Who is PhD Michel Risser?

Doctor-Engineer, he is specialized in multiphysics and multiscale modelling, magnetothermic energy conversion and he is also working for the ICAM school as teacher in energy – climate.

For Michel, energy sobriety is essential if future generations are to grow up in good conditions.

How old are you?

I’m 41.

How long have you been working for Magnoric?

I‘ve been working on this project since the startup (then called Ubiblue) was first put together, in 2019.

What do you love about your job?

Physics and mathematics are the language with which humans describe what they observe in Nature. I love putting our knowledge to good use to try and find answers to the major issues facing humanity. My job is a fantastic playground for learning and building by playing with the laws of physics, with a goal in line with my values.

What do you see as the future of magnetothermal energy conversion?

The energy glut we’ve enjoyed thanks to fossil fuels since the early days of the industrial revolution is gradually coming to an end. Energy is the lifeblood of our societies. To maintain an organized society, we need resource-efficient alternatives that can effectively meet the vital energy needs of our societies. Thermomagnetic energy conversion is a tool that has a role to play in meeting these needs, because of the efficiency gains it offers compared with commercially available technologies.

What would you like to say to future generations?

As for the present generation, I’d like to say that we’ve known collectively since the 1970s what trajectories our societies are following. I’m thinking of the work of the Meadows report, the Stockholm resilience center and the IPCC. The development of new technologies to meet these challenges, as well as progress in our understanding of how we interact with the world, could perhaps, with the imperative of sobriety, set us on trajectories with happy outcomes. I’m trying to contribute to this edifice with the means at my disposal.

Can you tell us about an ecological commitment you are making to improve the future?

Knowing and trying to reduce my environmental impact, with a holistic approach.

3 words to describe you:

benevolence, meticulousness, self-sacrifice.

What book would you recommend?

I’m hesitating between : “L’énergie du déni” by Vincent Mignerot or “Ralentir ou périr” by Timothée Parrique.