For nearly 40 years, the Club Laser et Procédés (CLP) has been bringing together the key players in the laser industry while highlighting the men and women who keep it alive. Through this series of interviews, we invite you to discover the CLP board members, their backgrounds, and their vision of laser technologies.
Today, we give the floor to Marc Faucon, Head of the Laser Processing Department at ALPhANOV. With a scientific background in photonics, he shares his motivation for becoming involved in CLP and his perspective on the challenges and prospects of the sector.
What has been your career path and your first encounter with laser technology?
"I studied at the University of Bordeaux, where optics and lasers already had a strong presence, with renowned laboratories in the field. My first encounter with laser technology was during my master’s internship, where I worked with a femtosecond laser combined with a time-resolved measurement setup using spectral interferometry."
What motivated you to get involved in the CLP Board of Directors?
"One of the missions of our technology center is to promote and transfer photonics and laser technologies to the industrial sector. CLP is the ideal platform to pursue and strengthen this action, which is why I wanted to join the Board of Directors."
What are your ambitions for the development of CLP and the laser industry in France?
"The ambition is to continue developing CLP in terms of membership and visibility. The French laser sector is rich with expertise recognized worldwide—from sources to processes, including beam shaping and integration—but penetration of the technology into industries that are not yet users remains a challenge. We must continue to demystify the technology and promote its potential to meet industrial needs, particularly in connection with the ecological transition."
Why would you recommend that a company join CLP?
"CLP brings together all the expertise related to laser technologies, making it easy to exchange knowledge about the technology, its potential, and its innovations. It is the ideal place for both current users and those wishing to integrate laser technology into their manufacturing processes."
In your opinion, what are the future directions for the development of laser technology?
"Laser technologies are evolving rapidly, especially with ultra-short pulse lasers and their increasing power, which are opening the way to new processes and innovative applications in batteries, surface treatments, and even medical fields. Continuous lasers and long-pulse lasers are also advancing, with welding and additive manufacturing offering particularly promising applications in aerospace and energy."
Through his testimony, Marc Faucon highlights a central challenge for the future of lasers in France: making this technology more accessible and better understood by industries that do not yet use it.
His commitment to the CLP Board of Directors reflects the Club’s mission: to bring together expertise, demystify laser processes, and promote their potential across a wide range of industries.
We thank Marc Faucon for this contribution, which illustrates how CLP serves as an essential catalyst for accelerating the adoption of laser technologies and supporting both industrial and ecological transitions.
