Press pack - Ville de Saint

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Saint-Nazaire, 10 May 2016
Saint-Nazaire, where giants are made
A place to do business and breathe
The maritime and coastal economy has made the Saint-Nazaire area one of the most attractive regions in the West.
The third biggest French conurbation in terms of industrial activity, the leading port on the French Atlantic coast and the
second largest French aeronautical centre, Saint-Nazaire is also a seaside town with 13 km of seafront and 20 beaches.
Nature is everywhere, a few minutes from the town centre. This conserved environment is fully integrated into the
economic landscape of the region between the Port and the shipyard producing the biggest liners in the world, the
aeronautical and logistical centres and the emerging offshore wind and tidal power sector preparing the energies of
tomorrow.
Each year, almost a million tourists are seduced by this atypical, unique town which for a long time was nicknamed “Little
Breton California”. Many new arrivals also choose Saint-Nazaire – the most dynamic region in France according to the
National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies – to settle in a region where you can do business and breathe.
PRESS CONTACT • Mickaël Fairand
Head of press unit
Saint-Nazaire Town Council and CARENE
Tel.: 02 40 00 42 18
Mobile: 06 10 18 77 23
fairandm@mairie-saintnazaire.fr
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Saint-Nazaire, a town investing in quality of life
Every year, Saint-Nazaire welcomes even more inhabitants. So, between 2008 and 2013, the town became home to more
than 1,600 new people. In 2015, more than 450 applications for building permission were lodged. This progress makes SaintNazaire one of the most dynamic French towns of its size. With more than 71,000 inhabitants, the town has set itself the
target of reaching 80,000 inhabitants in the next few years.
This magnetism is a sign that Saint-Nazaire’s attractions are better known and recognised today. The atypical seaside town,
with its proven economic dynamism, offers an incomparable quality of life, where urban development and nature are
combined for everyone’s benefit.
A seaside town
In Saint-Nazaire we get the most out of life! Depending on your taste, you can enjoy the sea front, which will soon be finally
developed for a distance of more than 3 km, on foot, by bike, on rollerblades or roller-skates, or in a deckchair, or you can
choose one of the twenty beaches – huge stretches of sand or small, hidden coves. Since 2015, Saint-Nazaire has been
awarded the Blue Flag for several of its beaches: real international recognition of the exceptional quality of the town’s
seaside environment. In 1952, Jacques Tati, the famous comic film-maker, was seduced by the beauty of Saint-Nazaire’s
beaches, choosing Saint-Marc beach as the setting for his film Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot.
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Jaunais beach, Blue Flag since 2015
The seafront, family walks all year round
Saint-Marc beach and the comic spirit of Monsieur
Hulot
From 2017, 3 km of developed seafront
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A green town
Saint-Nazaire also benefits from excellent access to the heart of the La Brière regional natural park. This preserved wild area
is a unique opportunity to recharge your batteries a few minutes from the town centre. Nature is present in all aspects of
the lives of the people of Saint-Nazaire and is also a daily concern for the municipal team. Whether as part of its policy of
maintaining open spaces or more general land development, Saint-Nazaire is concerned to encourage the presence and
promotion of nature in its urban and rural areas.
This concern has particularly been recognised in 2015 with the achievement of the “Towns and Villages in Bloom” mark, a
reward not just for all the flowers in the town but also the choice of species, the maintenance methods restricting the use of
plant health products as far as possible, and the differentiated management of open spaces.
It is also recognition of the effort made in training the open space officers (64 people), working with social integration
businesses and consulting residents in neighbourhood councils.
The town has also been rewarded this year with two other marks denoting its investment in environmental protection and
quality of life: the Cap Citerie mark and the regional positive energy mark for green growth.
La Brière, a natural area just outside the town
A lively town centre full of flowers
Woodland areas a stone’s throw from the town
centre
The rebirth of the town centre
Saint-Nazaire town centre offers a peaceful, convivial area for a shopping experience in a seaside atmosphere. In a centre
on a human scale, it offers shopping areas (Le Ruban Bleu, Le Centre République, Le Paquebot), cultural facilities (the
Theatre, part of the national network of regional theatres), exhibition centres, cinemas and a concert hall. To improve
access and traffic flow, the town has many car parks and an efficient transport network.
In order to improve the attractiveness and range of its town centre, Saint-Nazaire is currently undertaking a real commercial
town centre project seen as a priority by the municipal team. This project plans the development of various commercial,
tourist and urban projects to revitalise the town centre still further and bring the shopping heart of the town closer to the
seaside:
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Planning a site for restaurants and bars (2017)
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Restructuring an important artery for linking the town centre and the seaside (2017)
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New cultural site: the Pumping Station (2018)
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A new event venue: Alvéole 12 (2017)
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Modernisation and restructuring of the railway station (2018)
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Renovation of the République shopping centre “Le Paquebot” (2017)
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A marina (2023)
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An aquatic and wellness centre (2017)
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Housing schemes
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A new art cinema
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Renovation of a town centre school (2019)
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The town centre, a priority for the municipal team
A town built together
With an open spirit and a real sense of hospitality – its motto is “It opens and does not close” – Saint-Nazaire is also a town
where we do things together. There is an extensive network of associations and many opportunities to invest in town life.
