ZEN, land for the nautical industry at the gates of Montpellier

Boating industry in the Pays de l'Or urban area

CCI Hérault and the Agglomération du Pays de l'Or launch ZEN, a Nautical Economic Zone. Available land and real estate should boost the local yachting fabric.

5 hectares dedicated to nautical industries

Located along the expressway linking Montpellier to the sea and close to the airport, the ZEN, Zone Economique Nautique is a 5 hectare site that the CCI de l'Hérault and the Agglomération du Pays de l'Or wish to dedicate exclusively to the nautical industry. Interested companies will be able to acquire or rent land as well as real estate. Shared spaces such as a showroom, a coworking area or meeting rooms should be offered. A business incubator is also envisaged.

Developing the boating ecosystem

The ZEN project is part of the overall policy of the Pays de l'Or urban area. The community wishes to rely on the economic fabric already existing on its territory, as in La Grande Motte, to develop jobs related to boating. This involves supporting companies already present and attracting outside companies. "Start-ups in the textile and nautical equipment industries, sailmakers and subcontractors have already expressed their interest in the ZEN," says Bruno Bouterin, in charge of the dossier at the Hérault Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The ZEN will also give visibility to a sector that already represents over 100 companies and 500 jobs in the territory.

Calibration in progress

If land is selected, project details are being defined. A call for projects was launched to select a developer and a marketer. The process of disposal of the 5 hectares available on the ZEN will take place in two phases and will start at the beginning of 2018.

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