Posted Oct 3, 2022, 9:38 AM
Make the investment less risky. This is the stated objective of the Quatrium technological acceleration platform inaugurated on September 22 in Cluses, in the heart of the Arve valley, in Haute-Savoie. A tool developed by the Technical Center for Mechanical Industries (Cetim) and unveiled on the day of the 125e anniversary of the Syndicat national du décolletage (SNDEC), in a building next to its headquarters.
Quatrium represents an investment of 15 million, including 5 million from Cetim and 200,000 euros from SNDEC. It is also a public-private partnership with the support of the State, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, the Haute-Savoie department, the European Union and the Community of Cluses-Arve municipalities. and Mountains – with envelopes of between 1 and 3 million euros.
“We are a bit like the CEA of small and medium-sized industries,” smiles Daniel Richet, director of Cetim. Understanding: an institute halfway between research and industry, responsible for providing companies with advanced technological tools. “Quatrium is not dedicated solely to the bar turning industry, but it is in full diversification with the transition from cars to electric. In general, all French industry, to face global competition, must differentiate itself and move upmarket, through innovation and therefore invest in research and development,” he pleads. This requires first of all an upgrade of equipment, since the average age of machinery in the mechanical industry in France is seventeen years.
Attract young people
“Manufacturers, and in particular the smallest ones, have a very high cost base. The idea is therefore to provide a reception area to question their practices, discover the various tools available, such as artificial intelligence or 3D printing of metal parts. This is to secure their investments for their transformation,” continues Daniel Richet. Fifteen demonstration workshops are offered around three themes: production assistance and robotics, production and control of parts. All assisted by Cetim experts to guide entrepreneurs.
The platform gives pride of place to digital: “We also want to show a modern image of the industry, to attract young people. Because there is a shortage of traditional trades: setters, machine operators, technicians in general and maintenance in particular. An even more significant need in the Haute-Savoie context, given the attractiveness of neighboring Switzerland. These considerations are in line with those of the SNDEC, whose director, Camille Pasquelin, evokes “uncertainties linked to the age pyramid of bar turners, who encounter many difficulties in passing on the baton”.
Beyond Haute-Savoie, Cetim intends to deploy Quatrium as a network, since other industrial territories, such as Mulhouse, Saint-Etienne, Senlis (Oise) and Nantes, have also opened a similar platform in recent months.
