE Lyon before leaving Schneider-Electric at the end of 2019. One month later, I created EcoSpare, the specialist in industrial spare parts management.

2) Why EcoSpare, what need does it address?

Today, manufacturers are suffering from what is known as the obsolescence of electrical equipment. Competition from electrical equipment manufacturers pushes them to constantly innovate to stay in the race and gain a technological competitive advantage. New products are more efficient and less bulky. However, backward compatibility is not always maintained, and changing one product necessitates changing the entire system.

I provide a concrete example: an industrialist who has a machine or process that operates with a system based on a Premium series PLC from Schneider-Electric. If the industrialist no longer has spare parts such as I/O cards, power supplies, or others, because this series has been replaced by a new range based on the M340 or the M580, the industrialist is forced to change the entire old system, even if it works very well and could still last for a few more years. In addition to the fact that this represents a significant budget, it does not contribute to environmental protection because 90% of the recovered products will end up in the landfill.

That is why we created EcoSpare, which will be launched before the end of 2020, the first French marketplace for the sale of obsolete, used, refurbished, or new industrial spare partsThis Marketplace will allow industrials, medium-sized enterprises, and large companies to capitalize on the stock of recovered products following renovations or dormant stock instead of throwing them away. At the same time, small and medium-sized enterprises that don't have the means to renovate their entire installation can purchase these "obsolete" products and extend the lifespan of their equipment.

3) What types of products can be found on the EcoSpare platform?

EcoSpare will launch its platform www.spare-place.com Before the end of the year. 5 major categories are planned in the roadmap, but only the "Automation" category will be open for sale at launch. In this category, there will be more than 5 sub-categories such as programmable controllers, industrial terminals, starter motors and variable frequency drives, motion and robotics controllers, as well as sensors. We will start with a catalog of over 5000 products representing more than 200 brands. These products will be available, reliable, and guaranteed. Several delivery modes will be available, both standard and express.

4) What types of companies can benefit from your services and how?

Like any marketplace, there are sellers and buyers. In Spare-PlaceThe seller community is represented by 2 types:

1- Professional sellers: these are sellers whose job is to sell obsolete electrical components.

2- Industrial sellers: these are large companies or large SMEs. They occasionally sell dormant or unnecessary stock, retrieved following a renovation of machinery or processes.

Professional sellers can also be manufacturers of electrical equipment if they wish to participate in the circular economy by refurbishing and reselling end-of-line products and items repaired following standard exchanges. Buyers are industrial companies like SMEs or small mid-sized enterprises, looking to extend the life of their industrial equipment at a lower cost.

5) According to you, when can we say that a factory is "Smart"?

The concept of Smart Factory has gained full meaning with the emergence of new technologies. A "Smart" factory is one that leverages all the new technologies to be efficient and meet customer needs around the triptych: quality, price, delivery time.

Indeed, for a factory to be "smart," it must be automated in order to produce large quantities and/or customized batches. This automation will enable the factory to be more competitive. The price will thus be accessible to the customer, deadlines controlled, and the product delivered on time.

This automation will also meet a new need for personalization. Today, a factory must be capable of manufacturing products that correspond to a combination of options requested by the customer without halting the production lines. It's simply a flexible and agile factory.

To be even more competitive, the factory must also be operationally efficient. This means reducing machine downtime or lead time more generally. This has become possible thanks to IIoT used in predictive maintenance. It allows for anticipating failures and replacing components that show signs of wear before they break down.

IIOT can also be used in the supply chain to ensure that machines are supplied on time and do not run out of stock.

The energy aspect is also important, as a "smart" factory is less energy-consuming and therefore eco-responsible.

Finally, a factory is "smart" thanks to the men and women who work there. If they are well-trained and well-integrated from the start of the digital transformation, they will be key success factors.

6) Future industry, where does France stand?

The industrial sector is very important for the French economy, representing 12.4% of GDP compared to 20% in Germany. 96% of exports come from the industry and it employs 2.7 million people. The weight of the manufacturing industry has been halved since 1970, dropping from 22.3% to 11.2%. This decline is mainly due to falling prices (from 2000 to 2007) and the Subprime Crisis of 2008.

The average age of production tools in France is 19 years. France has continued to lose competitiveness against its Asian neighbors. The solution for France is to regain competitiveness by taking advantage of the digital revolution and consequently the industry of the future.

For about 4 years, France has been ramping up efforts to gain competitiveness and implementing various plans through actions undertaken by BPI France, French Tech, French Fab, AIF (Alliance for the Industry of the Future)....

The current health crisis has also highlighted areas for improvement in terms of industrial sovereignty. Today, France needs to relocate strategic activities so that they are manufactured in France and make "make or buy" decisions. The state recovery plan of 120 billion euros is a strong message showing that France needs the industry more than ever in these difficult times.

France has a very strong asset, which is human capital. It possesses the best European skills and schools that train talented engineers. This is precisely why France has been ranked by EY as the country that attracts the most foreign investors, far ahead of Germany and England.

Some SME leaders struggle to see the benefits brought by the Industry of the Future and view this concept as a passing trend. What do you respond to them?

I tell them that the industry of the future is indeed the industry of today. It is neither a concept nor a theory. It is simply solutions that leverage new technologies to gain competitiveness, agility, and operational efficiency.

In summary, to remain competitive and continue to exist, it is necessary to adopt the industry of the future, and it must start now.

The benefits are of course measurable through calculations and estimates. If necessary, it is possible to do POCs and observe the actual gains.

The implementation of the industry of the future is done through technological bricks such as predictive maintenance, automation, asset management, operational efficiency, cybersecurity, or sustainable development.

The hardest part is getting started!

8) What advice would you give to a young person wanting to pursue a career in the industry?

Through all the plans undertaken by France, as well as the awareness, with the health crisis, that industry remains a strategic investment axis for France. Industry can only strengthen through significant investments in France.

Industry in the era of the 4th digital revolution needs men and women to support this digital transformation. France requires new skills in predictive maintenance, augmented or virtual reality. It needs competencies that master simulation software for future needs in implementing digital twins or for asset management through supervision...

Industry 4.0 needs you!