Henallux student wins the Professor Leenaerts Award thanks to his internship at Safran Blades

From left to right: Laurent Vanhoudenhove (Vice-President of BEMAS), Baptiste Stevens (Winner of the Professor Leenaerts Prize 2025), Wim Vancauwenberghe (Director of BEMAS).

Baptiste Stevens carried out his internship at Safran Blades, a brand-new Industry 4.0 plant located in Marchin. The project had a dual objective: to implement a maintenance strategy tailored to the factory’s critical installations and to integrate a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) based on the Coswin software. Baptiste applied the RCM (Reliability-Centered Maintenance) methodology, performed criticality analyses and functional breakdowns of the equipment, and defined associated maintenance strategies. He then structured and imported the data into the CMMS, configuring it in an advanced way. He also designed user interfaces, dashboards, a QR code scanning system, and prepared the integration of a mobile solution. His internship supervisor praised his exceptional autonomy and tangible impact within the team, even considering him a full-fledged team member. Baptiste will continue his mission as a student worker until the CMMS integration is completed.

The jury, composed of industry experts, commended the quality of the work, the mastery of maintenance tools, the complexity of the deliverables, and the candidate’s professional maturity. The project was deemed perfectly aligned with the objectives of the Professor Leenaerts Award.

In the final round, Baptiste Stevens competed against another outstanding candidate, Mathilde Tandja Dingue, who recently completed her bachelor’s degree in electromechanics (electromechanics and maintenance specialization) at EPHEC-Tech. She carried out a remarkable project at ASCO Industries, focused on the comparative analysis and implementation of an automated coolant management system for machine tools. Mathilde thoroughly analyzed eight systems, conducted a rigorous techno-economic study, and implemented the selected system in collaboration with the IT and technical departments. She demonstrated great autonomy, exemplary rigor, and strong analytical skills.

The jury warmly congratulated both candidates for the excellence of their projects. The final decision was based on alignment with the core objectives of the award—emphasizing the practical application of maintenance and asset management skills in a demanding industrial environment.

The winner of the Professor Leenaerts Prize receives a certificate and a cash prize of €300. The award was officially presented at Haute École Hénallux Arlon on 29 September 2025 at 5:00 p.m.