Fives Joins Jules Verne Research Institute

Fives Group (Paris, France) designs innovative, high-performance and distinctive technologies that respond to the needs of various industries (steel, aluminum, aerospace, automotive, cement, energy, etc.) and contribute to the development of the factories of the future. The company has significant operations in the Americas, employing over 1,800 people.

By becoming a member of the Jules Verne Institute, the company will collaborate on two strategic projects in additive manufacturing and composites:

• The “FATAL” (Titanium & Aluminum Additive Manufacturing) project is based on new additive manufacturing processes using titanium, aluminum and steel alloys. It aims to develop new applications in the fields of aerospace, automotive and energy, which require innovative lightweight designs with high strength. For Fives, this project could have applications in the manufacture of industrial equipment for energy applications.
• The “IMPACT” (Investigations for Manufacturing Processes Adapted to ComposiTes) project targets the automotive, aerospace and energy sectors to define the most relevant technological solutions for forming composite materials. The setup of an industrial research facility supporting these sectors is being considered.

Each of these projects is carried out jointly by research institutes (universities, engineering schools, CETIM) and industrial groups (Airbus Group, Daher, Renault, etc.), encouraging the development of the most advanced technological solutions for manufactures’ needs.

France’s eight IRTs (Technological Research Institutes) concentrate academic and industrial skills for the purpose of innovation, working together to measure the technical and economic benefits of a given project. One of these, the Jules Verne Institute based in Nantes, is a shared research center of excellence in advanced manufacturing technologies, Fives’ core expertise, in industrial sectors such as aerospace, energy, shipbuilding and land transport (particularly the automotive sector).

The agreement with the Jules Verne Institute meets the Group’s objective to adopt an “open innovation” approach by collaborating with other leaders (research, schools and businesses) in order to encourage the development of new technologies. In the same vein, a partnership was signed with CEA Tech at the end of 2014 to guide technological development programs in several areas (new materials, mobile robotics, thermal storage, etc.).

Along with international development, innovation is one of Fives’ key strategic development areas. In 2014, the company invested €33.1 million in research & development and held, at the end of the year, 1,852 existing patents, including 53 applications filed during the year.

www.fivesgroup.com