Campus Normandie Eolien: a unique training venue
Campus Normandie Eolien in Fécamp has set a benchmark among students and employees specialising in wind energy. The unique facility on the Descartes-Maupassant college campus has helped make the region's name as a land of excellence in terms of renewable marine energy training. What better way to learn than in the field? Students and apprentices…
Safran Nacelles clears decarbonisation for take-off near Le Havre
Safran Nacelles in Gonfreville-l’Orcher, Seine-Maritime (76), is a world leader in aircraft nacelles and is cutting its carbon footprint throughout its business. https://youtu.be/878-wAJ8Nqc It's the group's biggest production facility in France. Safran Nacelles has 1550 permanent employees at its 80,000m2 site near Le Havre. One of the world's leading aircraft engine nacelle manufacturers has three…
Fécamp, OLVEA’s home port
OLVEA is now a world leader in its industry, specialising in fish oil high in Omega 3 and vegetable oil for the food and cosmetics sectors. The company was founded in Fécamp in Seine-Maritime and has made its location a key asset.. https://youtu.be/zqd_WmQIejc Every generation of the Daudruy family has had a hand in building…
Palais Bénédictine, entrepreneurial spirit
It's three things in one: a historical landmark, architectural oddity and factory. The Palais Bénédictine is an institution in Fécamp. A tour of the distillery (which makes a million litres of the famous liqueur every year) and its museum is top of the list for any visitor to the area. https://youtu.be/aw1EfGHMCZ4 Appearances can be deceiving.…
The Rouen Metro, an urban revolution
The Rouen "metro" is still one of Normandy's most ambitious transport projects: it had to run through the city centre without being an eyesore, span the Seine to take passengers from one bank to the other and work alongside road traffic. The Rouen tram/subway system launched 30 years ago and is still a public transport…
GLLU: sustainable furniture made in Normandy
GLLU designs and makes 100% Norman, sleek and sustainable furniture in Malaunay, near Rouen. The Normandy Economy Awards, organised by AD Normandie, put the business in the spotlight for its "Made in Normandie" category. Let's find out more. Explore Gllu’s lovingly-made wooden furniture 9 people put their experience and craftsmanship into the Malaunay workshop to…
Genexpath helps detect cancer
The Normandy start-up sells tests to classify lymphomas and sarcomas. The technique developed at the cancer research unit at Centre Henri Becquerel in Rouen is intended to help improve treatment and care. Juliette Renauld isn't a researcher or a scientist. The 46 year old is the director of Genexpath, a Rouen start-up specialising in tests to detect…
Rowing in Normandy
21 year old Louis Thermy hails from Montpellier and has lived in Rouen for 4 years. Every week he has a date with the Seine. Why? He's a member of the regional youth rowing academy and trains non-stop in Rouen with the goal to join the French team and compete in the 2028 Olympics. Let's…
Green hydrogen; Air Liquide Normand’Hy aims to build an electrolyser of at least 200MW
Air Liquide specialises in industrial gas and will launch a high-capacity electrolyser to produce renewable, low-carbon hydrogen in 2026. The facility will help local manufacturers lower their emissions and promote green hydrogen production in France. This isn't the first time that the French group has blazed a trail: it fitted a one-of-a-kind carbon capture unit…
WeeeCycling Leads Critical Metals Recycling Innovation in Normandy
The Normandy company was founded in 2019 in Tourville-les-Ifs, near Le Havre, and is the only one in the world making 100% recycled metals, including platinoids. WeeeCycling won the 2030 French Critical Metals call to tender and is now expanding to significantly increase its production capacity and meet demand. Platinum, rhodium, palladium, ruthenium, iridium, silver…
Waltersperger, a glass manufacturer with real expertise
Bresle Valley in Seine-Maritime has been known as the glass valley since the 15th century. It alone accounts for over 70% of the perfume bottles produced worldwide and keeps countless traditional trades alive. Let us introduce you to Waltersperger, a living heritage company and the last semi-automatic glass manufacturer in France. Stéphanie Tourres Responsable -…
Maison Berger: Over a century of expertise
Maurice Berger, a pharmacy technician, created the Lampe Berger in 1898 as an air purifier. Fast forward to the present day and it's now a fully-fledged home accessory. Let's go behind the scenes of the company based in Grand-Bourgtheroulde, in Eure, since 1975. Maison Berger Paris, history https://youtu.be/gZXsEoAuLx4 It all began in 1898 after a…
How 6NAPSE Group’s test centres are shaping the future of aerospace technology
The 6NAPSE Group is a group of labs and support and test centres. Three of them are in Normandy: CEVAA in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray (76), Analyses et Surface in Val-de-Reuil (27) and 6NAPSE in Vernon (27). The group helps several major sectors in Normandy's industries, including aerospace and automotive, in terms of R&D, inspection and reliability for…
