“Being multicultural is a superpower”

Andrew Le Bihan is an entrepreneur and an architect, who moved to Finland over 20 years ago. His company, Le Bihan Enterprises Oy, provides solutions for computer-aided design for architecture and other digital manufacturing. For Andrew, being multicultural is a superpower, which has also helped him succeed as an entrepreneur.

From designing buildings to visualisation software

Andrew Le Bihan is a designer at heart. When he moved to Finland from the UK in 1996, he started to work for architect offices first in Tampere and then in Turku. It wasn’t long until Andrew realised, trying to tackle the full scope of work of an architect in a foreign country without being able to speak the language, was not going to work. Therefore, he decided to focus on something else, which was making pictures of buildings other people were building with the help of computer-aided design. However, becoming an entrepreneur was not something Andrew had planned.

– When I started out, it was actually by mistake. I was working at an architect office, and I had started to work with some visualisation software. Then I started to build some tools to help me do it. Before long, I realised I had developed a software. It was basic, but it was enough that I thought I could sell it. I tried selling it on shareware, where you publish a software on the internet and hope people give you money for it. People started giving me money for it, and I figured I had to have some kind of an entity for it.

Solving complex problems in pattern building

Several years later, along with David Rutten, Andrew invented Grasshopper, a visual tool for computational design. It is based around the Rhinoceros 3D product, which is a computer-aided design product owned by Robert McNeel & Associates in Seattle. There are several teams around are the world working on the Rhinoceros product. Andrew and his team are the second biggest developer group, right after Seattle themselves, and Andrew’s team forms a quarter of the entire development team.

– We are twelve people here in Turku. In terms of designing Rhino, we invented the Grasshopper components and worked heavily on the computational aspect of it.

The power of computer-aided design helps to solve complex problems in sophisticated pattern building, which were very difficult to solve by the human brain alone. Furthermore, it enables the use of mass customization when combined with digital fabrication using robots.

– You can, for example, build huge buildings, where every single part is different. Suddenly new shapes are possible. It has been fascinating.

One of the examples, where Grasshopper has been used in architecture, is the Oodi library in Helsinki. It was designed by ALA architects in Helsinki, and the use of Grasshopper enabled the design for the curved façade, in which all of the pieces have been cut in differently.

Connecting with customers keeps an international business local

In addition to architecture and buildings, Rhino software can be used in all matters of design. From designing jewelry to manufacturing ships, designing footwear and other objects, such as cars, Rhino works phenomenally for designing extremely complicated curved objects, which require a continuity of curviness between various parts.

– Our team has their fingers in all parts of Rhino. We also do sales, selling Rhino directly to customers in Finland. On top of that, we do training in house to ensure that we have a direct connection to our customers here. The connection keeps the business local. I find it extremely valuable.

Andrew’s team is a combination of talented professionals of which a little more than half are from very nearby, and the other half are international people that have decided to live in Turku before they have started to work in the team.

– The combination of this kind of diversity of talent and cultures has been a real blessing for me.

Language is not a marker of integration

After living in Finland longer than in any other country, Andrew feels he has integrated, despite not being able to speak the Finnish language fluently.

– I don’t think that advanced language skills should be a necessary marker of integration. I have lived here longer than half of my life. This is home and it feels like home. If I am abroad, I am promoting Turku. I will do all the things every Finn does, such as take salmiakki over and watch people’s faces when they try it for the first time. I am that guy.

For Andrew, being multicultural is a superpower and helps see one culture from another perspective.

– I joined Turun Yrittäjät because I want to help find ways to improve the link between native Finnish entrepreneurs and international ones. I believe our Finnish colleagues have a huge amount of expertise our international entrepreneurs have difficulty accessing for various reasons. On the other hand, international entrepreneurs, and internationals in general, are a very important resource for the locals. When it comes to accessing new markets, new ways of seeing existing opportunities, new perspectives, I think both groups have a lot to give for each other and I want to see that happen.

Celebrating creativity

What Andrew finds the most rewarding in his work, is seeing how the software him and his team have built, is used by their customers.

– Anywhere, whether it is in New York or London, there is someone using these tools to produce something we could have never envisioned when we produced them. It is wonderful to see creative people do creative things. That keeps me motivated.

One of Andrew’s goals is to make the world of design even more interesting.

– Over the next 5 years I want to continue to grow my business sustainably and make sure everything stays good for my team. We have been able to involve people in creative pursuits that wouldn’t have normally be considered creative, such as software development. It has been incredible to see people flowering and understanding there is creativity in all of these aspects. I can’t wait to see more of that happening.