Ervé Tchoupé

Senior R&D and Product Development Leader with 20 years of experience managing multidisciplinary engineering organizations, industrial innovation portfolios, and strategic technology roadmaps in complex industrial environments. Proven track record in leading cross-functional teams, driving industrialization programs, managing multi-million CAPEX investments, and delivering industrial-ready products aligned with business and market requirements. PhD Engineer with an Executive MBA combining strategic vision, operational execution, and international stakeholder management.

HEAD OF R&D SOLUTIONS DEPARTMENT & PRODUCTS INNOVATION PORTFOLIO MANAGER at APERAM STAINLESS R&D EUROPE (2024-03 – 2025-12)

Reporting to the European R&D management, and responsible for coordinating a multidisciplinary and multicultural team to manage a portfolio of product innovations. transforming an R&D portfolio into a strategic growth lever.

• Led a multidisciplinary R&D organization of 30 engineers and experts across multiple technical domains (Mechanic, Corrosion, Surface Engineering, Laser ad applications).
• Managed a €6.8M innovation portfolio including prioritization, governance, resource planning, and alignment with business strategy.
• Implemented KPI-driven project governance focused on time-to-market, industrial readiness, and operational efficiency.
• Acted as interface between R&D, operations, business development, and customers across European industrial sites.

PRODUCTS DESIGN EXPERT at ADHEX PHARMA (2022-02 – 2024-02)

Reporting to the Pharmaceutical Development Department, responsible for analysing the technological value of the patent portfolio and leading industrial re-engineering projects.

• Contribution to strategic M&A projects, Intellectual Property Audit (Gain: 50 % of proposed value).
• Managed product redesign projects, including prototyping and industrial validation.
• Reduced material costs by 20%, resulting in annual savings of 360 k€.
• Managed the Research Tax Credit application, identified research topics, and tracked deliverables.

HEAD OF R&D PRODUCTS AND PROCESS INNOVATION at LA MONNAIE DE PARIS (2010-10 – 2022-05)

Reporting to the Strategy Department, and responsible for structuring the excellence of the materials and processes R&D service to guarantee technological differentiation internationally. Improved industrial performance, technological differentiation, and market security through unique product and processes innovations.

• Alignment of R&D department priorities with the company's strategy through the definition of roadmaps for key themes (materials, products, and processes).
• Full lifecycle ownership of industrial product developments for international central banks: specifications, prototyping, customer validation, industrialization, production ramp-up, and operational support. Key success projects: DOM-TOM, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Lebanon, States of West and Central Africa. Projects turnovers 1,5 to 10 M€.
• Managed industrial processes innovation, qualification, process validation, supplier coordination, production ramp-up, and operator training for advanced manufacturing technologies.
• International collaborations for the deployment of innovative technologies: PVD (600 k€, Switzerland); Picosecond LASER (900 k€, Germany).
• Design and reliability improvement of production equipment for unique products (20 Mauritania Ouguiya; a coin with inserted ball. 5 Mauritania Ouguiya, an hexagonal stainless steel-based coin).
• Research of new materials and treatments for tooling, resulting in a 3x increase in productivity.

ENGINEER – PHD CANDIDATE at CIRIMAT LABORATORY (2006-09 – 2010-09)

Contributing to the European IMPRESS program for the development of Ti-Al-based intermetallic alloys for low-pressure turbine blades in aircraft turbines.

• Characterization of the materials produced in relation to the different process routes.
• Production of a doctoral thesis on the relationship between manufacturing processes, microstructure, oxidation, and mechanical properties.
• Writing and publication of internal project reports and scientific articles.

ENGINEERING INTERN at MITSUBISHI CHEMICALS RESEARCH CENTER (2006-03 – 2006-09)

Supporting the projects of new products development by performing computerised molecular dynamics simulations of the properties of different materials.

EXECUTIVE MBA in Business strategy, leadership, management and performance monitoring – EM-LYON (2022 – 2023)

PROJECT MANAGEMENT DIPLOMA in Project Management – CEFCO LAUSANNE (2022 – 2023)

PHD in Materials Science and Engineering – NATIONAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE OF TOULOUSE (2007 – 2010)

ENGINEER in Advanced Materials and Mechanics – ISMANS (school of advanced materials and mechanics) (2004 – 2006)