Introduction: recognition at the Lorient new year ceremony
At the Lorient city new year ceremony held on monday january 19, 2026 at the théâtre de Lorient, Frédéric Fourreau received the talent of the year award from the mayor of Lorient. This distinction acknowledges his career, his commitment to innovation, and his active role in the local economic ecosystem.
As the driving force behind UBSIDE, Frédéric Fourreau discusses his journey and the future outlook for the organisation in this interview.
Can you describe your career path and what shaped your vision of innovation?
“I have been working in r&d and technological innovation for more than 30 years. I started as a designer and project manager for scientific laser systems at cilas, before joining saint-gobain as head of engineering, where I was responsible for developing and industrialising high-performance glass products for demanding industries like aeronautics and rail. Subsequently, I supported innovative companies as a consultant and coach, became a leader in deeptech startups, and eventually director of the technical centre irma, which became UBSIDE in 2025. This journey has taught me the importance of scientific expertise, project management, and maturing and testing innovations before deployment. My entrepreneurial experience also taught me agile approaches, maturity readiness levels (trl, mrl, drl), and the essential role of public funding in bringing research to market.”
How does your understanding of the innovation ecosystem benefit ubside?
“Ubside is deeply rooted in its territory. We regularly engage with companies in the Lorient Composite Valley and the broader breton economic ecosystem to identify needs and respond with services and collaborative projects.
We also act as a connector by linking complementary skills from industry, academia, and technical centres. Beyond the local scale, ubside relies on regional and national networks — including tech clusters and competitiveness clusters — in a pragmatic open innovation approach attentive to confidentiality and intellectual property.
This ability to connect local challenges with wider networks is a key lever for supporting company innovation.”
What is your vision for ubside?
“Ubside is a catalyst for support, experimentation, and acceleration of innovation. Our strength lies not only in scientific and technical skills but also in our expertise in technological maturity advancement.
We act as a bridge between market needs and the right expertise, communicating both with companies and researchers, and validating solutions in real conditions.
In the future, UBSIDE will continue expanding its fields of action, including embedded intelligence, cybersecurity, and social sciences, leveraging local competencies.
My vision for UBSIDE is an agile and pragmatic structure serving companies, the region, and meaningful, sustainable, shared innovation.”
