French expertise meets European collaboration in Lyon

EIT Manufacturing shares best practices for industry growth

The seventh edition of the French trade fair Global Industrie took place in Lyon this March, bringing together a diverse range of industry players across 110,000 square meters, including SMEs, large corporations, solution providers, manufacturers, subcontractors and startups. In a tough economic environment with slow growth and industrial recovery, the organisers not only showcased French expertise but also focused more on attracting an international audience.

Richard De Cabrol, Ecosystem Manager France at EIT Manufacturing West, welcomed this shift during an exclusive discussion on the BFM TV stage. In conversation with journalist Carine Dany, he emphasised the value of open innovation and European cooperation, stressing that countries should focus on learning from each other rather than competing for superiority.

Richard de Cabrol, Ecosystem Manager France at EIT Manufacturing, in conversation with BFM-journalist Carine Dany during Global Industrie.

EIT Manufacturing’s annual Call for Proposals fosters this kind of collaboration by only supporting projects led by multinational consortia. Through this and other initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable European manufacturing, EIT Manufacturing made several contributions in the Startup Pitch Zone.

Project leaders provide insights on European cooperation

One highlight was the insightful talk from Eric Pernot, Director of the Aquitaine Robotics Cluster. After a learning expedition to the Spanish Basque Country, he is now preparing for a second exchange in Germany. Romain Palmade, CEO at Centiloc, and Mickaël Baldondrade, CEO at BeEnergy, also shared their experiences. Both companies lead projects currently supported by EIT Manufacturing and are collaborating with countries like Italy, Finland and Portugal.

During his presentation, Antoni Pijoan, Managing Director at EIT Manufacturing West, referred to a recent Deloitte report on the manufacturing industry, reinforcing the importance of manufacturing for job creation, economic stability, and independence. He noted, “If we want to continue growing as a society, we cannot just grow on ideas; we need to grow on the capacity to build and deliver.”

Audience-Choice-Award goes to CircularPlace

Startups, in particular, are seen as an important and dynamic source of innovative ideas. To bring these ideas to the market, it’s crucial to establish the right connections. EIT Manufacturing hosted promising startups at its own stand, offering them space for networking as well as pitching opportunities. Each entrepreneur had three minutes to present their activities. The Audience-Choice Award, decided by an online vote, went to CircularPlace from Paris. CEO Vincent Rigal impressed the audience with his SaaS platform, which helps companies benefit from the circular economy.

The EIT Manufacturing stand in the Startup Village also welcomed several political representatives. Fabrice Pannekoucke, President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and Franck Colcombet, President of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Entreprises, met with Lucas Beretti to learn about the European AIRISE project, which supports SMEs in adopting AI in manufacturing. Other European projects presented at the stand focused on important topics such as Smart Manufacturing (Cogniman), Industry 5.0 (Sure 5.0), and empowering women-led startups.