A political will to federate nautical activities in the Loire region
For several years now, the Pays de la Loire Region has been communicating on its place in the nautical industry and its investment in the yachting sector. The action plan for the future of boating, voted in June 2018, has given rise to various calls for projects, such as the one on dry ports . The elected representatives also wished for the birth of a regional cluster of the sector and for this purpose they commissioned the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. After a signature during the XXL Sea in 2019, the various stages of creation of the Nautihub led to its operational launch in October 2020. "To impulse a dynamic of sector and to propose an answer to the needs of the companies of the nautical industry which did not have a single thematic regional interlocutor on these subjects corresponds to the DNA and the commitments of the CCI. With the creation of this industry gateway, we are going to encourage more innovation, support entrepreneurs' projects and federate regional players in the nautical industry around a common project" explains Arnaud Ringeard, President of the CCI Vendée, 1st Vice-President of the CCI Pays de la Loire and President of the NautiHub.
An operational committee made up of company managers from the sector ensures that the actions carried out are in line with the needs of the nautical sector.
Improving skills and competitiveness in yachting
"The objective is to increase the skills and competitiveness of companies. This involves a one-stop shop to inform and guide nautical professionals towards the right financial mechanisms and the right technical experts," sums up Laurent Seigner, operational manager of the Nautihub. The support covers aspects of industrial performance through digital tools or robotisation, customer management for SMEs, but also innovation projects. "We are working in the short term, less than 2 years, the long term R&D depends rather on our partners of the Pôle Mer" adds Laurent Seigner.
Nautihub is also interested in training, as a complement to the Campus du Nautisme Pays de la Loire. The cluster's actions focus on short training courses provided by the CCIs or those with a high technical content. "For example, for materials engineers, giving the recruitment keys for companies in the sector", illustrates the operational manager.
BtoB and export actions
Nautihub will support its members in their international sales efforts. "There will be a regional pavilion at Boot Düsseldorf within the French pavilion, allowing to get stands at a lower price. The idea is also to create company collectives to pool HR costs, for example for representation in certain foreign countries," says Laurent Seigner.
At the local level, BtoB meetings will strengthen the links and the inter-knowledge between yachting companies that do not always know each other.
Initiated before the Covid crisis19 , the relevance of the Nautihub creation process should be reinforced.
