A technical challenge presented by New Zealand’s premium glulam manufacturer, Techlam, has led to an exciting partnership with Scion, fostering a unique international collaboration.

In response to Techlam's request for expertise, Scion proposed an innovative solution: inviting Jean Margerie, a student from France’s prestigious engineering school École nationale supérieure d'Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), to join the project on a six-month joint internship.

Henri Baillères, Scion’s General Manager of Forests to Timber Products, explains that while Scion has long collaborated with the Levin-based company, this new partnership bridges industry and research, combining expertise and knowledge.

“When Techlam approached us for support, we saw an opportunity to meet their challenge with an innovative, mutually beneficial solution,” he says.

“For Techlam, it provided access to advanced equipment and research expertise that allowed them to expand their project scope and gain valuable insights into their processes. For Scion, this collaboration offered a direct link to industry, enabling us to apply our research in real-world settings and gain practical feedback to drive product innovation.”

Since its establishment 30 years ago, Techlam has grown from a small operation to a 50+ person company, supplying radiata pine glulam beams across New Zealand, South Pacific, and globally.

Managing Director Brett Hamilton describes the partnership with Scion and ENSAM as "transformative."

"Jean tackled our most pressing challenges and contributed to research and development, driving improvements in both product quality and innovation in glulam manufacturing," he explains.

Brett highlights ENSAM’s status as a prestigious engineering institution known for producing high-calibre students. "The advanced, industry-focused training at ENSAM emphasises practical problem-solving and project leadership, not just theoretical knowledge. This approach has allowed Jean to apply his expertise directly to our processes, achieving impressive results," he says.

For Jean, the internship was the final piece in completing his studies in engineering. He says his first impressions were overwhelming, but the support from Scion, Techlam, and ENSAM was the key to his success.

The internship had three distinct phases. First, a new testing device was implemented on the production line to measure a beam’s stiffness without damaging it. This device is intended for research purposes but with Jean’s expertise it has been integrated into Techlam’s quality control processes, enabling line operators to efficiently evaluate the beams.

The second phase involved two months in Techlam’s factory focused on improving product consistency. Parameters right across the factory production line were evaluated and characterised, allowing for easier product assessment.

Finally, back at Scion, research explored creating hybrid beams with exotic and carbon fibres, aiming for innovative beams compatible with Techlam’s existing processes. Using wood resource currently grown and available in New Zealand, the novel hybrid showed promising early results. Although only a proof of concept was developed, it set the stage for future advancements.

Jean is not the first engineering student from ENSAM to intern at Scion. He follows in the footsteps of Scion wood process engineer Romain Meot, who joined Scion in 2023 and played a pivotal role in establishing this successful partnership. Romain mentored Jean and was a vital link between Scion and Techlam.

“The main advantage for students here is access to experts in many fields. They can reach out to specialists to solve technical problems, giving them well-rounded support.”

Techlam Quality Control Manager Dave Hollows also mentored Jean during his time with the company. He notes the significant impact of Jean’s fresh perspective.

“Jean collaborated closely with Techlam and Scion to drive the development of innovative, sustainable building materials, and his insights have brought immense value to our team. On a personal level, Jean reminded me to approach challenges thoughtfully, question assumptions, and look at problems through a more analytical lens.”

Dave says this shift in mindset has fundamentally changed the way we approach problem-solving across our operations.

“Having someone from the outside allowed us to step back and reconsider practices we’ve grown accustomed to. Jean's questions often prompted us to think differently about things we’d taken for granted.

“In many ways, he mentored us by encouraging a broader view of situations we hadn’t fully examined before.”

While Jean’s internship ended in August 2024 but he worked at Techlam for four additional months and is looking to start a research position in April 2025, working alongside both Scion and Techlam.

The international collaboration isn’t showing any signs of stopping in 2025 – another student from ENSAM with engineering and wood processing skills is also set to start at Scion in April, and Portfolio Leader - Trees to high value wood products, Diego Elustondo, will travel to France later in the year.

Scion plans to replicate this partnership with other companies, furthering industry innovation and strengthening global connections. Henri notes the growing interest from highly skilled students at prestigious institutions in New Zealand and worldwide who are eager to join Scion for internships, bringing specialised expertise in engineering and problem-solving.

“For these students to make a real impact, we need more organisations to step forward and collaborate," Henri emphasises. "Companies gain fresh solutions, elevate their projects, and benefit from these dynamic, solution-driven minds, ultimately helping to lift the industry standard.”