Yachting in the heart of the Mediterranean

A sea nation

As a Mediterranean nation, Côte d’Azur has long had a love affair with the sea. That passion has been the catalyst for a world-class marine industry. Today, Côte d’Azur’s marine industry is growing in response to international demand for technologically advanced and innovative design and new production processes. Côte d’Azur’s strategic position in the Mediterranean also gives it easy access to Southern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

 

The French Riviera Yachting Expertise

Côte d’Azur boasts a dense network of firms involved in the marine, boat, yacht and sea industry. These include shipyards, firms specializing in maintenance and repair, sail making, motors, superstructure fitting, crew management, training, and hire firms, ship chandlers, yacht design and on-board electronics firms. 60% of these sectors are located in the region’s top 6 city ports: Villefranche, Nice, Antibes, Golf-Juan, Cannes, and Mandelieu. The presence of international equipment and service companies illustrates that they can reach a marketing advantage by operating from the French Riviera.

They have already chosen the Côte d’Azur

The Drettmann Group (Germany) chose Golfe-Juan

The Côte d’Azur expansion opened new opportunities for service, sales, technical advice and exhibitions base to the German family-owned company with headquarters in Bremen which operates in shipbuilding in the high-end luxury segment.

 

“With the opening of the new branch, we have strengthened our service for customers. Our goal is an effective supervision of the French market and the continuing establishment of the Drettmann brands Elegance Yachts and Bandido Yachts.” - Stefan Lehmann-Horn CEO.

 

Yacht Help Group (The UK) opened offices in Antibes in Spring 2009

 The company provides a full range of yacht support services including :Quayside, anchor support services, Concierge services and travel coordination for Client & Crew, Yacht maintenance, technical support, customs, VAT & legal assistance.

 

“Yacht Help Group is delighted to have representation in Europe’s capital of yachting, and we see this as a key step in the development of the wide range of services we will be able to provide to our yachts throughout the year.” The main function of the YHG Antibes Office will be to provide Yacht Concierge and quay services. This represents the continuation of ongoing plans to expand the YHG network and ultimately our clients’ access to a seamless, global operation where the level of support, the quality of the services and the pricing is consistent and reliable wherever in the world the Yacht may be.”-  Yves Damette MD.

 

BWA Yachting (Switzerland) chose Cannes

 As a worldwide leader in concierge and maritime agency services to the super yacht industry has recently expanded creating the head office in Cannes to serve all of the major ports and marinas in the South of France with future branch offices to open in Antibes and Saint-Tropez.

 

“The extensive network of mega yacht marinas and facilities in both the South of France and Corsica provide the perfect environment for those yachts visiting short term or those staying year round"-  Stefano Tositti CEO.

 

NAVAL ARCHITECTURE & BOAT DESIGN VANCOUVER (Canada) chose Sophia-Antipolis

The internationalization and strong competition in the yachting industry has forced European boat and yacht builders to seek for new markets, and to invest greatly in technology innovation.

 

«The Côte d’Azur has not only a wealth of regional expertise but this unique territory is attracting the very best of European Yachting Industry manpower and talents. People come here to work, to train, to visit, to attend trade shows and to enjoy a unique quality of life”. -  Ivan Erdevicki GM.

 

TRANSAS MEDITERRANEAN (Russia) chose Sophia-Antipolis

The company specialises in Software, integrated solutions and hardware technologies for the marine and aviation industry, including both onboard and shore-based applications. The Sophia Antipolis-based subsidiary established in 2008 is in charge of the group’s businesses in France as well as Southern Europe, Northern and Western countries of Africa.

 

“The setting up of the Côte d’Azur Office was a logical choice in our development strategy. Being located in Sophia Antipolis, we are in direct contact with all sectors of the yachting industry, as well as European states and ship owners, civilian and military. In addition, we are able to take advantage of excellent quality human resources here in the office and furthermore, our involvement and our image in the field of high technology is enhanced by our presence in the heart of the largest European Technology Park” - Chris Loizou MD

 

SEASAT COM (France) chose Sophia-Antipolis

 «The group which based in Sophia-Antipolis, a region which concentrates major R&D centers in the field of telecommunications as well as 40% of the world’s yachting fleet, provides permanent and unlimited access to telephone, fax, internet and television on boats» Antoine Perry, Founder of Seasat Com

They chose the Côte d'Azur

"Sophia-Antipolis is a very attractive region for any semiconductor company, for several reasons. The first one is that in the technology park of Sophia-Antipolis there is a solid tradition of analog and digital design, which is due to the presence of other big companies working in the same or similar markets, like Texas Instruments, Intel, STM and others. The second reason is linked to presence in the technology park of the Polytech'Nice-Sophia and other important schools.

That will guarantee our future growth since the region will always offer both experienced design engineers and you talents to hire."

Interview with Paolo Cusinato, Design Director of MAXIM Sophia-Antipolis design center

Contact

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Our Experts

Natasha GRANDVAL

•Inward Investments Manager

grandval
+ 33 (0)4 92 17 51 65 ↵

Natasha Grandval acts as Inward Investments Manager for the Headquarters & Services.
Natasha previously managed the international development & marketing operations at HEC in Paris and IUM in Monaco for 2 years, and ran the EMEA business development activities at business intelligence consulting firm Marsh Kroll in London for 8 years. She also acted as junior lobbyist for Bates & Wacker in Brussels.
Natasha holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and East European Studies and an MBA in Marketing from Tulane University, USA, a Master in Management Consulting from HEC Paris, and an International Diploma in Consulting for Change from Insead Fontainebleau.

Serge LAMBERT

•Inward Investments Manager

lambert
+ 33 (0)4 92 17 51 65 ↵

With some ten years of professional experience in regional economic development, Serge Lambert  is an "Inwards Investment Manager" with the Business Unit Headquarters & Services.
His experience covers consulting, media, defense and the services industry.
He has served on a number of institutional and corporate capacities in several countries.

Côte d’Azur’s nautical sector:

 

1st yachting zone in Europe and the Mediterranean

2nd world largest navigation zone

70% of world’s largest yachts pass through region

33 ports – 18,000 moorings

Annual turnover: 1.2bn euros ($1.6bn), 450m euros ($615m) in export

900 firms employing 3700 staff

Firms in professional yachting dominated by 4 categories:

• Services (530m euros, $725m)

• Repair & refit shipyards (310m euros, $425m)

• Equipment (300m euros, $410m)

• Other sea activities (65m euros, $90m)

 

Who’s Who on the Côte d'Azur : Tourism

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