Currently the head of business development for Europe at AGC Plasma Technology Solutions, Louis Dellieu is a passionate physicist who has been putting his scientific expertise to work for AGC Glass Europe for nearly 10 years. From insect wings to specialty glass, join us on a journey through a bio-inspired world.
During high school, I had a teacher, Matthieu Dontaine, who managed to inspire me with his passion for physics. Since I already loved math and could pursue this program in Namur, I decided to go for it. At first, I didn’t have a favorite subject, but when I started taking courses in optics and biophotonics with Professor Jean-Pol Vigneron, I immediately found them fascinating.
Yes, bio-inspiration was a major theme during my studies at UNamur. I thought it was amazing to discover incredible physical properties right in nature. I remember Socrates, the snake in Professor Vigneron’s office. He used to tell us, “I study snake skins because they have iridescent colors, but also because they have an interesting structure that allows them to move.”
He also told us about the Morpho, that large butterfly with dazzling metallic blue wings. This fascination made me want to explore the subject further. Together with Professor Vigneron, we traveled to France, Panama, and even Bolivia to “hunt” for cicadas and butterflies in order to study their wings. Their surfaces are made up of successive thin layers that interact with light to create unique colors.
Exactly. I began my dissertation in 2013, studying the surface properties of materials such as anti-reflection and hydrophobicity. Under the excellent supervision of Dr. Michaël Sarrazin and Professor Olivier Deparis, my dissertation used quantum electrodynamics to demonstrate that by achieving specific anti-reflective properties on certain materials, we could indirectly improve their wetting properties. This was a fairly innovative approach, and we subsequently worked to verify these results experimentally.
Yes, I was lucky enough to finish my dissertation a little ahead of schedule, and barely a month after defending it, I was hired by AGC Glass Europe as a project manager. I worked on exciting projects related to specialty glass: bulletproof, blast-resistant, screen-integrated glass, antennas embedded in glass, and more...
My desire to grow led me, after three years, to Eclat Digital, a subsidiary of AGC Glass Europe. As a business developer for optical simulation software, I reconnected with the topic of my thesis during an exciting period filled with travel and discussions with high-level industry leaders.
My career path then brought me back to the heart of the product when I became product manager for FINEO: a new generation of insulating glass. This innovative product combines an ultra-thin design with exceptional thermal and acoustic performance, and is manufactured using a revolutionary process right here in Wallonia.
My professional journey ultimately led me to AGC Plasma Technology Solutions, where I’ve come full circle. Here, we manufacture and market the machines that enable the industrial-scale reproduction of the multilayer structures I once observed in nature. For example, we supplied the coaters used to produce the mirrors for the world’s largest telescope, built by the ESO in Chile. In a way, it’s a return to my roots.
On the contrary, that’s where I truly thrive! I really love the fact that this job combines a business aspect with solid technical knowledge. I get to keep traveling, meeting people, and discovering markets I’m not familiar with. I’m constantly learning, and that makes the work particularly stimulating.
Speaking of adventure, we had gone on a two-week “insect hunt” in Bolivia, in a remote area. On our last night, the camp manager told us: “I’m glad there weren’t any problems, but a big cat has been prowling around the camp for the past two or three days.” He didn’t want to freak us out. All in all, we were really lucky not to have been devoured!
These are magnificent fields of study that help us understand the universe. Without physics, we would be at a loss to understand the world around us. If physicists had never studied the electron, none of the modern electronic world would exist.
What I also particularly appreciated was being able to study at the University of Namur, a university on a human scale. The classes are small, which fosters a close relationship with the professors. You feel supported and guided there. Plus, they do cutting-edge science there that opens up so many doors! Who wouldn’t want, for example, to help develop 100% silicon anodes to increase battery life? That’s one of the challenges we’re tackling at AGC Plasma.
Based in Louvain-la-Neuve, AGC Glass Europe manufactures, processes, and markets flat glass for the construction sector (exterior glazing and interior design), the automotive industry, and other industrial sectors (transportation, solar energy, and high-tech). It is the European division of AGC, a global leader in flat glass. With approximately 12,300 employees, it operates more than 100 industrial sites across Europe.
For more information: www.agc-glass.eu (corporate website), www.agc-yourglass.com (glass for construction), www.agc-automotive.com (glass for the automotive industry).
Through its AGC Plasma Technology Solutions division, AGC Glass Europe is active in a business segment that offers its vacuum coating technologies to a wide range of industries outside the glass industry. For more information on the equipment and services offered by AGC Plasma Technology Solutions.
This article is taken from the "Alumni" section of Omalius magazine, Issue #41 (June 2026).
