Co-founder of the Studio Biskt ceramics workshop, a project he coordinates with his partner Charlotte Gigan, designer Martin Duchêne has also co-founded Mekanika, a company that specialises in designing and manufacturing their tools as kits. He told us the tale behind this adventure that is reshaping the way we create, manufacture and deliver these tools.

Tell us about how this project came about.

After my design studies, my best friend and engineer Maxime Gravet and I launched an engineering and design studio. To produce our 3D prototypes, we came up with the idea of building our first milling machine. This process not only interested us, it also made us want to ensure this tool (and others) is accessible for as many craftsmen and designers as possible. For us, it was a question of transforming the industry by offering tools in the form of a kit on an open-source basis. Like open-source software, everything we design can be accessed online for free. This means that anyone who uses our tools (craftsmen, designers or mere tinkerers) can freely adapt the machine to their specific needs. At first, of course, people thought we were crazy. They used to think that open source was the same thing as plagiarism. In practice, however, our interactions with the people that use our machines allow us to improve them and build a real community around our project.

Your approach is unusual, it must be said.

When we speak at conferences, for example, to craftsmen or gurus accustomed to open-source solutions, our approach comes as no surprise. Our philosophy is similar to that which has long been seen in the Nordic countries. Today, there’s a lot of talk about short circuits in the clothing and food sectors. Our kits are packed in cardboard boxes that fit onto a single pallet. Given the low transport costs, we’re obviously reducing the ecological footprint of the machines, as well as fostering the creation of small hubs made up of makers, designers and creatives who work locally where our kits are assembled by their users.

You took advantage of the lockdown to refine your project and get it off the ground. Tell us more.

We made the most of this break to reflect on the founding principles of our project and how we wanted to anchor this notion of knowledge sharing at the heart of our approach. At the same time, manual professions have clearly become more valuable, resulting in a large number of vocational retraining opportunities. This made our tools all the more relevant. We then drafted a manifesto setting out the company’s values, and developed a starter kit specifically intended for less experienced users. Although our project seemed a little idealistic when it was first launched, we’ve delivered on all our commitments. Six years on, we’re still very active, both on the web (through our YouTube videos) and at the events we sponsor.

So, your flagship product is a milling machine!

For the moment, we’re offering it in three different kits, each aimed at a different user profile: tinkerers, designers, craftsmen or companies. We’ve also developed a screen-printing kit which gave us some great media exposure when it was launched. At this stage, it’s not our bestseller, but we’re intending to bring it back into the spotlight very soon.

The project has grown in just a few years, and now there are three of you working on Mekanika’s development. How are you structured?

Roldan Descamps joined us soon after we launched. A bioengineer by training, he is in charge of the more strategic side of the company, in particular raising the funds that have enabled us to grow. Building on the commercial success of the starter kit, and thanks to several investors who have supported us from 2022 right up until today, we now employ 16 people: a multi-disciplinary team (designers, sales people, production managers, etc.) that enables us to internalise all the positions necessary for the company to run smoothly. In 2024, we sold 300 machines and another 1,000 are currently on order.

You are also co-founder of Studio Biskt. Is there a link between these two projects?

As soon as we set up our ceramics workshop, we used Mekanika machines to introduce a technological dimension to our craftsmanship. In a sector as competitive as ceramics, this blending of our manufacturing process remains our greatest strength.

This year, you’ll be in Milan for Design Week. What are you looking forward to at this event?

This is a first for us, which we hope will lead to new partnerships and development opportunities. Thanks to the European WORTH project, which supports small businesses with their innovative projects, we will be presenting our project as a whole, as well as a machine designed to recycle textile fibres.

What are your short-term goals for Mekanika?

Currently, our biggest markets are France, Belgium, Germany and Italy. Our aim is not necessarily to reach the other side of the world. We’d rather capitalise on our mission ‒ making our tool accessible to as many people as possible ‒ as well as continuing to provide the best possible after-sales service, and growing our team. We hope to employ 20 people by the end of 2025.