Félix Lavanchy, a third-year student at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Bordeaux-Talence, is about to embark on a unique experience in his engineering career. Passionate about scientific research, he has landed an internship at the Franco-Japanese LIMMS laboratory in Tokyo, where he will work on optimizing redox flow batteries (a type of liquid battery in which energy is stored in fluids).
An engineering career guided by scientific curiosity
Félix Lavanchy, a third-year student at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Bordeaux-Talence, is preparing to leave for Japan for his end-of-studies internship. Passionate about research since childhood, he has long harbored the ambition to contribute to scientific advances. Today, this aspiration is taking shape through an internship at the LIMMS (Laboratory for Integrated Micro-Mechatronics Systems), a Franco-Japanese laboratory affiliated with the CNRS and the University of Tokyo.
This internship focuses on optimizing the performance and lifespan of liquid batteries, an innovative topic in the field of energy. For Félix, it is a real opportunity to immerse himself in the world of science and pursue a PhD at the end of his academic career.
Indeed, with the development of new technologies, industry needs doctors of engineering science. Arts et Métiers to meet this need by offering this program to its students, illustrating the diversity of opportunities offered by the school.
This experience is part of a dynamic academic exchange between France and Japan, aimed at pooling complementary expertise in energy, electrochemistry, and instrumentation for the benefit of energy production and storage technologies. Working alongside Japanese experts, Félix will be able to deepen his knowledge of these new liquid batteries, benefiting from a cutting-edge research environment while immersing himself in a rich scientific and technical culture.
A French-Japanese collaboration
This program is part of a collaborative research project led by Stéphane Chevalier, a professor at the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Bordeaux-Talence and a researcher at the Bordeaux Institute of Mechanics and Engineering (I2M / Arts et Métiers, Bordeaux INP, CNRS, INRAE, University of Bordeaux).
A specialist in infrared imaging techniques and heat transfer for energy systems, he is working to improve the performance of liquid batteries by combining his expertise with that of Professor Tsuyoshi Minami of the University of Tokyo, an expert in micro-instrumentation for chemical analysis. Their collaboration aims to optimize battery life and efficiency by anticipating recharging needs and preventing aging.
Towards stronger international ties
This collaborative project, launched in 2022 with the University of Tokyo, demonstrates the importance of strategic international partnerships between Arts et Métiers Japan. After six years of research at I2M, this experience is an opportunity for Stéphane Chevalier to accelerate his collaboration with Professor Tsuyoshi Minami. Working on a daily basis in a Japanese research environment will also enable him to further his work and integrate new scientific approaches. This move, planned to last for one year, represents an enriching life experience for him and his family.
The medium-term prospects for this partnership aim to strengthen ties between the two countries by increasing exchanges of students and researchers. The University of Tokyo, as a strategic partner, offers an ideal setting for these collaborations. Ultimately , the idea is not only to promote incoming and outgoing mobility, but also to jointly develop innovative research projects on the energy systems of the future . This dynamic strengthens Arts et Métiers positionArts et Métiers the international stage and opens up new opportunities for French and Japanese students and researchers wishing to get involved in large-scale projects.
