As part of his new duties, the new director of Naval Group of Lorient will lead the implementation of surface vessel programs and continue the industrial transformation of the site.
An exceptional man
This 53-year-old graduate of Polytechnique, general engineer of armaments, made his mark at the Mediterranean test Centre where he held the positions of head of measurements on the Levant Island, head of the real-time computing and telecommunications service and then Deputy Technical Director. In September 2009, he took up the position of director of manufacturing mannagement in the Services Department of Naval Group and has been managing the Toulon site since 2013, where he supervised the work on the redesign of the Charles-de-Gaulle aircraft carrier.Today, he succeeds Laurent Moser who will take his place at the Toulon site. This exchange of skills should benefit the flagship of the shipbuilding industry in general and the Lorient site of excellence in particular.
Lorient, the reference for surface vessels
"I am very proud to join the teams at the Lorient site, a site of excellence in the design and construction of surface vessels," said François Demoulin. With 2,200 employees including more than 800 engineers and managers and more than 1,200 skilled workers and technicians, its main activities are the design, construction and integration of systems for surface vessels. François Demoulin's mission will include managing the creation of the FREMM, FDI and Gowind multi-mission air defense frigates for France and the international market and continuing the industrial transformation of the Lorient site.
Investing hard to strive for excellence
With an investment of €27 million between 2018 and 2020, the Lorient site, a driver of innovation, has perfected its production techniques with the implementation of collaborative digital tools and the deployment of digitized systems and the use of augmented reality. Admiral Ronarc'h, a defence and response frigate, is the first of five ships commissioned by the Navy, designed in a fully digital manner.
In order to continue the modernisation of its complex industrial facility, Naval Group plans to invest €13 million by 2021 at the Lorient site. A strategy of conquest to optimize security, quality, costs and deadlines to meet the challenges raised by naval defense.
Naval Group and the contract of the century struggling to recruit
Despite the giant contract of 31 billion euros with Australia for the sale of 12 submarines, Naval Group is still struggling to recruit specialized profiles: experts in artificial intelligence, cyber-security, data-scientists but also workers and technicians are lacking. For Hervé Guillou, CEO of Naval Group, the contract of the century offered a certain media visibility but it will be necessary to maintain the course of competitiveness for mentalities toward the naval industry to evolve. Nonetheless, Naval Group, present at 10 sites in France and 18 countries, promises work for the next 50 years!
Photo: Naval Group
The housing solution in Lorient
The SMARTAPPART Residential Hotel is a budget alternative to hotels. Its furnished apartments serve as a convenient rental formula suited to any type of stay: short, medium or long-term. Prices are discounted starting from two nights and an exceptional New Year deal offers a 10% discount for any reservation made in January for a stay between 07 and 31 January.
Related reading:
