Symbiose, the electronic factory of the future in France

Launch of employee working groups

In July 2019, an internal survey collected proposals from employees on the services expected in the new factory, the inclusion of environmental factors and the 4.0 solutions envisaged to improve quality of life at work.

Following the positive results regarding the social innovation axis of the Symbiose project (more than 1,800 opinions given), 3 working groups were set up:

• Food service
• Outdoor spaces
• Break and meeting rooms

By integrating cross-cutting themes of waste management and employee services, these different working groups are tasked with devising the outline of the future plant. This collaborative approach highlights the involvement and commitment of the teams in this project.

Bpifrance joins LACROIX Group’s Symbiose project

The SPI fund (managed by Bpifrance) and LACROIX Group are jointly investing €25 million to create a 4.0 industrial joint venture. Through this new unit, the various players aim to accelerate the transition from the current industrial site of LACROIX Electronics to the industry of the future.

VIEW THE PRESS RELEASE

Choice of architectural firm PVA and Essor Engineering

After several months of studies, LACROIX Group has finally chosen the architecture firm PVA to build its new 4.0 factory planned for 2021. This is an exciting challenge for the architectural firm PVA and for the prime contractor supporting them, Essor Engineering.

VIEW THE PRESS RELEASE

Official launch of Symbiose

With €25 million in projected investments and 19,000 m², the Symbiose project embodies strong convictions:

• by working with and opening up to cutting-edge and ambitious partners, we demonstrate that the French electronics industry still has a promising future
• by choosing Beaupréau as our base and partnering with Mauges Communauté, we show that our Pays de la Loire region is a source of wealth and innovation for businesses
• by putting teams back at the heart of change and integrating current environmental challenges, we ensure that the industry of tomorrow will be ecological and human-oriented.

Choice of the municipality of Beaupréau for the installation of Symbiose ​

On 26 June 2019, LACROIX Group and the representatives of Mauges Communauté announced to the teams of the current Saint-Pierre-Montlimart plant which location had been chosen for the future 4.0 electronics factory. The choice of Beaupréau is guided by the wealth of the Mauges region: attractiveness, competitiveness and skilled labour, while keeping the human dimension and proximity to the current teams at the heart of the project.

Check out the SMART STORY

LACROIX Group is part of a strategic co-innovation partnership with Orange to experiment with 5G

At the Orange Business Summit 2019, we announced the strategic co-innovation partnership with Orange to explore, as of today, the uses of 5G that could be deployed within Symbiose.

Two main cases of 5G usage will be tested:

• the secure universal data network
• the technical management of buildings

Check out the SMART STORY

LACROIX Group is joined by Microsoft, Inventy and PTC to deploy AI in its future electronics factory Symbiose ​

Cutting-edge partners are joining the Symbiose project. Microsoft, Inventy and PTC will bring their know-how in artificial intelligence (AI) to real-time production monitoring, predictive and error correction analysis, and production line efficiency benchmarking.

Launch of a feasibility study

To build an electronics factory of the future that integrates both the requirements of industry 4.0, environmental issues and our teams’ fulfilment, the company launched a feasibility study.

Check out the SMART STORY