“It was the discussions I had with the Automation Manager and the IT/OT Director that convinced me to join Ÿnsect. They were so exciting that I was eager to start my new job“. Toufik began his new job in April 2020, right in the middle of the health crisis: “Unfortunately, I couldn’t meet my new colleagues right away, I had to wait three months, but it was worth the wait“. As a child, Toufik was already very interested in how his toys were made, and spent most of his time taking them apart to observe and reassemble them. This fascination for technology never left him, and guided his choice of studies. After graduating from high school, he left his home country, Morocco, to go to France to complete a DUT, then a bachelor’s degree, which would lead him to his goal: an engineering school. “Becoming an engineer has always been my dearest desire, I had not considered any other alternative to this school: no plan B for my childhood dream“. During his schooling, he completed a part-time training course that convinced him to go into automation.
In the past, Toufik has worked in several companies: from automotive to airlines to intralogistics, Toufik has had the opportunity to rub shoulders with many industries. In 2019, he decided to leave the heating company where he worked to move on towards new horizons. He submits his resume online and is quickly contacted by a recruitment agency: “and so the Ÿnsect adventure began! They told me about the company and the project, and it put stars in my eyes. An adventure like this is very rare!” Today, Toufik is an Automation Project Manager. He is working on the automation of Ÿnsect’s new vertical farm with his team: “I personally manage the intralogistics part. From the call for tenders to the tests, I am involved in the entire chain. This allows me to look at the upstream side: documentation, research, choice of operators, etc., but also on the downstream: the manufacture of the machines, their installation and testing. It’s very rewarding“.
On a daily basis, the challenge of building the world’s largest vertical farm motivates Toufik:
“I like the challenge, but also being able to see my contribution: what I put in place yesterday must be operational tomorrow“. For him, to do his job, ambition is a must: “what we do has never been done before. I’ve never seen a plant connected like this anywhere else: all the system layers connected to each other, in other words, a factory 4.0! So you have to think big. It is essential to listen and be available. When I joined Ÿnsect, the team was still small; today, you have to be able to respond to all the issues and support each member“. And so, it’s no surprise that Toufik is one of those who identify most with solidarity among the company’s values: “It’s obvious! Together, we can overcome anything“.
