United Arab Emirates: - Fifteen companies and organizations from the French maritime sector will be traveling to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for a three-day mission from 21st to 23rd March 2022. The initial aim of this roadshow is to explore the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly growing maritime market. Subsequently, the aim is also to meet local stakeholders in the sector and future commercial and industrial partners – such as public authorities, shipbuilders, repair and maintenance companies – through targeted group meetings, networking sessions, pitching sessions, and site visits. This mission benefits from the visibility of Expo 2020 Dubai, as it will link back to the oceans-themed fortnight run by the France Pavilion from 18 to 31 March 2022, entitled “A sea of solutions.

The region’s highly dynamic maritime industry offers a wealth of opportunities for the French marine sector:  port infrastructure or extension projects, operation of new vessels, maintenance and construction of dry docks in accordance with international maritime safety standards, and marine environment protection. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that it will expand its maritime transport network by 188% and increase the number of regular passenger routes by 400%, by 2030. Many ongoing and upcoming projects and mega-projects off the Emirati coast in the offshore oil and gas sector have also been announced.

Over the three days, French companies will have the privilege of meeting prominent local actors such as Dubai Ports World, Dubai Maritime City, Goltens company, Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Abu Dhabi Port / KIZAD.

Recognized for its know-how and its innovative capabilities, the French sector is made up of dedicated experts; specialized in data, IoT solutions, robotics, and automation applied to the maritime industry, they will undoubtedly meet the need for innovative solutions in emerging sectors such as the ecological, energy and digital transition (cybersecurity), the Green Ship, the Smart Ship, Smart Trade, the Smart Port (logistics, security & safety) applied to maritime, naval and port activities.

The French delegation will present a digital audit 4.0 platform covering everything from curative maintenance to predictive maintenance of underwater structures and port terminals in real time; an innovative wind turbine thruster for the yachting and maritime transport sectors that reduces the fuel consumption of cargo ships by up to 45%; an AI-based industrial vision system to identify floating obstacles in the sea day and night; an AI platform for managing and anticipating container flows to relieve port traffic congestion for sustainable ports; advanced complex optronic solutions designed specifically for use in extreme situations relating to defence, domestic security, industry and energy; an innovative, environment-friendly and patented electrochemical process consisting in creating an artificial rock to protect marine structures and prevent coastal erosion; a technology startup specialised in autonomous navigation and a future European heavyweight in photonics and quantum technologies for civilian and military applications; tailored solutions for the maritime industry aimed at reducing and monitoring Sox (sulphur oxide) , NOx  (nitrogen oxide ) & PM  (particulate matter) emissions and their impact on marine ecosystems, and managing wet/dry scrubber waste and BWTS; an alternative solution to anchorage to protect the environment in sensitive areas; a consulting and services company in the maritime and coastal economy and automated systems sector (the automation and systems analysis laboratory at the CNRS); a patented new technology that uses a unique solution to eliminate floating pollution including hydrocarbons, plastics and organic materials; finally, the expertise of an internationally recognised specialist in structural systems and soil engineering, which is already based in the region.

France and the United Arab Emirates have long been partners. Given the many projects to come, the future continues to look bright for this high-level technological partnership.

Opportunities won in the region by French companies

TRANSPORT 

Involvement of SNCF’s innovation subsidiary in the ground-breaking VIRGIN HYPERLOOP ONE project (intercity capsules with speeds of more than 1,000 km/h); the main shareholder is DP World, which owns 59% of the shares. SNCF Innovation has mobilised engineering resources and helped to validate the design, specifications and safety aspects of the capsule.

BOLLORE LOGISTICS occupies a strategic position in the Dubai airport free zone (DAFZA) where operations, sales, distribution and customer care services are carried out. Bolloré Logistics has also established premises in the Jebel Ali free zone (JAFZA) to meet the demands of its increased activity via Jebel Ali port and DWC airport. In March 2019, Bolloré Logistics opened two branches in Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi Airport Free Zone (ADAFZ) & the LLJ Business Centre in Al Etihad) to meet the emirate’s growing commercial needs.

