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Beyond its natural and timeless assets, Normandy has also established itself as a major centre for innovation. Our region is buzzing with creative minds, researchers, entrepreneurs, individuals and cutting-edge equipment, thanks to which many impactful ideas are revolutionising everyday life on a global scale. 

 

Clusters of competitiveness, areas of excellence and more. Discover the region’s strategic business networks below: 

Filières d'excellences

OUR SECTORS OF EXCELLENCE

Agriculture raisonnée, produits de grande qualité

THE FOOD INDUSTRY: SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCTS

Meats and charcuterie, fish and seafood, fruit and vegetables, cheeses, cider products, and pastries, cakes and sweets. Between land and sea, tradition and modernity, modesty and conquest, Normandy’s food industry has cultivated over the years this harmonious balance which has helped forge its world-famous image and its economic dynamism. We could indeed make a Prévert-style inventory of Norman products and companies which regularly take the first places on various podiums and delight the palates of gourmets around the world. All this while also remembering to innovate and adapt to new consumer trends and expectations: quality, pleasure, nutrition and environmental issues. The challenge is taken up by a diversity of players (from farmers to international groups, and including artisans, SMEs and cooperatives) and contributes to the dynamism of the sector, as well as to the quality of life and ‘art de vivre’ which make Normandy such an attractive region!

And because together we can go further, in 2003 the agri-food sector acquired a regional collective brand, which now shines under the Saveurs de Normandie banner.

Le cheval sous tous ses aspects

THE EQUINE SECTOR: THE HORSE IN ALL ITS ASPECTS

Research and excellence are disseminated in a sector dedicated to one of the most popular animals in the world, the horse; bred, ridden, harnessed, groomed and highly acclaimed. Equestrian sports, leisure activities, medicine, care, training and infrastructure are the components of the equine sector that have all found their place in Normandy, a region which is already blessed with a unique heritage! This sector will also be able to rely on the future international equine centre of Goustranville, a site that will be taken over in 2023 by the Equine Veterinary University Hospital Centre of the National Veterinary School of Alfort. An ideal home where horses from all over the world are already accommodated by the animal health laboratory of the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) and the horse-racing laboratory of the National Federation of Horse Racing (FNCH).

Pleins feux sur l’aéronautique

AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE: SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION

No, not everything related to aerospace comes from Toulouse! Did you know for instance that the engines for the launchers of the famous Ariane rocket were designed, produced and tested in Normandy? That the pilots of Airbus planes were equipped with helmets designed and manufactured in Bayeux? That the nacelles of the Airbus A320 engines benefited from Norman expertise? ArianeGroup, Safran, Thales, Collins Aerospace, TE Connectivity, PPG, Revima are all big names in aerospace and defence and have settled in Normandy! Metallic filter elements from Drouault Industries in the Manche department, fine boiler-making from CPM Industries in Seine-Maritime, advanced ceramics and assembly solutions from Solcera in the Eure, sensors and electric heating solutions from Thermocoax in the Orne or even techniques from stellar spatial sighting developed by Starnav in Calvados. These Norman gems are numerous, are often unknown and yet occupy a prominent place in the regional economy. The NAE branch of excellence brings together over 160 members in the region and nearly 21,500 employees!

Energies et développement durable

THE ENERGY INDUSTRY: MIX AND ALTERNATIVES IN THE NAME OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Beyond employment and production, whether nuclear, thermal or renewable, we know (although not enough), that Normandy = energy. Normandy has indeed established itself as the leading French region in this field thanks to its know-how and its strategic geographical location. Development of modes of transportation that are alternatives to all-petroleum modes, the largest solar farm in an urban environment, community initiatives, the Normandie Hydrogen plan and crowdfunding. While the blades of the largest wind turbine in the world are being built in Cherbourg by LM Wind Power, Siemens Gamesa, leader in offshore wind power, has chosen the Normandy coast to build 5 of the top 6 wind farms in France, near Le Havre. Normandy’s famous seaside city itself has the ambition to make the port its first source of green energy through the installation of solar tiles on its buildings. It is a major sector which employs nearly 24,800 jobs in 1,770 companies!

 

Discover hydrogen

THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY: THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY

The automobile industry, another major sector of excellence in Normandy, generates around 45,000 direct jobs and 150,000 indirect jobs, which places it as the leading industrial employer in the region!

