Stéphane Abadie, a young entrepreneur, develops innovative sports equipment for handicapped persons. Portrait of the man and his project. "We need to finish the projects that we've started before attacking new ones, even if they're already sprouting in our heads", advises Stéphane Abadie. This 31-year-old business creator knows what he's talking about. It took him only 2 years to set up IH'Concept ; a company specialized in consulting and innovations in the sports and handicapped areas. In order to get there, he depended on the main Lorraine region business creation actors. As the 2000 European Kayak Champion, Stéphane is no newcomer to the sports world. A volunteer for handi-sports associations and athletic trainer for the Para-Olympic Games in Athens, he also knows the world of the handicapped. In 2007, in parallel to his STAPS (Sports Science) doctoral degree at the UHP, he got the idea to set up a design firm "to respond to handicapped persons' demands for sports equipment and access to activities ". Then, he started the Promotech business creation course and benefited from management training thanks to the PRACE mechanism. The heart of his project is the design for an ejectable kayak for handicapped persons. "In order to remain an Olympic sport, the kayak needs to be handi-sports accessible. My project will facilitate getting out of the boat if it capsizes and will avoid any risk of the person getting stuck or hurt". Not to mention that it takes into account the risk of sores or balancing problems. Stéphane registered for the National Innovative Technology Business Creation Aide Competition. He came out the "Emerging" category winner in the 2009 edition, which will ensure that he obtains financing to finish his project. Then he contacted Apollor to do a feasibility study and approached the Lorraine Incubator so that he can launch his activity under the best conditions. Created last April, IH'Concept offers innovative services and products to the handicapped and the greater public: Boccia helmets and ball-holders, sports coaching, at-home massages, and stress management while waiting for the future kayak. "Modeling, prototyping... I spend 85% of my time in a design firm so I can do the first tests by January 2010". To get there, Stéphane also established collaborations with the research world : the ACCORPS team, UHP's UFR STMIA and the Lorraine region MSH. Read also : "MSH Lorraine : the humanities and social sciences in the service of the quality of life"

• www.ihconcept.fr
• Return to the file "Handicapped persons in the Lorraine region"