Major nuclear projects, new industrial developments, productive investment, recruitment and SME growth: Cotentin is experiencing a major acceleration in industrial activity. In a feature dedicated to the region, which it describes as a “new industrial Eldorado” for France, Le Journal des Entreprises highlights several projects illustrating the scale of this momentum and its expected economic impact across Manche.
At the heart of this transformation are major programmes led by Orano, EDF and Naval Group, around which a broader ecosystem of industrial companies and engineering firms is developing.
Between 2025 and 2034, 6,000 additional industrial jobs are expected to be created in Manche because of projects led by these three major contractors and their subcontractors. Employment in the sector is therefore expected to rise from 16,000 to 22,000 jobs. This growth is creating new economic opportunities, while also presenting a major challenge: ensuring that the skills needed to support this expansion are available.
“Aval du Futur”: a major industrial programme
One of the flagship projects behind this new industrial dynamism is the Aval du Futur programme. With estimated investment of more than €40 billion, the programme, led by Orano at La Hague, aims to renew France’s nuclear fuel treatment and recycling facilities and secure the long-term future of this strategic activity.
The programme includes a new spent-fuel storage capacity, a new MOX fuel manufacturing plant as well as new treatment facilities.
Its scale will require a significant expansion of the workforce. Orano expects to have more than 2,000 employees dedicated to Aval du Futur by 2030, around half of whom will be based in Cotentin.
Beyond the major contractors themselves, the programme also offers significant opportunities for Norman companies in construction, civil engineering, metallurgy, engineering and many other industrial sectors.
Framatome Arc prepares a new plant in Manche
Another illustration of this industrial expansion is Framatome Arc’s plan to relocate build a new factory its Beaumont-Hague site to the Costils business park in Les Pieux.
The Framatome subsidiary, which specialises in welded mechanical equipment and piping systems, particularly for the nuclear and defence sectors, needs to adapt its industrial facilities to accommodate growing activity, notably linked to the EPR market.
The project includes the construction of a 16,000m² facility on a 4.5-hectare site, dedicated to boiler-making, welding and machining activities.
The new facility could accommodate up to 450 employees, while the company is targeting revenue of €60 million by 2030, compared with €25 million today.
Otrera chooses Cotentin for its industrial project
The region’s industrial momentum is also attracting new stakeholders. Otrera New Energy, a start-up based in Aix-en-Provence, has chosen Cotentin Les Pieux for a plant dedicated to the manufacture and assembly of components for fourth-generation nuclear reactors.
The company plans to invest between €40 million and €50 million to build a 7,000 m² facility, with production expected to begin in 2029.
Ultimately, the project is expected to create 200 to 250 direct jobs, with a further estimated 400 indirect and add-on jobs.
The development will strengthen Cotentin’s nuclear ecosystem while positioning the region in emerging energy technologies.
Assystem: 160 new hires to support major projects in Normandy
The needs of major industrial companies are already driving growth among their partners. Engineering company Assystem plans to recruit 160 employees in Normandy in 2026 to support EDF, Orano and Naval Group.
Most of these positions will be based in Cotentin: 120 jobs are planned in Cherbourg, including around 100 linked to Orano activities and around 20 supporting Naval Group programmes. A further 15 positions are planned in Flamanville to support EDF.
The profiles sought include nuclear engineering, safety, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, instrumentation and control, boiler-making and piping. This illustrates the broad range of skills required to support current and future industrial projects.
FPMA targets the nuclear and defence markets
This momentum is also benefiting local SMEs and encouraging them to diversify.
Based in Percy, FPMA, a 20-employee precision engineering company, was acquired by Hugues Helie in April 2026. Their ambition is to develop the business in two rapidly expanding sectors in Normandy – nuclear and defence – while maintaining the company’s traditional diversification.
To access these new markets and manufacture increasingly complex components, FPMA plans to acquire a five-axis machining centre and is considering an investment in metal 3D printing over the longer term.
The strategy illustrates the opportunities that major industrial programmes are creating for regional SMEs.
Deftline expands to serve major contractors
Based in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, engineering SME Deftline is also accelerating its development.
Following the acquisition of Cherbourg-based engineering consultancy Ingenov, the company acquired EAI Ingénierie, a Gard-based firm specialising in technical assistance in the nuclear sector. The transaction gives Deftline access to strategic certifications that will enable it to target major contractors in the nuclear and defence sectors more directly.
Deftline, which had 50 employees and generated €4 million in revenue in 2025, expects the acquisition to bring turnover to €11 million in 2026. The 70 employees of EAI Ingénierie are expected to be retained.
The group also has ambitious medium-term targets: 200 to 300 employees and €20 million to €30 million in revenue by 2030, with around 20 additional hires planned as early as 2026.
Employment and attractiveness: the region’s next challenges
This industrial acceleration is inevitably driving a sharp increase in demand for skilled workers. According to a study carried out by Helevato and CCI Ouest Normandie, the 6,000 additional industrial jobs expected in Manche by 2034 are projected to comprise 25% engineers and managers, 35% technicians and specialists, and 40% skilled workers and operators.
In a county already experiencing near-full employment, recruitment is therefore becoming a critical issue.
Companies and local stakeholders are multiplying initiatives to attract new talent. In June 2026, Orano, EDF and Naval Group joined forces with Attitude Manche to organise a recruitment afterwork event in Paris. The agency also organises the annual “Je m’installe en bord de mer” (“I’m moving to the coast”) careers and relocation event, which brings together an average of 80 companies from Manche and 450 candidates.
Beyond employment itself, the challenge is now to support a much broader transformation of the region. Training, housing, transport, infrastructure, services and quality of life will all need to evolve in line with this industrial growth.
Through its feature “Cotentin, France’s New Industrial Eldorado”, Le Journal des Entreprises highlights a region entering a new chapter in its industrial history, where major investment, SME development and talent attraction are different facets of the same dynamic.
Read the full Le Journal des Entreprises feature: “Cotentin, France’s New Industrial Eldorado”.