In Saint-Nazaire, everyone’s opinion counts and can be expressed in the many consultations and procedures undertaken
throughout the year. In the last few months, the consultation procedure for the future Local Urban Development Plan (PLU)
has brought townspeople together a great deal, as 500 of them have given their opinions at workshops, resulting in more
than 200 propositions. In addition, more than 220 people of Saint-Nazaire are members of the neighbourhood councils
where parity of age-group representation has been established to ensure true democratic diversity. In a few months, those
aged between 15 and 25 will be able to take part in the Saint-Nazaire Youth Council and older people in the Elderly People’s
Council. And all the inhabitants will be called to give their opinions at the Cultural Inquiry, the Sports Inquiry and on the user
committees.
Saint-Nazaire in figures
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71,308 inhabitants in Saint-Nazaire
115,000 inhabitants in the conurbation’s 10 municipalities
810,000 inhabitants in the Nantes-Saint-Nazaire metropolitan area
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450 km from Paris (2h 30min by high-speed train)
60 minutes from Nantes
50 minutes from Nantes Atlantique International Airport
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20 beaches, 3 Blue Flag beaches, 7 km of coast path
300,000 visitors a year to the submarine base (+30% on 2014)
1,000,000 tourists a year in the region
10,000 cruise passengers welcomed (+50% on 2014)
In the heart of the Brière Regional Natural Park
10 minutes from La Baule bay and the walls of Guérande
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550 new homes a year until 2021 for a budget of 10 million euros
1 ultra-modern health complex (800 beds and 2,000 employees)
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Saint-Nazaire, where sport is second nature
Saint-Nazaire loves sport. Its facilities, its clubs and its very large number of participants are overwhelming proof of this.
A pioneering town in promoting active sport
Saint-Nazaire has a 130-year history of sports clubs. Long before the 1901 Act, from the 1880s onwards, they were
appearing in the town. In 1968, it set up the first sports service in France and it has many key sports facilities, such as the
Soucoupe from 1972. Saint-Nazaire was recognised as the sportiest town in France in 1976. This early commitment to
promoting sport shows up in the fact that the number of townspeople participating in it has been estimated as 55,000.
160 sports associations represent 23,000 members: the equivalent of almost a third of the population of Saint-Nazaire (2.5
points above the national average). Almost 17,500 schoolchildren and students do sport in schools and colleges and almost
15,000 people participate in sporting activities of their own free will on public land or in private facilities.
150 municipal sports facilities play host to more than 200 different bodies, including 60 schools, universities and educational
establishments. More than 5,000 sporting events (big contests, official competitions, tournaments and friendly meetings)
are organised there every year.
A town that matters in elite sport
Saint-Nazaire has had the chance to see national and international champions emerge for some time now: Alexandre
Guyodo, Cédric Lopez and Sandra Gomis in athletics; Germain Lemaître, Souleymane Diallo and Roland and Stéphane
Cazeaux in boxing; Nicolas Lelièvre in swimming; Eugénie Vince in rowing, Camille Girard in kayaking and even the
bobsleigher Elly Lefort, who represented France at the last Winter Olympics.
Many individual and team performances appear throughout the sporting calendar:
- SNVBA (volleyball) has two teams at the highest national level
- SNRLA (rugby) plays in the top league in Fédérale 1, one step away from the professional divisions
- SNHB (handball) has a team in the national division every season
- SNOS (canoeing/kayaking) is present at the highest level in kayak polo
SNAN (swimming), Saint-Nazaire boxing, Saint-Nazaire BMX, ESCO (athletics), SNAF (football) and about twenty other clubs
feature national and even international standard sportspeople every year. Every year, sportspeople from Saint-Nazaire also
appear on the Sports Ministry “elite” list, training in their different disciplines at the Espoir or Pôles France centres.
Saint-Nazaire Town Council provides considerable technical and financial support for clubs from the town that obtain results
or integrate educational structures into a path to excellence.
The future Aquaparc in the sports park, opening 2017
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A committed sports policy
Apart from supporting elite sport (individuals or teams), the council has structured its sports policy around the following key
points:
Support for sports clubs: logistical aid and assistance for meetings, financial aid for operation, supervision,
training, equipment, participation in competitions, etc.
The availability of municipal sports facilities: top-class municipal assets indoors or outdoors (330,000m²) – about
100 local, multi-use or specialised indoor or outdoor sports facilities.
The range of sports activities at the municipal sports school: here, children and young people have priority, with a
view to contributing to the education, health and citizenship of the younger generations.
The range of sports activities for all, particularly the most vulnerable people (the “summer caravan” in the priority
neighbourhoods, the sailing days for handicapped people, the children’s “Duel en Fête” day, etc.