This dynamic sector, led by the Mov’eo competitiveness cluster, covers the entire supply chain with the presence of world-famous manufacturers (Renault, Alpine, PSA, Renault Trucks), major equipment manufacturers (Faurecia, Bosch, Valeo) and a network of competitive subcontractors. The presence of all the players involved in the challenges of clean and intelligent mobility (industrialists, research centres, high-level academics and local communities) as well as its integration within the Seine Axis, have helped make Normandy a territory of excellence in automotive research and development. As for innovations, did you know that Normandy is truly the cradle of the French electric engine? In fact, it is at its Cléon plant in Seine-Maritime that Renault, a pioneer and European leader in electric mobility, is developing the assembly of these engines to meet the challenges of ecological mobility transition.

THE MARITIME AND FLUVIAL ECONOMY: THE SEA LEADS TO EVERYTHING

With 34 ports, including Le Havre, the leading French port for international trade, and Rouen, Europe’s leading grain-exporting port, Normandy’s maritime and river sector represents 41,100 jobs, which is a major asset in the regional economy!  Say sea and you also say fishing! Remember, Normandy comes 2nd on the national podium and 1st more particularly in terms of shellfish and shellfish farming. But the sea also means a possibility of exploiting the future: with its 350 miles of coastline, the region has the leading source of French renewable marine energy in offshore wind and tidal turbines. On the yachting side, we can mention the 13,000 berths afloat – which represent 8% of the French supply – and more than 100,000 registered units!

CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY: A TRUE ALCHEMY

With the production of active ingredients, distribution, packaging and logistics, Normandy, particularly in the Eure and Seine-Maritime, has over 150 chemical and pharmaceutical industrial companies, including 5 world-leading groups, which work passionately in these fields. From major industrial sites to innovative start-ups, not forgetting scientific universities, or the Clinical Investigation Centre of the University-Hospital of Rouen, Normandy and its 2000 researchers and experts benefit from a complete, integrated network on the territory; an intense activity which enables Normandy to be the 2nd French region for pharmaceutical chemistry and one of the main national pharmaceutical production areas.

Chimie, transports, logistique : une industrie engagée

TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS: FOR ALL SECTORS

The geographical and structural advantages of Normandy also enable the logistics sector to perform well.  With its ports, airports, the Seine Axis, but also the proximity of the two major international Parisian airports, the Normandy territory can pride itself on being the 2nd largest region nationwide for logistics and transport jobs with nearly 68,000 employees. A real market that brings together 5,850 companies and € 4.1 billion in added value. This sector truly benefits from a recognised rich industrial ecosystem in the automotive, pharmaceutical, agri-food and distribution sectors.

La santé : un monde plus sûr, un monde plus sain

THE HEALTH INDUSTRY: A SAFER AND HEALTHIER WORLD

State-of-the-art infrastructures also exist in the health sector! International researchers, innovative start-ups and laboratories have made Normandy a major player in this field through world premieres. A few examples? Take a look at R-ONE, the robot created by the Rouen start-up Robocath to optimise the interventions of cardiologists. And what about the high-performance simulation platform of the Medical training centre in Rouen that trains practitioners around the world? Normandy is where the discovery of a gene implicated in the early familial forms of Alzheimer’s disease took place, along with the promising development of a molecule to liquefy blood in stroke victims. The region is also home to the Cyceron biomedical imaging platform in Caen and the European Centre for Research and Treatment in particle therapy (ARCHADE project) which relies in particular on GANIL, one of the largest laboratories in the world, capable of delivering high energy carbon ion beams. Both health and well-being are also the commitment of many companies, such as Nutriset, in Rouen, a world leader in research and production of nutritional solutions to treat and prevent malnutrition, or Gilbert laboratories, whose single-dose sterile saline solutions are used in bathrooms around the world.

Cosmétiques et luxe : l’export de l’élégance

COSMETICS AND LUXURY: THE EXPORT OF ELEGANCE

Jacomo, Maison Berger, Hermès, Chanel. Perfumes, haute-couture, clothing and leather goods have also gained a foothold in the Normandy ecosystem. Model makers, mould makers, glassmakers, decorators, craftsmen are all professions represented in Normandy. It’s also here that you’ll find several members of the Cosmetic Valley cluster of competitiveness, the worldwide leader in perfumery and cosmetics resources, skills, research and training. And did you know that your perfume bottles probably came from a factory in Seine-Maritime? In the Bresle Valley, luxury glass bottles are an institution, and the region is a world-leader in this sector! The specificity of ‘La Glass Vallée’ is indeed to bring together in the same territory companies that are experts in the different stages of the manufacturing process of a bottle, a jar or a flask intended for the luxury markets.

