Charlotte Heslouin, PhD student at the I2M lab in Bordeaux, Mechanical Engineering and Design department, hosted at the Chambéry institute for a thesis in partnership with Carrier Transicold Industries. Design and environmental performance: a cross-cutting theme linked to unavoidable concerns.
In January 2015, Charlotte begins a doctorate thanks to CIFRE funding, in partnership with the refrigerated transport company CARRIER, which seeks to define how the analysis of environmental performance, using indicators, can influence design and encourage best practices in the use of products, in this case temperature-controlled road transport vehicles.
"Research closely linked to the needs of the company encouraged me to pursue a PhD."
Charlotte has a university background with a bachelor's degree in mechanical technology from the University of Franche-Comté, followed by a year in the Czech Republic and then a professional master's degree in eco-design of products.
She then signed a contract with ARTS (which has since become the commercialization subsidiary ofArts et Métiers, AMValor) and worked on the Metz campus as a design engineer on the Interreg FRED (Rapid Manufacturing and Eco-Design) project. During these two years, she discovered that the research environment can be very business-oriented and focused on directly meeting the needs of companies. She also wanted to continue working in eco-design and explore the subject in greater depth. The opportunity to write a thesis, already negotiated between CARRIER and the Chambéry institute, presented itself. The company wanted to make its refrigerated transport more "green," whether through driver behavior, manufacturer choices, or the actions of all those involved in the refrigeration system's life cycle.
As for her future location, she has the choice between Bordeaux, where her thesis advisor is based, Chambéry, where her two co-supervisors are based, or a combination of the two. She has decided on Chambéry and full-time study, as the region is of great interest to her partner, a top-level athlete who became French mountain biking champion this year!
A significant personal investment, but a most rewarding human experience.
Charlotte is nearing the end of her PhD; she is due to defend her thesis in December, with very positive results, even though she has encountered a few difficulties. In addition to managing a major three-year project, she emphasizes the care she had to take not to focus too much on industrial applications in order to continue to do more comprehensive research work.
On the other hand, she enjoyed meeting renowned scientists in her field of research whose work she had studied. She also had the opportunity to present her work at two international conferences in New Zealand and Japan.
We are pleased to see the added value and interest in our research expressed by experts in the field.
In addition, she participated in the 2017 Ma Thèse en 180 secondes(My Thesis in 180 Seconds) competition. " It's a great experience that allows you to develop valuable skills in public speaking, summarizing, and explaining your work to a general audience in a very short amount of time."
Finally, she does not regret her decision to work at the institute in Chambéry, as part of a small, close-knit team in a pleasant environment.
While she has many career opportunities open to her, she is considering focusing on industry, without ruling out obtaining her qualification to leave the door open for an academic career.
Watch Charlotte's speech at the My Thesis in 180 Seconds competition
