Manufacturing: numerous new establishments in Atlantic France in 2023

In France, industrial relocation is becoming increasingly more important each year. The public sector investment bank Bpifrance identified 118 industrial sites that were inaugurated by startups and SMEs in 2023. More than 10% of them were located in Atlantic France, which attracts players from a wide range of sectors.

Healthcare products, agrifood, hydrogen, clothes, cement, batteries… all kinds of goods are being produced in factories which opened last year in Atlantic France.

The region has a strong industrial heritage and recognised expertise, but strategies to relocate activities to countries in Asia, Africa, or Eastern Europe have weakened the local industrial fabric. In recent years, the region has experienced a genuine industrial revival, with new factories being established, particularly by innovative businesses.

A dozen new factories in 2023

The latest study by Bpifrance and its Observatory for industrial startups and SMEs shows that 118 new factories were created in France last year. 12 are located in Atlantic France, including K-Line, a subsidiary of Liébot (window manufacturing); Cook’n Run (food processing); Bysco (mussel byssus recovery); and HGCT (carbon-free cement). Additionally, we can highlight three other interesting examples of companies that benefited from our support.

ManiKHeir: personal protective equipment

The Kolmi Hopen Group is investing €75 million to establish a factory dedicated to the manufacturing of nitrile gloves in Sarthe. The objective of the new company, known asManiKHeir, is to create 300 jobs in the long term.

To establish this new production unit, we benefited from the highly valuable support of Business Solutions Atlantic France, the international department of Solutions&co.

Gérald Heuliez, managing director of Kolmi Hopen

VoltR: the reconditioning of lithium batteries

VoltR is a spin-off from Angers-based company Okamak, which specialises in refurbishing Apple computers. The startup, which was created in December of 2022, is dedicated to the reconditioning of lithium batteries, reducing the carbon footprint by 70% compared to using a new battery. VoltR was initially set up in the Electronics & IoT Technocampus before moving to a 5,000 sqm factory near Angers. The company aims to open three other factories in Europe within the next five years.

We’re very attached to this region, which has everything we need to ensure the success of our project. The ecosystem linked to our sector is rich, notably due to the presence of the We Network cluster dedicated to the industry of the future and electronics […] We’ve noticed a real enthusiasm for our project from the local authorities. The Atlantic France regional council is strongly committed to supporting cleantech players involved in the ecological transition and the reindustrialisation of the region.

François Mallet, co-founder of VoltR

Lhyfe: green hydrogen production 

The sustainable hydrogen pure player Lhyfe is developing extremely quickly and is already one of the European leaders in a promising new industry. The company is setting up green hydrogen production sites in several French regions, as well as in Spain, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, etc. Lhyfe has a current production capacity of 11 MW and this figure will grow exponentially over the next few years, in particular, with a 210 MW production site in the Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port area that will be operating from 2028.

The development of the hydrogen sector in the Atlantic France region shows that the solution is to build an initial ecosystem to match supply and demand and to deploy all the elements simultaneously: vehicles, production sites, and distribution sites. We’re very proud to see these first vehicles running on our renewable hydrogen. Green mobility is finally a reality!

Matthieu Guesné, CEO of Lhyfe

Dedicated support for relocating to Atlantic France

At Business Solutions Atlantic France, a service funded by the regional council, we offer free support to business leaders looking to set up a company in our region. 

Our business advisors can assist you throughout your project, from linking you with potential clients and partners, finding premises, and identifying the available public aid to obtaining administrative approvals, recruiting talent, and integrating into the local ecosystem.

We have also launched the Impact Program which offers custom-made support designed especially for startups and scale-ups.

Do you want to receive free and confidential business advice for locating a manufacturing project in Atlantic France? Contact us now!