The Canopée competition is a major national event for the wood industry and innovation within it. We put a few questions to François Vulser, who is in charge of the competition.
Could you introduce yourself? What's your background?
Hello, my name is François Vulser and I'm in charge of the La Canopée competition. I studied entrepreneurship at Neoma Business School, and discovered the forestry-wood industry by chance.
After a failed attempt to develop a mobile application for travelers, for which we hadn't managed to convince any potential investors, I wanted to meet the world of investors to better understand their expectations by doing an internship at France Angels (Fédération Nationale des Business Angels). It was there that I met Forinvest Business Angels, a network of investors in the forestry-wood industry, whose sector of activity immediately intrigued me, and which I was subsequently able to join to develop their network.
What drew you to La Canopée?
After two years at Forinvest, where I was able to interact with a large number of innovative projects, I decided to launch the La Canopée competition. I'd seen a lot of elevator pitch competitions during my internship at France Angels, and I felt that this type of competition was lacking in the forestry and wood industry. After that, I was lucky enough to have a lot of support both internally and externally to develop this idea.
What role does the competition play in the wood industry and in eco-construction?
I think it helps to give the sector a positive image and, ultimately, to democratize its use. The competition has also led to a number of contacts being made, and one of the projects has already received investment from Forinvest Business Angels. However, we have to remain humble: it's a first edition and there are areas for improvement.
What difficulties do you encounter on a day-to-day basis in carrying out your mission?
It was a sporting start, since the aim of the competition was also to create a collective project. It wasn't always easy to convince people with words alone, so we had to move forward in a blur before the launch.
Then there was the stress of the call for entries. In the first month, we only had around twenty applications, whereas a month later the call for applications closed. So there was the fear of making a mistake and not having enough projects for the competition.
I also had to learn new skills to organize elevator pitch sessions in the four cities we visited. There are all the aspects linked to events and organization: booking rooms, filming, cocktails, online registration, timing... And then there's also the management of the events where I was speaker.
Finally, I'd like to launch an edition 2, but we're going through a major crisis, so it's more complicated to find financial partners, which I understand perfectly, but I remain convinced that our competition can make a contribution to the development of the industry in our society.
What successes can you look back on?
Our competition now has over seventy partners, and we're proud to have received over one hundred and forty applications. The projects we heard about were all of the highest quality. The feedback has been very positive and constructive. So it's very pleasing to look back and realize that just a year ago this competition was just a Powerpoint presentation.
How would you describe the evolution of the award-winning projects?
Considering that the final had to be postponed because of the lock-in, I don't yet have the necessary hindsight to talk about evolution. I also think that the situation is complicated for a large number of projects.
Do you think that in terms of innovation, wood is a material of the future? Why or why not?
I've just spent my last year with project leaders who are convinced, who give one hundred percent and who work on a wide variety of subjects. It gives you confidence in the future to see all this energy and all these ideas. So I'd say yes, of course!
And my position in the competition has enabled me to discover a large number of innovations, but also to realize that innovation isn't necessarily where you expect it to be, that it's present at every level, whether it's with manufacturers, startups, students or researchers. So there's a strong desire on the part of everyone involved to develop the use of this material.
To answer the "Why" question, I invite all those who read this exchange to follow us on the networks to find out the exact date of the final and to come along! You'll be able to see thirteen innovative projects from all sectors of the forestry and wood industry, and I'm sure that this will answer the "why" question.
Many thanks to François Vulser for this interview!
