Set up your business in Occitanie

Why should you set up your business in the south of France?

Set up your environment company in the south of France, in Occitanie

Occitanie is France’s second largest region. It is extremely diverse and has several advantages for the development of environment and sustainable development companies:

• A leading French region for innovation in renewable energy and energy transition
• 1 professional cluster dedicated to sustainable construction and renewable energy: CEMATER
• 1 competitiveness cluster dedicated to development renewable energy sources for industry and construction: DERBI
• 2 resource centres for sustainable construction: ECOBATPLR et CeRCAD
• Laboratories, institutes and research centres in Toulouse, Montpellier, Narbonne, Albi and Perpignan

Renewable energy in the south of France 

Renewable energy in Occitanie, in the south of France

Renewable energy, a high-growth industry

• 12,500 jobs and 275 companies
• Occitanie is France’s no.2 region of renewable energy production, having produced 13,844 GWh of renewable energy in 2014, which adds up to 40% of the region’s electricity consumption (= the electricity consumption of 4.5 mil. homes excluding electric heating).
• The French region with the most “positive energy locations”, a government initiative to promote ecology.
• France’s no.1 region with the highest potential to develop coastal wind farms.
• 1 structure dedicated to technology development and innovation in concentrated solar power (Themis Solaire Innovation, located in Targasonne, near to the Spanish border)

Easily recruit qualified staff for your environmental company in Occitanie, south of France

A qualified work force in the south of France

• Degrees and training courses for the latest technologies
• IMT Mines in Albi-Carmaux and Alès, the University of Montpellier, University of Toulouse
• Ecole des Mines d'Albi-Carmaux et d'Alès, Universités de Montpellier et de Toulouse, Perpignan renewable energy engineering school: Sup'Enr
• Several vocational training courses related to energy transition
• Multiple educational structures such as PRAXIBAT (7 air-tightness platforms), Qualit'EnR (6 thermal solar platforms, 6 wood-energy platforms, 4 for solar power)

An ecosystem that fosters innovation in Occitanie

An ecosystem in Occitanie that is conducive to the development of environment companies

• Competitive cluster: HQ of DERBI for the development of renewable energies in construction and industry
• Competitive cluster: Antenne du Pole Mer Méditerranée for the development of renewable marine energies 
• The brand HyDéO (Région, Ademe, AD’OCC) stimulates and develops the hydrogen sector 
• The brand Wind’Occ (Cémater, PMM, AD’OCC) stimulates and develops the coastal windfarm sector
• The Regional Energy-Climate Agency (AREC) helps players in the region to make their energy transition projects a reality
• The Cémater cluster strengthens the regional renewable energy sector by supporting companies in their ethical values 

Environment companies in the south of France

Energy companies present in Occitanie, in the south of France

350 companies which are national or international leaders in their sector:

• Electric engineering and renewable energies: Schneider Electric, Engie, Total Quadran, Valeco, Quair
• Gas engineering: Air Liquide, Engie Green, Linde France SA
• Water/environmental engineering: BRL Ingénierie, Egis EAU, Biotope
• Engineering, soil and subsoil analysis: Geoter and Geoïd (Fugro), Foraco, Schlumberger
• Water and waste water services: Veolia Eau, Lyonnaise Des Eaux, SAUR
• Design and construction of equipment: Réservoir Massal (Fayat), ECA Robotics, Hydromobil, Bio UV
• Innovative companies: BULANE, SUNiBrain, Eco-Tech Ceram, BIODIVWIND, HICCO, SIREA, Safran Power Unites, Safra, Alstom 

The goal: a positive-energy region by 2050

Ambitious goals:

• Reduce our consumption by half and triple our production of renewable energy for transport, industry, housing, services and agriculture
• Increase solar-panel energy production to achieve 7GW of installed capacity by 2030 and 15GW by 2050
• Increase onshore wind generation to achieve 3.6GW of installed capacity by 2030 and 5.5GW by 2050
• Develop the emerging coastal windfarm sector with 3GW of installed capacity by 2050
• Develop the hydrogen sector (plan from 2019-2030 provided with €150 million) with the aim of converting 8GW to green hydrogen by 2050 

Big projects for the future

• The development of Port-la-Nouvelle: €250 million invested by the Occitanie region in phase 1 for an extension with a view to hosting wind turbine assembly activities
• Hyport SAS: the production and distribution of green hydrogen for the vehicles at Tarbes and Blagnac airports, their public transport and private vehicles 
• Eolmed and EFGL: 2 pilot farms for 6 floating wind turbines will be commissioned by 2022
• Hyd’Occ SAS: production of green hydrogen from 2022 to develop uses in port and maritime areas