Accessibility. In 2021, Lugicap was born, a company that designs special equipment to enable people with reduced mobility to enjoy winter leisure activities.
As is often the case with inventions, the starting point is a personal experience. In this case, it's the story of Frédéric Martin, who became a quadriplegic in 1993 following an accident. During a holiday in the mountains with his friends, he was confronted with difficulties accessing the ski slopes. He came up with the idea of a Sled on which his wheelchair could be placed to glide over the snow...
In 2009, as a self-employed entrepreneur, he designed his first configurable and upgradeable prototype, which operates manually, either by traction or propulsion. This Sled won first prize at the Lépine competition, and with it, accompanied by his brother Arnaud and his friend Frank Emeyriat, he crossed the Jura on the tracks of the famous Transjurassienne.
With this feat, which is worth all the proofs of concept "68 kilometers and seven days of total autonomy in a tent at -20°C was an extraordinary feat for a quadriplegic... nothing comparable had ever been achieved before", he created Lugicap in partnership with Frank Emeyriat.In November 2021, in association with Frank Emeyriat, he created the Lugicap company, with the aim of "to make our project more widely known and give all disabled people access to sporting leisure activities"..
Hosted since July 2021, by the Deca BFC incubator, Lugicap now produces over twenty sleds a year and has models for snow, ice and raids. "Over and above the financial package provided by the region, Deca BFC helped us to find financing, to certify our products and ensure their intellectual property, and gave us in-depth knowledge of the local economic, institutional and academic fabric. It would have been difficult for us to make so many contacts without Deca BFC", says Frank Emeyriat.says Frank Emeyriat.
The same playground for everyone, together
Frank Emeyriat explains: "The added value of Lugicap compared with other existing solutions is that it is aimed at all forms of disability, even the most severe, which until now have had no solution for enjoying winter sports with their loved ones. By having a simple device that adapts to all types of wheelchair, we facilitate access to snow-covered areas without having to transfer people, which is often painful"..
The innovative concept of these two entrepreneurs from Haute-Saône has won over a number of partners, including Grand Besançon Métropole and La Planche des Belles Filles, the first ski resort in Burgundy Franche-Comté to be equipped with their solution, thanks to a purchase of equipment by the Haute-Saône département.
Source : le Journal du PalaisFrédéric Chevalier - Published March 15, 2023