Net economy: Franck Lebastard is changing his life

He is about to quit his status of a research worker to try to create his own firm: 'If I do not try it, I will regret it all my life!'

Franck Lebastard is responsible for the database research team of the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées ( National School of Bridges and Roads) at the Cermics (a teaching and research center in mathematics, computer science and scientific counting) in Sophia Antipolis. Franck Lebastard passed his doctoral thesis at the Inria Sophia Antipolis (National Research Institute in Computer and Automatics) He was a research worker at the Inria and later at the Cermics.His 'specialities' are: data transformation problems ; data model problems and request languages. His is a teacher at the Ecole Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'Etat (National School of the State Public Works and Water Management), at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées and at the MBDS (a 'mastère' specialized in database and system integration) at the Ceram in Sophia Antipolis.He is also a co-responsible in the course of the DEA (Advanced Studies Diploma) specialized in advanced database at the university of Nice-Sophia Antipolis. He knows well the industry sector: as a responsible for a research team, he manages a 2.2 million francs budget and has already negotiated some research contracts (Dassault Aviation, Aérospatiale Toulouse, O2 Technologies, Ilog).He is now a 35 year-old man who is ready to quit his exciting activity as a research worker-teacher and his comfortable status as a state-employed teacher to try to become a firm founder. Three more men specialized in research decided to do the great jump with him: Stéphane Demphlous, Olivier Jautzy et Eric Darrot.At the age of 14, already…' To tell the truth, already at the age of 14 my wish was to create a firm. I chose to do research. That old dream emerges today ! What motivated us is the obvious interest that the technology we perfected represents for the market. This new technology is the ObjectDriver system whose prototypes are already used by groups like Dassault Aviation and Aérospatiale. It will represent the most important element of our firm called Infobjects ( /www.infobjects.net">Infobjects).The aim of the firm -that will begin to function in April- is to make software that will provoke a revolution in the database world, offering avant-garde tools very interesting to use in situation of merging, purchase or alliance between different firms.' Our luck is also to have a technology that is ideal to connect firm database to new applications of the e-commerce. Our activity is not linked to the Internet directly, but we are surfing on the same wave.'Franck Lebastard really wants to catch all the opportunities. First of all the new dispositions of Allègre's law about innovation and research: 'It draws the way for the research worker who wants to develop its researches. He will continue to receive his state-employed employee wage during the first six months he is in his firm, and he will pay the state back after that period. This advance is very useful at the beginning of the activity'.The research worker also benefits from its School sponsorship: 'During the first six months, we are located in the Cermics premises with a very low rent to pay. Infobjects is the first Ecole des Ponts start-up, that is why the National Department of Equipment and Facilities pays a high attention to our success' .His enterprise project is also encouraged by the local authorities: the Direction des Pôles de Compétences Technologiques (Technological Skills Department) of the CCI (Chamber of Commerce) Nice Côte d'Azur gave him a prize during the last show 'Entreprendre les hautes technologies'( Create a firm with new technologies).Dream high and strongHis research changed of nature. For several months he has been learning day after day what is to be a creator: research of funds among risk-capital firms and business angels- 'we hope to obtain about six million francs. He is afraid of the life restraints an entrepreneur has – will he have enough time to go and collect his three daughters at the end of the school day as usually? – but he says: 'If I do not do that today, I will regret it all my life ! We have the opportunity to create a worldwide company, it cannot be refused. I want to dream high and strong and to have an exciting life.Franck Lebastard has a very philosophical behaviour in front of the adventure. His three companions feel the same! 'The goal of the game is not to destroy our competitors but to split with them a part of the space. We must react with wisdom and equilibrium. The winner is the one who has well balanced his construction. According to me, a fabulous model for the economic life'.Contact:Franck.Lebastard@sophia.inria.frhttp://www.inria.fr/cermics/dbteaminfo@infobjects.net