L’innovation numérique est normande

DIGITAL: INNOVATION IS NORMAN

Today, paying with a credit card or with your smartphone has become an everyday gesture. But did you know that these gestures were made possible thanks to Norman know-how? From the first smart card for electronic transactions in the banking sector to contactless payments using a mobile phone, not forgetting the facial recognition system of the latest iPhones: all of these were born in Normandy! Technological advances brought together today within the TES (Secure Electronic Transactions) competitiveness cluster, thanks to the work of researchers, companies and engineers who disseminate their innovations in multiple fields of the contemporary world.

 

Discover the sector

TOURISM: NORMANDY, A NOT-TO-BE-MISSED DESTINATION

As a major sector in the region, tourism benefits from many advantages: protected natural spaces, international events, over 410 classified sites, monuments or places listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as the Mont-Saint-Michel or the city centre of Le Havre, together with the Bayeux Tapestry, listed in the ‘Memories of the World’ register. Normandy is also home to unique experiences and memorable encounters.  At a time when individual or collective initiatives are emerging to preserve the planet’s resources, the region is pursuing its commitment to real values to prepare the tourism of tomorrow. Freedom, authenticity and sharing, a return to basics and a land of well-being, shared and offered by all Norman tourism stakeholders. Normandy? A leading destination!

Valeurs universelles

A UNIQUE “SAVOIR-FAIRE”

In terms of excellence, Norman craftsmanship has nothing to prove: there are nearly 65,000 very small businesses in the sector, which can be found in towns, cities and in rural areas across the region. Many jobs are provided by its construction, services, food and production not to mention the apprentices – nearly 1,100 – who passionately learn unique skills from their elders.

 

Present throughout Normandy with the national Living Heritage Companies label, excellence in know-how is also expressed through tableware, culture and leisure, decoration, gastronomy, fashion and beauty. It is supported in Normandy by ARSEN, the Regional Association of Norman Expertise of Excellence, which promotes the dexterity and talent of around fifty company members, two-thirds of which have the EPV label.

Agriculture raisonnée, produits de grande qualité

THE FOOD INDUSTRY: SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCTS

Le cheval sous tous ses aspects

THE EQUINE SECTOR: THE HORSE IN ALL ITS ASPECTS

Pleins feux sur l’aéronautique

AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE: SPOTLIGHT ON INNOVATION

Energies et développement durable

THE ENERGY INDUSTRY: MIX AND ALTERNATIVES IN THE NAME OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY: THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY

THE MARITIME AND FLUVIAL ECONOMY: THE SEA LEADS TO EVERYTHING

CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY: A TRUE ALCHEMY

Chimie, transports, logistique : une industrie engagée

TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS: FOR ALL SECTORS

La santé : un monde plus sûr, un monde plus sain

THE HEALTH INDUSTRY: A SAFER AND HEALTHIER WORLD

Cosmétiques et luxe : l’export de l’élégance

COSMETICS AND LUXURY: THE EXPORT OF ELEGANCE

L’innovation numérique est normande

DIGITAL: INNOVATION IS NORMAN

TOURISM: NORMANDY, A NOT-TO-BE-MISSED DESTINATION

Valeurs universelles

A UNIQUE “SAVOIR-FAIRE”

KEY FIGURES

1
st
French region in the equine sector (number of horses, jobs, research)

For fresh dairy products, the production of oysters and scallops, for the production of flax (linseed)

1
st
Global hub for luxury bottling
1
billion
euros spent on Research & Development
1
nd
French region for the milk industry and the transformation of tea and coffee
1
st
port facade in France with 8 seaports including two major ports:

  • Rouen: 1st European port for the export of cereal
  • Le Havre: 1st French port for container traffic

1
billion
euros of GDP (ranked 10th in France)
1
rd
French region for the fish industry and cocoa processing
1
organic farms and holdings
1
jobs in Normandy for the energy sector

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