Piicto envisions a new plan for the eco-industries in the Fos area

Companies can now exchange services and utilities

Imagine nearly 3000 acres/1200ha on the coast devoted to industry, of which nearly 1500 acres/600ha is available for future construction... With the creation in 2014 of the Piicto (Plate-forme Industrielle et d’Innovation de Caban Tonkin/Platform for Industry and Innovation in Caban Tonkin) association, companies can now exchange services and utilities. For the port of Marseille Fos, the owner and developer, this zone has become a fantastic showcase for attracting new ecology-oriented industries. It is also a think tank with the Innovex platform. As part of its international prospecting, Provence Promotion highlights the opportunities offered by Piicto and by all the industrial platforms in the area.

Flowbox, Vasco2, Icare, VALHYDATe, Jupiter 1000… A  great many pilot projects are in progress, supported by companies in the Fos-sur-Mer area. Areva SE, Jean Lefebvre Méditerranée, GRT Gaz, Kem One and Engie all aim to create wealth and jobs by exploiting new energy sources (solar, gas, hydrogen, seaweed) that can replace fossil fuels.

This veritable open-air laboratory is growing at the port of Marseille Fos and on Innovex's roughly 30 acres. The platform is part of a broader scope, that of the Piicto association, created in 2014. A 3000-acre/1200ha playing field intended to create a dynamic, and promote dialog and a circular economy among the 17 companies in the zone (power producers, and iron and steel, chemicals, and materials industries).

"It is about improving the bottom line for our companies by sharing utilities (steam, water, etc.) and services. Our goal is to create new jobs by developing targeted actions that are part of the energy transition," explained Jean-Philippe Gendarme, Facilities Director for Kem One in Fos and Vauvert, and President of Piicto. For example, the purification sludge from Kem One was examined closely by Jean Lefebvre Méditerranée, which is planning to apply roadbed before laying asphalt.

Piicto, an economic development strategy

Piicto is developing the attractiveness of the area around a Plug & Start logic for establishing new companies. Assistance for project initiators is provided in partnership with the stakeholders in the economic and industrial ecosystem.

The association, which has 38 members, including 14 industrial firms, has been supported by Provence Promotion from the start. "As a qualified member of Piicto, Provence Promotion contributes to our international influence and facilitates welcome procedures for industrial firms. We have become highly effective at assisting project initiators," clarified Jean-Philippe Gendarme.

The French economic development agency is developing the 1500 acres alongside the port that still remain to be developed. It is a real opportunity at a time when real estate is becoming rare, and where companies such as Quechen are planning new industrial sites along the wharf.

The establishment of new plants that will use waste from the existing industries is a good model of a circular economy that will help reduce the environmental impact of the activities that are already in place.

To promote Piicto, the association was strengthened in 2016 through the hiring of a general secretary, and just recently optimized its communication tools. A new website was just launched, along with a new brochure. These tools are part of a collective and unifying dynamic for the biotechnology industry and the transformation of the industrial landscape.

Piicto's Website