In 2021, the CMA CGM Group and Abu Dhabi Ports entered into a 35-year concession agreement which provides for the creation of a new terminal in Khalifa port, the main semi-automated container port of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). It will be managed by a joint venture owned by CMA Terminals, a subsidiary of CMA CGM (which will have a 70% stake), and Abu Dhabi Ports (which will have a 30% stake). The partners are expected to invest approximately AED570 million (US$154 million) in this project. CMA CGM has been present in the UAE for 15 years. It operates 14 services in six ports and eight terminals. Digitisation and the development of e-commerce are among the group’s strategic priorities.

NAVAL GROUP has won an export contract in the United Arab Emirates, which has purchased two Gowind corvettes (multi-mission combat ships) for approximately €750 million. The first corvette was launched last year in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Saeed bin Hamdan Al-Nahyan, commander of the United Arab Emirates naval forces.

OFFSHORE OIL & GAS

TOTAL ENERGIES has a 20% stake in one of the concessions of ADNOC Offshore, which operates two of the main offshore fields: Umm Shaif & Nasr (20%) and Lower Zakum (5%).

TOTAL ENERGIES has a 5% stake in ADNOC Logistics, which operates a fleet of eight LNG carriers for exporting liquefied gas.

TECHNIP ENERGIES, which provides engineering and technology services for the energy industry, has won a contract with ADNOC to develop and integrate carbon capture facilities for the Ghasha mega-project. Production is expected to start in 2025, with the aim of reaching full production capacity by the end of the decade. The concession area is expected to produce more than 42 million cubic meters per day of natural gas, as well as condensates and oil.

AIR LIQUIDE: As a world leader in gas, technology and services for industry and health, Air Liquide operates in the United Arab Emirates, serving a wide variety of customers across a broad range of fields, including oil, gas, agri-food, petrochemicals, metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding, glass, steel, laboratories, electronics and hospitals. In addition, in 2017 Air Liquide inaugurated Dubai's first hydrogen station in partnership with Al-Futtaim Motors, Toyota’s exclusive distributor in the UEA. The station was designed and installed by Air Liquide to support the roll-out of hydrogen electric cars in the Emirates, including the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai.

ENERGY 

EDF has won an electricity transmission contract with its partners KEPCO and Kyushu Electric Power. The consortium, which will hold a combined 40% stake in the project, will develop and operate the 3.2 gigawatt transmission system over a 35-year period alongside the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company ADNOC and energy company TAQA. Together they will develop a High Voltage Direct Current Underwater Transmission (HVDC-VSC) system to connect ADNOC’s offshore oil production activities to the onshore power grid and reduce its carbon footprint. Work is scheduled to begin this year and commercial operations in 2025. The contract is worth US$3.6 billion (approximately €3.2 billion).

A cutting-edge French marine sector

France has managed to create an industry of excellence and develop an almost unique set of skills. It has become an expert in complex and highly technical projects, ranging from design to construction, from conventional to nuclear technology, from traditional transport to the most sophisticated logistics. 

The French sector has an ecosystem of promising technological innovations throughout the whole of the digital and maritime activities chain, with the maritimisation of certain aeronautics technologies.

French shipyards have extensive technical know-how supported by high-level research and operational excellence. They specialize in high value-added construction for both the civil and military sectors.

The sector is highly adaptable to export in both the high-end and mid-range segments depending on the geographical target, and it can work on long-term projects both in maintenance and renovation.

It has a head start in some low-carbon technologies in the R&D phases (wind power, investments in hydrogen under the Investments for the Future Programme – PIA) or industrial scale-up phases (tier-2 equipment manufacturers for offshore wind turbines, particularly floating wind turbines), driven by research centers and major world leaders in energy, defense and maritime transport, such as Thales, Total Energies, EDF Energy, Naval Group, CMA CGM, Louis Dreyfus, Bourbon, GTT, ALCATEL Submarine Networks, Saipem, Technip, Subsea7, Eca, Ixblue, Cnim, Vinci, Eiffage, Veolia, Suez; able to support the industrial scale-up of the best technologies.

France also has the advantage of an ecosystem of pioneers in sustainable finance and an attractive tax regime for ship financing. 

-Ends-

France - the key figures:

With a maritime surface area of 11 million km², 97% of which are located in Overseas France, the French maritime economy has the largest European seaboard (5,000 km of coastline) and the second-largest maritime space in the world.

