François Sylla is a French entrepreneur and scientist of Togolese and Guinea origin, who has illustrated himself in the field of laser-plasma acceleration. Graduated from the Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles in Paris and the Imperial College of London, he received a Ph.D. in physics from the École Polytechnique in 2011 for his innovative work on laser-plasma interaction.
With an unprecedented entrepreneurial spirit from an early age, he co-founded in 2011 the start-up SourceLAB, which specializes in the manufacture of interaction targets essential for laser-plasma experiments. His atypical journey, combining scientific excellence and entrepreneurial success, makes him an ambassador of choice of French know-how around the world.
Introduction
François Sylla est un entrepreneur et scientifique français d'origine togolaise et guinéenne, qui a marqué son empreinte dans le domaine de l'accélération laser-plasma. Son parcours atypique, alliant une formation d'excellence et un esprit entrepreneurial hors norme, en fait une figure inspirante de l'innovation française. Plongeons dans son histoire fascinante, qui allie rigueur scientifique et audace entrepreneuriale.
Education
Born in Togo to a Guinean father and a Polish mother, François Sylla studied in Guinea at the French high school in Conakry, one of the best institutions in the country. His parents, aware of the importance of quality education, opened the doors to a promising future.
After obtaining her bachelor's degree, Sylla received a scholarship from the Agency for the Teaching of French abroad, allowing her to continue her studies in France. He then conducted a preparation at the main schools in Lyon, before joining the Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de Paris (ESPCI-Paristech), where he specialized in physics.
Insatiable in his thirst for knowledge, he then obtained a Master's degree in optics and photonics at Imperial College London in 2007. This training of excellence gives him the tools to embark on a leading scientific career.
Carrière professionnelle
In 2007, François Sylla began a PhD in physics at the Ecole Polytechnique in France, under the direction of Professor Victor Malka. His work focuses on laser-plasma interaction in quasi-critical mode from dense gas jets, a field in which France is a pioneer.
In this thesis, which will lead him to obtaining his doctorate in 2011, Sylla experimentally explores "the ion acceleration of laser-plasma interaction in subdensity to quasi-critical diets - trace field effects and associated plasma structures". This in-depth research enables him to develop cutting-edge expertise in the field of laser-plasma acceleration.
Entrepreneur
As early as 2007, François Sylla and his colleague at the time, Antonin Bollot, realized that their work on "interaction targets" - pressurized boxes indispensable to their experiments - could be of interest to other research teams. They then decide to develop a commercial offer around these unique objects.
In 2013, they realized their vision by co-founding SourceLAB, a start-up specializing in laser-plasma acceleration. Their flagship product, the interaction targets, met immediate success with renowned laboratories such as those in Berkeley, Germany and South Korea.
The success of SourceLAB is based on the excellence of French engineering, which François Sylla proudly embodies. Thanks to the support of the French state for innovation after the crisis, the two entrepreneurs were able to embark on this ambitious entrepreneurial adventure.
Conclusion
François Sylla's journey perfectly illustrates the synergy between cutting-edge scientific research and entrepreneurship. Trained in the best institutions, he transformed his doctoral thesis into a thriving business, while contributing to the advances of plasma physics.
But beyond his professional achievements, it is his desire to learn and to undertake that best characterizes this passionate man. At the age of 16, he started his first business building and operating fishing trailers in Guinea, testifying to an early entrepreneurial spirit.
Today, François Sylla continues to explore new horizons by creating the association SYFO, which aims to implant the first vineyard in Guinea. This multi-faceted man thus embodies intellectual curiosity, entrepreneurial boldness and attachment to French know-how, a unique combination that makes it a true model of inspiration.