Discover Golf in Normandy: Scenic Courses and Rich History
An "albatross", "birdie" and "eagle" are just a few terms to "fly the green" in golf, a popular sport in Normandy. Golf in Normandy offers breathtaking scenery, top-tier technical challenges and a warm welcome, making it a favourite destination for golf lovers. Augustin agrees. Whether you're a fellow golfer or want to find out more…
Greenoco, green tech made in Normandy
The Le Havre start-up founded by Mathieu Cottard brings businesses a game-changing tool to measure and reduce their website's carbon footprint. Mathieu Cottard has run his own web design agency for 10 years and developed hundreds of shopfront websites, e-commerce and blogs for small and large companies. "There's no denying the advantage of digital in…
CPM Industries, the SME with big ideas for the environment
Low-tech, CSR, decarbonisation, distributed manufacturing… The small fine sheet metalwork company a few miles from Le Havre is proving that commitment to sustainable development isn't just for big business. Low-tech philosophy The company was founded in 1990 by Jean-Marie Panchout, a sheet metalworker, and taken over by two of his children in 2014. Benoist Panchout,…
Virtuoz Feelobject: Revolutionising Accessibility for the Visually-Impaired
The start-up based in Petit-Quevilly has designed an innovative tactile map concept for people with a visual impairment. Virtuoz is already in place at Disneyland Paris, the Assemblée Nationale and will be at the Fan Zones at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Getting your bearings in a new place is simply impossible when you have…
Alga Biologics: fighting the big C with the sea
49 year old Muriel Bardor is making her childhood dream come true, or almost. She started out wanting to battle genetic disorders but ended up finding a way to produce antibodies that could treat some forms of cancer using microalgae... Her start-up, Alga Biologics, has already won several awards including the Normandie4Good prize in 2023.…
NEOLITIK, pioneering innovative and sustainable construction
The industrial start-up NEOLITIK won the design award at the Normandy Economy Awards and is revolutionising the world of construction. What sets it apart? An innovative alternative to concrete and stone called EcoLithe designed for eco-friendly building sites. From Paris to Fécamp Thirty-something Marc Dib left Île-de-France for Seine-Maritime in 2022. Why? To set up…
Jean-Louis Louvel, eco-friendly entrepreneurship
Jean-Louis Louvel is president of the PGS Group near Rouen in Seine-Maritime and was named "Entrepreneur of 2023" by EY. It's a first for a managing director in the region. Let's meet a Norman with inspiring values and his sights set on a more sustainable world. What does PGS stand for? Palettes, Gestion, Services (Pallets,…
La Glass Vallée: an industry of excellence in Normandy
La Glass Vallée is the world leader in luxury bottleware and accounts for over 70% of global production of glass bottles for fragrances, spirits, cosmetics, medicine and toiletries. This industry of excellence brings centuries of expertise together in the Bresle Valley, on the border with Normandy and the Hauts-de-France. Let's take a deep dive into glass…
Nuclear, a future industry in Normandy
Careers in the nuclear industry have been in the shadows for a long time… but there's some exciting energy around them in Normandy. Two major projects have seen a rise in vacancies for anyone who wants to be part of expanding an independent and decarbonised energy sector! Let's find out more. Normandy, a hotbed for…
Futerro: the future of sustainable, green plastic in Normandy
We got the good news at the end of 2022… Following in the footsteps of Eastman, the Belgian brand Futerro announced it was coming to the Port-Jérôme business park in Seine-Maritime. What's the idea? To open the world's first industrial facility producing, processing and recycling bioplastic. It brings the circular economy and energy transition together:…
Eastman: a unique molecular recycling facility in Normandy
Eastman has underlined Normandy's place as an industrial region for the future by opening the biggest molecular recycling facility in the world in Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine (76). What's the idea? Decarbonisation and virtuous economy. A billion euro project The US giant's factory is the biggest in the world: it will recycle up to 160,000 metric tons of…
Eco-Technilin: an international showcase for norman know-how
Based at Valliquerville near Yvetot in the Norman county of Seine-Maritime, Eco-Technilin is Europe’s leading supplier of non-woven products made from natural fibres (flax, hemp, kenaf, jute), mainly used for car interiors. Video portrait. Sustainable development The company was created in the year 2000 by an agricultural cooperative, in order to make the most of…