France ranks fifth in terms of port activity in Europe, having seven major seaports equipped with high-quality infrastructure and modern machinery. The GPMs (Grands Ports Maritimes) has an estimated land area of 35,000 ha that can accommodate many industrial companies.

The French shipbuilding industry is a tier-1 technological and industrial division, in particular for civil and military shipbuilding. It ranks sixth in the world and second in Europe.

Despite the competition, French shipyards still boast major strengths, including technical know-how served by high-level research and operational excellence.

In 2020, thanks to the contribution of new technologies and genuine commercial dynamism, the French maritime and port sector recorded revenue of €91.6 billion (all sectors combined), i.e., 14% of French GDP, 60% of which was generated from exports. It represents 36,000 jobs or 1.1% of the country’s total working population. 5% of maritime jobs come from offshore oil and contribute 9.5% to maritime added value.

Renewable Marine Energies represent one of the largest potentials for energy recovery in the world. Revenue, jobs, and investments grew sharply in 2020 despite the health context.  Expected revenue stands at €833 million, 29% of which is generated from exports. This revenue has soared and was mainly generated for the first time on the domestic market (71%), confirming the creation of an internal market with the construction of four wind farms off the French coast. The sector accounts for 4,859 direct jobs and the €1 billion investment mark was passed in 2020.

Our partners: The Pole Mer Mediterranee and Bretagne Atlantique Clusters

Since their creation, competitiveness clusters have been one of the pillars of national innovation policy, and particularly helpful for SMEs.  The Sea Innovation Clusters play a decisive role as facilitator, accelerator, and catalyst for maritime innovation.  They are recognized in particular for their ability to create bridges and put their members in contact with European players thus contributing to blue growth.

Today, the Clusters are involved in 17 European projects on a range of themes such as - deep ocean, maritime safety, marine renewable energy, satellite applications, port development, multimodal offshore platforms, aquaculture feed, biological data bank, etc.

Building on their success in co-ordinating European projects, the Sea Innovation Clusters have developed a genuine inter-clustering activity, and play an expert role in high-level authorities. Thanks to this recognized expertise, the Clusters will increase their support for SMEs by assisting in setting up European projects.

Figures:  

  • 6 strategic areas: Maritime defense, safety and security, naval and nautical activities, marine and mining energy resources, marine biological resources, coastal environment and development, ports, logistics, and maritime transport
  • 850 members
  • 2 seaboards (Channel/Atlantic and Mediterranean) with a World Exclusive Economic Zone of 11 million km²
  • 940 certified projects with a total R&D of more than €2 billion, representing public funding of nearly €707 million

The diversity and innovation of the French offer is reflected in the composition of the delegation of companies, most of which are members of the Sea Innovation Cluster:

AQUAGENUS BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING - ABIM: Startup specialized in audits of underwater structures & terminals & their modeling. We develop an Asset Management solution based on 3D BIM Digital Twin dedicated to terminals (Containers & Oil & Gaz) marinas & underwater structures, in order to improve the management port assets.

AYRO: Industrial company that designs and delivers the Oceanwings®, a wind propulsion system for maritime transport. Our mission is to catalyze the decarbonation of the shipping industry.

BSB MARINE: Pioneer in combining leading-edge camera and sensor technology with artificial intelligence to create a new generation of marine safety systems. BSB‘s revolutionary technology is offering up to 360° safety and collision avoidance, day and night.

DMS LOGISTICS: The Container Logistics Controller Predictive AI platform (99% accurate) for container flows at the terminal. Designed to optimize the planning of land operations, the SaaS solution aims to relieve congestion in ports. The DMS technology, unique in the world, was recognized by the scientific community at the IEEE CASE 2021 world conference, and winner of the French Finance Ministry 2021 innovation prize.

EXAVISION: Designer, manufacturer, and specialist of optronic solutions, software & related services, for the fields of Defense, Internal Security, and Industry/Energy.

GEOCORAIL / SEACURE: Seacures combats coastal erosion and protects marine structures with innovative solutions. Our innovative, eco-designed and technically very efficient approach is possible because we use our patented process: natural concrete created in situ, the Geocorail. It allows the creation of environmentally friendly structures, often less expensive than traditional techniques, and always reduces the maintenance and operating costs of the structures.

