- MBDA and its subsidiary Matra Electronique (MEL) set up a brand new 4.0 factory in the heart of the Hauts-de-France industrial region, serving both the ‘war economy’ and the local economy.
- With its new facility in Venette, MEL has increased its weekly electronic component transfer capacity by 2.5 times, from 200,000 to 500,000 transferred components.
MBDA, the European leader in complex weapon systems, and its subsidiary Matra Electronique (MEL), which specialises in the manufacture of high-precision electronic equipment, have jointly inaugurated the new site in Venette on 18 November.
The set-up of this new site, the new workplace for MEL’s 440 employees, marks a milestone in the company’s growth strategy; ever since its creation, MEL has been based in the heart of the Hauts-de-France industrial region. For MBDA, this investment contributes to the rapid ramp-up of defence capabilities both in France and across Europe, while meeting the needs of the group’s future programmes.
MBDA CEO Eric Béranger said at the inauguration ceremony: “The women and men of Matra Electronique have an essential role in the MBDA Group’s mission. Together, we are creating a sustainable, innovative, high value-added industrial model to meet the challenges of sovereignty in France, in Europe and among our allies. With this new production facility, we are pursuing our commitment to the ‘war economy’: immediate acceleration of production capacity, development and aggregation of industrial skills in France, and the ability to accelerate even further in the months and years to come.”
Frédéric Wilmot, Chairman of Matra Electronique and Industrial Director of MBDA France, added: “Combining the skills and technologies we depend on to guarantee our sovereignty in electronics, our new site sits at the heart of a dynamic, forward-looking local ecosystem that contributes to the resilience of our supply chain and developing our activities. It also enables us to maintain cutting-edge expertise and essential jobs in our local areas.”
This new connected and modular 4.0 factory boosts flexibility and strengthens MEL’s competitiveness. It represents a one-third increase in site area and provides the capacity for future extensions, enabling MEL to adapt rapidly to changing customers’ needs and will provide a growth lever for the years to come. Employees will benefit from modern workspaces, making the company a more attractive place to work, with the site also designed to minimise its impact on the environment. Finally, it is part of a dynamic ecosystem of industrial and local players, who will help to strengthen the entire industrial value chain.
Set up in 2016 with the support of the ‘France Relance’ programme, this project testifies to MBDA’s and MEL’s shared ambition to contribute to the development of sovereign solutions for their customers, at the highest technological level and anticipating tomorrow’s challenges.
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