Paul Kuffer is the winner of the 2025 Alban Tixier Prize, awarded by the Arts et Métiers Foundation and the Wood teaching team. This distinction recognizes his final-year project, carried out in close collaboration with the industrial world.
An academic career marked by commitment and encounters
After completing the PT preparatory class at Lycée Louis Lachenal (Annecy), Paul Kuffer joined theArts et Métiers Grande École ProgramArts et Métiers the Cluny campus. From his very first year, he and his working group stood out for their diligence and dedication. Whether working on educational projects with the La Main à la pâte foundation or designing an autonomous robot in their second year, these experiences gradually led them towards projects related to wood, in collaboration with researchers from LaBoMaP (LAboratoire des Matériaux et Procédés).
This collective dynamic has profoundly shaped his career path. "It was thanks to my working group that a classmate encouraged me to get so involved in the woodworking workshop. I think I can thank him, because it was thanks to him that I chose to specialize in Expertise 3A - "WOOD: a local resource for sustainable construction" in my third year ," he tells us .
Industrial synergy driving innovation
The project led by Paul and awarded the Alban Tixier prize is the result of a strategic meeting between two manufacturers with complementary skills:
- Hekipia, a company that designs lightweight recreational dwellings,
- The Ducerf Group, specialists in wood processing (particularly oak).
The aim of this collaboration was to address a specific issue faced by Hekipia: replacing the current "sandwich" panels (composed of polyurethane foam insulation sandwiched between two sheets of steel) with a fully bio-based alternative.
As an apprentice engineer, Paul divided his time between the Cluny campus and the Ducerf Group site in Charolles to meet this challenge.
The technical challenge: designing the panel of tomorrow
Supervised by Thibault Chastagnier (Technical Manager at Ducerf) for industrial methodology, and by Bertrand Marcon (Research Engineer at LaBoMaP) for scientific validation, Paul led the development of this new product.
The specifications imposed strict constraints: high thermal resistance and mechanical characteristics (weight, load capacity) both at least equivalent to the steel/polyurethane solution, and controlled production costs.
The solution developed by Paul and his teams is a composite panel consisting of three layers, each about ten centimeters wide:
- Structure: Interior and exterior poplar cladding.
- Insulation: A central core made of wood fibers.
- Durability: Heat treatment (THT) applied to the outer surface to ensure durability.
This innovative system is easy to assemble, offers enhanced acoustic comfort and modern aesthetics, and promotes short supply chains. The project has resulted in the creation of a full-scale prototype, pending validation of the full specifications.
What next? A career focused on research
This experience enabled Paul to acquire two key skills: scientific rigor in research and operational expertise in business. Building on this success, he is now continuing his studies with a thesis within the LaBoMaP wood team and the Ducerf company.
Funded by the Ducerf Group and an ANR grant, his current work focuses on the use of secondary-quality oak (small-diameter and/or twisted wood) for structural or aesthetic applications. The challenge is to improve industrial grading processes in order to make better use of this resource.
Although his post-doctoral career plans are not yet finalized, Paul Kuffer confirms his keen interest in teaching, industrial development, and the promotion of raw materials.
About the Alban Tixier Prize
The Alban Tixier Prize is awarded annually to recognize innovation and excellence in the field of industrial materials and processes, highlighting the work of students with ambitious projects.
In 2010, the Arts et Métiers Foundation Arts et Métiers the "Alban Tixier" prize. This prize is named after Alban, a former student of Cluny (class of 197) who always showed his attachment to the school, particularly with regard to wood sciences. Having passed away too soon, his family wishes to perpetuate this attachment by helping deserving students through the awarding of an annual cash prize to reward excellence in a project related to this theme.
