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Consular filiation and 2001–2011 trajectory

The Trophée du Commerce 2009 Freemindtronic awarded to Freemindtronic is one link in a longer story. Long before this date, the French CCI network ran a major national competition, the Challenge national du commerce et des services, which for decades has highlighted retailers and business associations at national level, notably through the Mercure d’Or and Panonceaux d’Or distinctions.

In the early 2000s, this competition culture moved down to the territories. From 2001 onwards, the Toulouse CCI launched its own Trophées du Commerce, designed to showcase local retail and innovation in Haute-Garonne. The 2009 edition fits into this dynamic: it spots a seemingly modest project — an original ink cartridge refill system — but in reality carries an advanced electronic architecture for monitoring and protecting the power grid.

Between 2009 and 2011, the trajectory is clear: Trophée du Commerce 2009 at local level, silver medal at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions in 2010, then patent FR2941572 granted in 2011.

Full chronicle on the French Trophées du Commerce

The chronicle of the Trophée du Commerce 2009 Freemindtronic begins in a consular hall in Toulouse and continues on international platforms dedicated to electrical protection. It links a small rural municipality, Boulogne-sur-Gesse, to the prestigious stage of the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions and to the databases of the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Freemindtronic innovation — Heart of the 2009 Trophée du Commerce

The Freemindtronic project, winner of the Trophée du Commerce 2009, is officially presented as an original ink cartridge refill solution. The goal is clear: reduce waste, extend printer lifetime and offer a credible alternative to systematic replacement logic.

From M@X Informatique to the birth of Freemindtronic

In 2005, Jacques Gascuel founded the M@X Informatique shop network, built around a then unusual service: instant computer repair at the counter in front of the customer. This direct and transparent approach created a bond of trust with local customers. Soon another first in France followed: ink cartridge refilling under the Mister Ink brand, first in Boulogne-sur-Gesse, then in Saint-Gaudens, Tarbes, Samatan and Toulouse. This stage shows how proximity services can become a fertile ground for innovation.

Animal traceability — A first technological milestone

Before FullProtect, the inventor explored another path and laid a first technological milestone with an animal traceability system, subject of a patent application in 2007 (FR2898011). Based on the ZigBee protocol, an emerging technology since 2003, this system covered NAC (new pets), companion animals and cattle and sheep herds from labelled farms. Using temperature sensors, it enabled veterinary pre-diagnosis, including calving detection, and ensured full traceability up to the meat consumer. In the form of a true electronic passport, this project, carried out with a veterinary doctor teaching in Samatan, already reveals the inventor’s intent: designing embedded systems capable of collecting, tracing and securing real-world events.

Birth of Freemindtronic and emergence of FullProtect

In 2008, Jacques Gascuel created the Freemindtronic brand, dedicated to the research and development of embedded electronic systems. Within this R&D framework, a rupture emerges: an intelligent electrical protection architecture capable of monitoring, diagnosing and logging anomalies. The FullProtect technology is first discreetly integrated into the IT maintenance and cartridge recycling activities run by M@X Informatique and Mister Ink, preparing the ground for international recognition.

The Mister Ink innovation — A machine to recycle ink cartridges

At the heart of Mister Ink, a key component illustrates this spirit: an automatic vacuum refill machine, designed through Franco-Chinese co-design. It processes original cartridges by precisely controlling refill parameters to guarantee their reliability, without resorting to compatible cartridges, which generate large amounts of additional waste. The objective is clear: recycle what already exists instead of producing more disposable material.

FullProtect — The electronic core hidden behind the shop window

Behind this commercial shop window, however, lies a much more ambitious electronic core:

• an embedded intelligent electrical protection system, able to finely monitor voltage and current variations and overall power quality;
• a tamper-proof black box that records each electrical anomaly (surges, micro-outages, random disturbances, charging faults);
• the ability to detect, analyse and diagnose a category 5 lightning strike.

This electronic core, which becomes FullProtect, soon goes beyond the sole use in the refill machine: it lays the foundations of an electrical safety architecture applicable to many environments (industry, critical infrastructures, telecommunications, IT, etc.). Its reliability was validated in demanding environments, with tests carried out at Airbus in Toulouse, confirming the relevance of this innovation in sectors where electrical safety is vital.

Geneva 2010 — Worldwide silver medal

In 2010, this innovation born from the Trophée du Commerce 2009 Freemindtronic reached a new stage. Presented at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions in the category computer science, electronics, software, communications media, electricity, multimedia, the FullProtect technology received the world silver medal of invention.

This distinction confirms two major points:

• the technical robustness of the solution (ability to finely monitor and protect complex electrical systems);
• the international relevance of an invention that originated in a local consular trophy.

