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Brittany and the Atlantic Coast boost innovation

Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique supports the entire maritime sector with innovation projects. Whether you’re a company, academic institution or professional body, we can connect you with others and help you find finance and market access.
450 members
1,77  billion € in R&D investment
559 projects accredited
466  millions € in public-sector finance

Services

  • Identify the most fruitful areas
  • Find partners
  • Set up your innovation project
  • Get your project accredited and find finance
  • Seek specific skills
  • Join a community
  • Raise your profile
  • Take part in PMBA life
  • In France
  • In Europe
  • Internationally
  • Get help with capital investment
  • Support for your industry launch
  • Information tailored to you
Pole Mer Bretagne Atlantique has partnerships with companies working in and alongside the maritime sector, which mean further support for innovation in Brittany and the Pays de Loire. These partnerships broaden their operational scope to respond to companies’ overall needs, and to identify new support levers to stimulate growth and long-term stability in the region’s maritime sector.
Discover the Partners' Club

Testimonials from our members

thomas folegeot
Thomas FOLEGEOT CEO QUIET OCEANS We’ve been a member of Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique since 2010. The networking is really useful. Being part of this community means we meet people who benefit from our projects, keep up to date with innovation and gain visibility within our sector. The Pôle’s teams helped us get our SmartPam project accredited – and after it was accredited, we secured finance. The project is a real-time sub-marine observation buoy for monitoring marine ecosystems.
Marie Thabard
Marie THABARD Offshore Development Director Iberdrola Iberdrola’s development policy involves maintaining close ties with local areas. Joining Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique gave us direction and strengthened our drive to collaborate, while also confirming our commitment to the area. As a member of PMBA, Iberdrola has participated in some rewarding professional networking events and supported innovation projects associated with offshore issues. PMBA provides crucial support in implementing our regional economic development programme IBREIZH. This close collaboration, with creative, professional teams at hand, has truly added value to our activities in the region.
geoffroy lacoin
Geoffroy LACOIN CEO Marinelec Being a member of Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique gives us greater visibility within the sector and access to a very valuable network for information sharing. We’ve benefited from the shared stands PMBA has had at international industry events like Norshipping, where we were part of the French delegation. We also received accreditation for our energy optimisation project in trawlers. This gave the Hyba project a great profile and reputation, and helped speed up its commercial development.
Aurore Davaine
Aurore DAVAINE Deputy Director Ifremer Ifremer’s centre in Brittany is proud to be a long-standing member of Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique, of having helped create it, and of helping to operate it by contributing a range of scientific and technical expertise. Innovation in marine science and technology that will benefit society is one of Ifremer’s key missions. Our scientific and technical expertise enables us to supply concrete solutions to the challenges faced when operating in the marine sector. That’s why it’s natural for us to be involved with the PMBA and its work to stimulate the sector in this region and beyond, providing valuable support to project promoters both with their technical setup and with securing finance. Here at Ifremer in Brittany, being part of PMBA life is a major plus point, helping to establish economic and academic partnerships in the region. Being involved in PMBA’s collaborative projects allows us to work closely with companies, local authorities and academics to develop innovative, sustainable solutions in areas including fisheries, aquaculture, marine renewable energy, protecting the marine environment and more recently exploring the deep ocean. Overall we are guided in our work within Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique by a wish to ensure use of the ocean and its resources develop sustainably and responsibly, and to work alongside local, regional and national actors.
laurent kerleguer
Laurent KERLEGUER CEO SHOM SHOM, the French Naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service, has been a member of PMBA since the cluster's creation. Membership puts us in regular touch with sector stakeholders. We really appreciate PMBA’s help with coordinating our bids and passing on information about sector activities and opportunities. For instance, PMBA helped us to modernise and to expand a metrology laboratory used regionally, nationally and even Europe-wide – and it was accredited. The teams gave us excellent advice, both challenging and helping to improve the application dossier. That way, PMBA helped us both to promote the project and obtain commitments from oceanographical organisations to use the lab once it’s ready. Accreditation from PMBA was an asset to securing finance for our project.
sofien kerkeni
Sofien KERKENI CEO D-ICE ENGINEERING We have been a member of Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique since 2015. We joined to take advantage of its connections and networking opportunities, and for its support with our R&D projects. Our Oceanics smart control system project for developing autonomous vessels was accredited by PMBA, then financed, and ultimately won the nationwide i-Nov innovation competition.
Nathalie Mercier Perrin
Nathalie MERCIER-PERRIN President Cluster Maritime Francais Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique is an active member of Cluster Maritime Français. While anchored firmly in our region, we can also assist with developing and promoting the blue economy across France. By accrediting projects, PMBA values and supports innovative companies and gathers together maritime economy players from the Atlantic coast. PMBA works with Cluster Maritime Français on priority issues such as decarbonising the maritime sector.
Gwenaëlle Benoit
Gwénaëlle BENOIT Renewable Hydrogen Innovation Manager Sofresid Engineering Membership of Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique is an excellent springboard for our innovation activity. With the backing of expert knowledge from academic institutions and companies of all sizes, PMBA can identify top-quality partners and set up collaborative projects in key areas for Sofresid (part of the EKIUM group), such as shipbuilding and new sources of energy. PMBA accrediting the Elemanta H2 project enabled our ‘power barge’ supplying at-berth electricity and hydrogen to gain support. This came from Corimer, a body promoting partnerships between research, innovation and industry; finance was from ADEME, the French Agency for Ecological Transition. PMBA’s teams give us valuable advice, both on technology and in terms of seeking finance.