(AOF) – Mersen will benefit from grants totaling more than 12 million euros as part of the Important Project of Common European Interest for Microelectronics and Communication Technologies (PIIEC ME/CT). This funding is granted by the French government as part of the “France 2030” plan aimed at developing industrial competitiveness and future technologies. They concern the research & development and industrialization phases of the manufacturing process for p-SiC polycrystalline silicon carbide substrates.
These substrates will be manufactured on the Mersen site in Gennevilliers (Ile-de-France region), where Mersen plans to invest around 85 million euros between 2023 and 2025 and to hire between 80 and 100 employees.
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=/ Key points /=
– World expert in electrical specialties and advanced materials for High-Tech industries, created in 1889;
– Turnover of €1.1 million achieved 56% in advanced materials, such as graphite, and 44% in electrical specialties for energy production and protection (32% in Europe, 36% in North America and 29% in Asia-Pacific);
– Balanced offer between process industries for 33%, electronics for 22%, energy for 21%, transport for 13% and chemistry;
– Business model based on high value-added expertise, innovative offers for sustainable development and operational efficiency;
– Open capital with a strong presence of BPI France (10.8% and 19.2% of voting rights) and Caisse des Dépôts (4.9%) Emmanuel Blot chairing the board of directors of 9 members and Luc Themelin being general manager;
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Healthy balance sheet with a net debt of €189 million giving a leverage effect of 0.98% at the end of June and an equity ratio of 23%, with self-financing flows covering growth.
=/ Issues /=
– Strategy 2027
– intensification of investments in 2023-2025 (€400 million) in the production of finishing materials and in teams dedicated to electric vehicles,
– targeted acquisitions,
– turnover of €1.7 billion, of which 45% in renewable energies, semiconductors and electric vehicles and operating margin of +12%;
– Innovation strategy with 18 R&D centers, financed at 2% of revenues:
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major investments in digitalization and information systems,
– network of 140 “open experts”,
– partnerships in mathematical models or with Soitec,
– participation in the European Advansic project to reduce the cost of silicon carbide;
– 2025 environmental strategy integrated into the activity with 56% of revenues intended for sustainable development markets and aimed at:
– 20% reduction, compared to 2018, in CO2 emissions,
– 10% reduction in water consumption,
– 75% recycling of waste;
– Benefits of the partnership in electric vehicles with the American Wolfspeed ($400 million in revenue over 5 years);
=/ Challenges /=
– Ability to increase prices at a rate greater than that of commodity and energy inflation, with price increases contributing 5% of half-year growth;
– Fallout from industrial investments in 2023 -150 to 200 M€ in Colombia, France and the United States;
– After an increase of 18% in revenue and 25% in net profit on 1
er
half-year, 2023 objectives set: growth of 10 to 12% in turnover and operating margin of 11 to 12%.
Learn more about the Capital Goods sector
Rail investment plan
The French railway industry is in second place in Europe and third place worldwide. This industry displays a trade surplus, which generates more than 100,000 jobs in France. The announcement of the future plan for French rail transport provides in particular for the regeneration and modernization of the network, the average age of which is 30 years in our territory. This age is much higher than that of countries like Germany (17 years) and Switzerland (15 years). An annual investment increasing from 2.8 billion euros to nearly 4 billion euros should make it possible to maintain the entire network in good condition.