FiveCo blends design and innovation
This Sunday, the engineering firm FiveCo will celebrate its fifteen years of existence. Based in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, the company deploys all its ingenuity to meet every technological challenge put to it. An adventure that began at Expo.02, and which is far from over given the level of demand for the firm's expertise. The company cultivates an air of mystery, which has now become part of its DNA. Interview with founder Antoine Lorotte.
How do you look back on FiveCo's journey? With undeniable pride. The company started entirely on its own, without any investor. And today, after 15 years of existence, FiveCo is sustainable and independent. It is a company that has managed to carve out a place for itself in a rather difficult environment. All the more so since most of our projects are confidential, making it impossible for us to communicate about them.
You have worked on numerous heterogeneous projects. Which innovations are you most proud of? There are several. I could cite the cigar box designed for Imperiali Industries. This object contains an extraordinary sum of know-how, innovation, and technology. The box is independent — it generates its own humidity and controls the climate in which the cigars are stored. But also the X-Smart IQ application for endodontics, developed for Dentsply Maillefer. Or the battery management system for Hyten SA, which was able to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans equipping a Nissan hybrid vehicle.
In short, it is precisely this diversity of projects that I am most proud of. Managing to touch several sectors is quite an achievement.
How long does setting up a project take on average? It depends on several factors. The smallest projects last 3 months. While the most significant ones can go up to four years.
Does technological innovation necessarily go hand in hand with design? Absolutely. Today we are obliged to innovate with design. Even a very industrial product must look good and be pleasant to use. As an engineering firm, we must think of innovation with design. There are several objective and subjective reasons for this. Notably the fact that our client wants to work with a tool that is pleasant to handle, to the touch and to the eye. Furthermore, we have realised that making an object aesthetically pleasing does not necessarily cost more than selling it in its raw state, straight out of the factory.
What project are you currently working on? We are working on projects for watchmaking, for the luxury industry, and on a major industrial project. We are in collaboration with a French group. But for reasons of confidentiality, I cannot tell you more. These are strategic and extremely confidential projects.
Are you considering exporting the FiveCo model internationally in the coming years? In the past, we have done projects with companies geographically distant from FiveCo. Personally, I find it very difficult to work remotely. I feel we need to see the client, explain the problems and all the administrative and logistical questions to them. As an engineering firm, we have this educational role of explaining industrial or technological constraints. And when your client is on the other side of the planet, that is not straightforward. Otherwise we would need to create FiveCo subsidiaries. Perhaps by then, in our growth mindset, other people will have taken my place.
