An interview with CEO Marc Biron: 19 innovations show our team’s passion & resilience
An interview with Marc Biron, CEO of Melexis
The 2026 roadmap is already in high gear. Guided by our CEO, Marc Biron, we reflect on the past year and outline the company’s ambitions for the future. His focus remains clear: empowering people, driving innovation in and outside automotive, and working with a strong, dynamic team. Marc begins the conversation as he leads the company: directly and with purpose. “Before we talk about where we are going, it’s important to define our ambitions.”
Interesting! We would love to hear more about those ambitions. Last November, during the Capital Markets Day, you presented your strategy for the upcoming years. If there is one thing we need to remember from that presentation, what would it be?
Marc Biron: “Let me take you back in time. Historically, we create and innovate in sense and drive solutions for the automotive industry. Over time, we realised that these movements, these tiny chips we create, have potential far beyond automotive. After all, a car is an electrified vehicle of movement. There lies the opportunity, because a lot of systems in the modern world are electrified. Think about an e-bike, a coffee machine, a robot lawn mower. That’s why it’s our ambition to innovate, with the automotive industry still at the core of our company, and repurpose those movements outside automotive into an electrified and robotized world.”
That makes sense. The electrified and robotized world sounds very much like the future. How does this translate into daily applications?
Marc Biron: “Today we see a lot of robots: dancing around, playing football, running marathons. It is fun to see, and it definitely showcases the lengths innovation can go. But let’s be honest. Robots playing soccer, that’s not the future. Keeping in mind that we innovate with heart, for the good of people and the planet, we see a future in industrial robots and exo-skeletons for heavy jobs or to support the elderly for example. But also in safer cars making us more aware of our surroundings and sensing and solving issues before we even realise them. That is our mission, which remains unchanged.”
Looking forward into 2026
Talking about the future, what is the strategy for Melexis in 2026 to ensure continued growth and leadership in this electrified and robotized world you mention?
Marc Biron: “We have 4 main strategic pillars for our future: technology leadership, customer intimacy, a fabless model and system solutions. In some aspects, we already have technology leadership, but we always aim to innovate and improve. We always reflect on what we bring to the customer. That brings me to point two: customer intimacy. We are a technology company, but at our core, we focus on creating value for people. .Building relationships with our clients and understanding the needs of the market are essential. Empathy, understanding and the connection with the right customer: it all helps us develop the right product. The right product is of utmost importance for us, bringing me seamlessly to point three: the fabless model. We outsource this part, so we can focus on the brains and the financial resources to develop the products. This model helps us stand out in innovation. Which leads me to the last, and newest driver of our strategy: system solutions. We aim to think broader than the chip: a plug-and-play to make the life of our customer easier. We are already close to the application, it makes sense to provide a solution, an extra USP. I’m excited as this will bring a big change for the company.”
Four powerful strategic drivers. Which brings me to the following statistic: the automotive sector remains at the core, accounting for 90% of the business today. How does Melexis continue to innovate in the automotive sector? Why is it so important still?
Marc Biron: “You mention it well. 90% of our business is automotive. Historically, but that’s also where a lot of our experience and innovation is coming from. A lot in the business is moving, figuratively, but also literally. Our solutions are often first designed to sense or measure movements in the car. In 2025 we launched 19 new innovations, of which half were in the automotive industry. It’s important to note that we are still experts in automotive, with strong applications in high growth-markets like powertrain, battery, lighting, e-braking & e-steering and thermal management. The advantage of these applications for Melexis is that it is applicable in ICEs, as well as EVs. So however the market is moving, we can adapt and follow the need. What we also see is the growing need for comfort and safety. The more modernized the car, the more chips. We absolutely acknowledge the importance of the automotive industry. However, we want to keep moving. We want to expand and see where else our innovations can be implemented, outside automotive.”
It is not new that Melexis is expanding into robotics, alternative mobility, digital health, and a sustainable world. Which of these markets delivered the most promising results in 2025, and where do you see the greatest growth potential for 2026?
Marc Biron: “Robotics and Alternative Mobility are two focus areas where we grew a lot in the past year. They are also very close to our automotive background. The movements or measures for an e-bike, for example, are similar to those in a car. We have wonderful teams in the innovation lab working on robotic system solutions, as I’ve already mentioned. So, those markets become well-established within Melexis. A focus area like digital health takes a bit more time. And in 2026, we have several exciting developments underway. We are working on addressing a significant unmet need in the market. While I cannot share many details at this stage, I look forward to sharing this news as soon as more information becomes available.”
Learnings and opportunities
We are looking a lot ahead, but these pivotal moments also allow us to reflect a bit on the past. What’s a risk you wish you’d taken sooner in your career or at the company?
Marc Biron: "I'm not usually a man of regrets. But if I have to say one thing, it is that our European modesty is sometimes a disadvantage. As CEO of a global company, I have been in touch with a lot of US or Chinese companies, and it is interesting to see the difference. In Europe, they are humble. In China, they dream. In the US, they are bold. In a way I believe it’s good to be modest, to be with your two feet on the ground. But at one point in time, it could become a weakness. I don’t believe we don’t need to be bold, for the sake of being bold. There needs to be substance behind it. But I do believe that Melexis would benefit from being a bit less modest, from time to time. To be a bit bolder, and to dream a bit more.”
With the electrification and robotization of industries accelerating, what unique opportunities is Melexis positioned to capture in 2026?
Marc Biron: “We can make a lot of strategies, but in the end, it will be executed by the people. If they don’t believe in what we do, it won’t happen. That’s why our people are really at the heart of our strategy. With some of the things I’ve mentioned before, one of the opportunities for Melexis is that we need new competencies and new talent to grow our ambition. I’m extremely proud of what Melexis pulled off in the past year. 19 product launches were a challenge. The fact that we can launch so many products is because the whole company is involved. This is the result of many pieces that need to come together at the same time to launch. And we did this 19 times! The past year has been challenging, but our teams are passionate and resilient. I’m looking forward to what we are going to achieve together in 2026!”
Lastly, Marc, you have been at Melexis for almost 30 years. How do you personally stay inspired to drive innovation in such a fast-evolving industry?
Marc Biron: “I challenge myself, I set the bar high for myself, and for everyone around me, and I try to reflect on my own contributions every once in a while. When I read a book, I tell my colleagues about it. When I go to conferences and talk to peers, I share my learnings and take back insights to Melexis.” Marc pauses and thinks. “The current business context forces me to stay awake, to be the best version of myself, and inspire the team to do the same. I want Melexis, and the people giving their best every day, to be successful. To do so, you need to innovate.”