The official page Freemindtronic — FullProtect Geneva 2010 retraces this step, which firmly anchors the story of the 2009 Trophée du Commerce in a trajectory of global innovation.

Patent FR2941572 — Black box & intelligent electrical protection

To secure the invention legally, a patent was filed in 2009. Published in 2010 and granted in 2011, patent FR2941572 describes a system of intelligent electrical protection with tamper-proof event logging.

This patent notably covers:

• detection and analysis of electrical faults (variations, overloads, supply faults, random disturbances),
• safeguarding of connected equipment (cut-off, limitation, isolation),
• a timestamped, secured log of critical events, in a black box logic.

Accessible via Patentscope (WIPO), this patent provides a solid basis for the industrial deployment of the technology and seals the transition from a Trophée du Commerce project to an internationally protected invention.

Jury & partners — Toulouse & Haute-Garonne CCI

The 2009 ceremony took place at the Toulouse CCI, in the presence of a jury chaired by Michel Roux, including notably Claude Tranzoni, alongside representatives of departmental services and consular structures.

On the certificate awarded to the winner, the logos tell a story of cooperation:

• CCI Toulouse
• Haute-Garonne General Council
• Toulouse City Council
• Chamber of Trades and Crafts
• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Toulouse
• and several local economic partners

This setup illustrates the structuring role of consular institutions in supporting retail and fostering innovative projects.

Impact today — Legacy of the 2009 Trophée du Commerce Freemindtronic

Today, the Trophées du Commerce continue this mission in a renewed national format, coordinated by the French CCI network. They remain focused on:

• local retail and revitalising town and city centres;
• innovation in services, customer relations and point-of-sale transformation;
• showcasing exemplary initiatives likely to inspire other territories.

The 2009 Trophée du Commerce awarded to Freemindtronic remains a textbook case: an example of how a consular competition can identify a deep-tech innovation whose scope extends far beyond the shop window and departmental borders.

For many company founders, this type of consular distinction effectively plays the role of an entrepreneur award for local retailers, embodied here by the 2009 Trophée du Commerce of the Toulouse CCI.

Consular context — From national Challenge to Trophées du Commerce

Behind acronyms such as CCI, Mercure d’Or or Panonceau d’Or, there are above all stories of men, women and grassroots shops, sometimes located in small rural towns, that manage to gain national recognition.

Before and after 2009, the Freemindtronic trophy is part of a broader consular history. The Trophées du Commerce actually extend a major national competition that has shaped the recognition of retailers for more than half a century.

Origins — Challenge national du commerce et des services

For decades, CCI France and the CCI network organised the Challenge national du commerce et des services, in partnership with the FFAC and the MMA Entrepreneurs Foundation.

• Flagship awards: Mercure d’Or (retailers) and Panonceaux d’Or (retail associations).
• Objectives: highlight independent shops, traders’ associations and revitalisation of town centres.

Mercure d’Or awards can still be found as recently as 2023 — this historical foundation now underpins the future Trophées du Commerce.

2001–2010 — Local Trophées du Commerce

At the turn of the 2000s, territorial CCIs created their own local Trophées du Commerce (or “Trade and Craft Trophies”):

• Driven by territorial CCIs (for example, the Toulouse CCI for Haute-Garonne),
• in partnership with local authorities (city, department, region),
• focused on local retail, city centres, shop windows and commercial innovation.

Local sources (such as Entreprise Toulouse – 2009 or La Dépêche du Midi – 10th edition) confirm that these trophies existed long before the national rebranding that occurred in 2024–2025. The Trophée du Commerce 2009 Freemindtronic is part of this generation of local competitions organised by the Toulouse / Haute-Garonne CCI.

2024–2026 — National rebranding “Les Trophées du Commerce”

From 2024–2025 onwards, CCI France initiated a national rebranding:

• the Trophées du Commerce officially replace the Challenge national du commerce et des services;
• the competition is structured at three levels: departmental, regional, national;
• “Trophées du Commerce 2025–2026” campaigns are rolled out across many territories.

The Trophées retain their DNA: local retail, city centres, innovation, sustainable development and ecological transition. The 2025–2026 cycle strengthens their national visibility, with recurring partners and ceremonies across France.

In this perspective, the 2009 Haute-Garonne Trophée du Commerce is not an isolated episode. It becomes an identifiable link in a continuous chain stretching from the national Challenge of the 1970s to the 2025–2026 national Trophées du Commerce, and an emblematic example of how a local prize can reveal an innovation of international level — and act, in practice, as a genuine entrepreneur award for a deep-tech retailer.