Jean-Francois Delepau to Manage Ulis

Jean-Francois Delepau was named managing director of Ulis, a maker of uncooled infrared (IR) detectors and a subsidiary of Sofradir, which manufactures advanced cooled infrared (IR) detectors for military, space and commercial applications. Delepau, formerly deputy director at Ulis, replaces Jean-Pierre Chatard, a Sofradir founder, who is retiring. Delepau said Ulis plans to further develop the consumer market for infrared products, increase production capacity to 1 million IR detectors within the next five years and be more active in the high-end IR market. Ulis's uncooled IR detectors are based on amorphous silicon technology, a semiconductor material. Camera applications include industrial maintenance, security and surveillance, building inspection, firefighting and law enforcement and night-vision vehicle enhancement. Sofradir recently concluded a deal with General Electric, which bought a 15 percent share in Ulis and replaced as shareholder CEA Valorisation, an equity investor for the French Atomic Energy Agency (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique). Sofradir is the majority shareholder (85 percent) in Ulis. Sofradir and Ulis directly export more than 70 percent of their products. Customers include the US Army, Thales, Sagem, Selex, Alcatel Alenia Space, ESA (European Space Agency) and Flir Systems. They have manufacturing facilities in Veurey-Voroize, near Grenoble, France, with 450 employees.