IXBLUE: A global high-tech company specializing in the design and manufacturing of advanced autonomous, marine, and photonics technologies. iXblue is addressing the markets of marine construction, dredging, AUV/ROV, hydrography, etc… From its subsidiary in Dubai, iXblue intends to spread its game-changer marine technologies throughout the Middle East, with the mission to support the very dynamic market in the region and stand by the side of those who want the take on the challenges of tomorrow

MARENECO: Distributes and sells bulk and packed chemicals to vessels to help them reduce their environmental impact: emissions and wash water. Mareneco also collects filtration residue from vessels to analyze and treat them in special plants.

SEAFLOATECH /CORINTHE ING: Specialized in the design, manufacture and installation of marine floating modules, which are safe, environmentally friendly, and adaptable to their individual environment. The range of different Seafloatech modules are all anchored and stabilized by the SEAFLOATECH Pod®, a sustainable and reversible seabed to surface patented ecological mooring system for all types of pontoons and vessels, offering exceptional safety and comfort to all users. SEAFLOATECH Pod® is labeled “1000 Solutions for the planet” by the Solar Impulse Foundation.

SEASATCOM: Architect for maritime communication solutions, SEASATCOM is a service provider and an integrator connecting all types of vessels to the internet via satellite (VSAT) or cellular (5G). It covers WAN connectivity and LAN management from the provisioning of satellite antenna, installation, subscription, and after sales services. SEASATCOM is an IP expert. It provides TV subscriptions and AV solutions.  SEASATCOM manages the telecommunication of approximately 150+ vessels. We are Intellian Service center, Peplink maritime certified as well as Eutelsat Service provider.

STRATMAR CONSEIL: Consulting company acting mainly in Blue economy and Robotics. Stratmar proposes several services mainly for industrial SMEs and large enterprises. StratMar can also connect the research laboratories (Universities, research centres) and industrial companies in order to make technology transfer or innovative projects.

T-TEK – AQUATIC CLEANER: A technology for the removal of floating pollution, hydrocarbons, plastics, or organics in a single action and dimensioned for the different environments targeted.

VSL Middle East LCC: One of the leading value engineering companies in the construction industry, not only in the Middle East but on a global level. Our involvement in several vital infrastructure projects in the Middle East has developed the VSL brand name into a key construction partner in the region.

For more info, feel free to contact: 
Yasmina OUARI
Press Officer
Yasmina.ouari@businessfrance.fr

ABOUT BUSINESS FRANCE: 

Business France is the national agency supporting the international development of the French economy, responsible for fostering export growth by French businesses, as well as promoting and facilitating international investment in France. It promotes France’s companies, business image, and nationwide attractiveness as an investment location, and also runs the VIE international internship program

ABOUT LA FRENCH FAB: 

Creative by nature, industrial by tradition, strongly innovative, France invents the industry of tomorrow and inspires the future. Its industry stands out through strong abilities, techniques and a unique savoir-faire. La French Fab is the new inspiration for industry.  

La French Fab supports a more digitized and respectful industrial era, deeply committed to designing disruptive and innovative industrial processes, always seeking to preserve an equal balance between working conditions and well-being. Passionate about energy efficiency and limiting the impact on the environment, France is at the cutting-edge of the digital transition, leading the next eco-industrial revolution, the “solutions’ revolution”.   

La French Fab also aims at sharing responsible good practices and industrial savoir-faire to connect talented people for more inclusive and competitive jobs in a protected environment. Renowned for its excellence, and with a strong avant-garde spirit, French manufacturing is at the forefront of the factory of the future.     

Launched in 2017 by Bruno Le Maire, La French Fab brings together, under one common banner, the industrial ecosystem across France. Indeed, La French Fab is the new name of the French industry. And it has the highest ambitions! Collectively supported by the Alliance Industrie du Futur, Bpifrance, Business France, France Industrie, the Direction Générale des Entreprises and France’s regions, La French Fab highlights the French manufacturing expertise and provides a vision to help revive and transform the industrial base, by connecting people, generations and territories, by implementing the use of digital and innovative solutions to sustain concrete answers to today’s challenges, in France and abroad.