Thales Alenia Space’s Cannes Odyssée
Satellite leader Thales Alenia Space is building one of the largest industrial sites at Cannes…Itv. with Pierre Bénard, Director of the TAS site.
Thales Alenia Space, which was set-up in April 2007, has decided to locate its corporate and operational headquarters in Cannes where an additional 26,000m2 extension will be built between now and 2010.
The group is held 67 % by Thales and 33 % by Finmeccanica, and employs 7,200 people on 11 industrial sites in France, Italy, Spain and Belgium.
2 questions to Pierre Bénard, who heads up the Thales Alenia Space site in Cannes.
1. What are the main challenges as you face a new year within a critical economic context?
First, we can rely on our internal strengths on which our success was built: our methods, procedures, skills … are the fruit of a long, sustained effort to enhance performance. We will continue to focus on increasing our profitability. And in 2009, we will maintain our high level of R&D investments (6% of turnover) in order to meet our customers’ new needs and maintain the lead on our competitors.
In terms of markets, we are confident, even if we remain vigilant: we have a solid portfolio of confirmed orders and good perspectives in the pipeline, but the current financial crisis has already showed that it can be full of surprises… This calls for caution over the next months.
As for our Cannes establishment, it has taken on more and more of an international dimension as part of a company which is present in four European countries**. Today, we are working increasingly closely with the different sites, which is a major asset in presenting global offers. We are also developing more and more partnerships with companies worldwide. Our site, which serves both as headquarters for the company and the center for satellite integration, is at the heart of this evolution: this is an opportunity for us to extend our leadership in our key areas of activity.
2. The Cannes site is going to be completed by a 26,000 m² extension due to be finalised in 2010. What are the stakes of this large scale project?
The Odyssée project, as it is called, has been prepared with patience and determination by my predecessor, and received the decisive support of our shareholders as well as the town of Cannes, in terms of land and roadwork. The total budget comes to €41M for a three year construction project, built to the highest standards in terms of durable development. Our three main objectives are to render the site more coherent in terms of our activities, to regroup dispersed teams and to simplify logistics. This transformation should allow us not only to enhance our work space but to gain in competitiveness as well.
More information: www.thalesaleniaspace.com
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