Participation in making the area attractive: sports promotions, organising events, lifeguards on the beaches in the
summer, etc.
Water sports hoist the mainsail
The current municipal majority’s strategic plan stresses many subjects relating to sport, and, in particular, boating and the
promotion of the coast. The desire to promote boating activities is very strong: in the period 2016-2024, 3.4 million euros
are allocated for this item. The programme particularly includes:
Considering the entire extent of the coast,
Closer monitoring of water sports sites, coexistence with other activities and improving safety,
The diversification of sports ranges and routes; the development of partnerships to promote learning, competition
and awareness of the environment.
An improvement in reception facilities at sites and the development of commercial ranges (e.g. restaurants and
bars, water-sports-related ranges and on the beaches).
The promotion of the environmental knowledge of the sites: water quality/pollution, sand movement, erosion,
currents, etc.
Board sports or water sports: Saint-Nazaire offers all the options in a unique environment
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Sports facilities for everyone
At Saint-Nazaire there are many sports facilities suitable for different sports, such as swimming, sailing, tennis, climbing, the
skate park beside the sea, the health routes, multi-use facilities, specialised facilities and stadiums.
The most recent investments have included the renovation of the Paul-Lievre gymnasium in Kerlédé (a gymnastics facility
that can host inter-regional competitions) and the Henri-Fogel gymnasium (a complex providing for school sports, the
organisation of national handball matches and the organisation of big events, with its two sports courts, stands and meeting
rooms).
Sport in Saint-Nazaire…. In figures
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55,000 sports players
5,000 sporting events
2,000 volunteers
160 clubs
150 facilities
1 unique skate park by the sea
130 years of club history
The Léo-Lagrange stadium in Saint-Nazaire, base camp for the Swedish national team for UEFA Euro 2016
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Saint-Nazaire, a unique artistic playground
Saint-Nazaire: remarkable architectural and natural heritage. Disconcerting, amazing and unconventional, the town stands
out for its spirit of adventure and openness to other approaches. Its range of culture, economic development and, more
simply, the relations between its inhabitants are the perfect illustration of this mood that encourages artistic creativity.
Urban phoenix
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A 19 -century new town making the best of its origin as the port of Nantes, Saint-Nazaire has experienced urban and
population expansion unique in France. Largely destroyed during the Second World War, the town was rebuilt during the
fifties according to the precepts of Modernism. Since the end of the nineties, the Town Council has undertaken the
renovation of its wasteland, port area and seafront, wishing to look to the sea once again. A new urban landscape is being
created. The architects and town planners are redesigning it with pure lines and light colours inspired by industrial activity
th´thand seaside architecture and always based on the initial 19 and 20 century plans. Today the submarine base, for a long
time the symbol of a dark period for the town, provides a breath of fresh air for culture and tourism, with a museum,
exhibition hall and concerts. The seafront and beaches attract particular attention in terms of development and liveliness.
They form part of the tourist boom of a town whose quality as a site for swimming has been revealed once again. SaintNazaire bridge, the biggest cable-stayed bridge in Europe, projects its elegant curve over the exceptional natural
surroundings: Estuary, La Brière marsh and saltmarshes.
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Diving into 20 -century architecture
Many remarkable monuments are there to be discovered in Saint-Nazaire: “La Soucoupe” (the Saucer), a sports centre that
looks more suited to intergalactic journeys; the monumental Town Hall; the disconcerting Moulin du Pé water tower; the
impressive submarine base and the great Joubert dry dock and lock imposing its rhythm on the giants of the sea. They are all
labelled “20th-century heritage” for their original architecture or the notable techniques involved.
Unique architecture inherited from the Reconstruction
The submarine base: heritage from the
War turned into a great setting for
culture
The Theatre, an example of the town taking back its own history
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A crossroads of the cultures of the world
A port town, former transatlantic port and now the biggest port on the French Atlantic coast, Saint-Nazaire is by definition a
place for trade and meetings that welcomes cultures and artists from all over the world. Contemporary creativity has
naturally, then, been placed at the heart of its cultural policy. It is a pillar of the “Estuaire” contemporary art route in the
Nantes-Saint-Nazaire metropolitan area and brings together some monumental works and sculptures (Felice Varini, Gilles
Clément) as well as Philippe Cazale and the harbour lighting by Yann Kersalé. It also has a Contemporary Art Centre, the
Grand Café with its well-known programme and the LiFE, a multi-disciplinary centre devoted to contemporary creativity
offering works imagined in situ (Simone Decker, the Chapuisat brothers, Jeppe Hein, etc.) one of the biggest exhibition
venues in Europe. Performing arts facilities ensure a dynamic and original artistic season (the Theatre, one of the network
of national theatres, and the VIP for modern music).
Finally, the year is marked by different regional and national events (Les Escales, a world music festival, and Meeting, an
international literary get-together).
Culture in the heart
A town on a clearly social and human scale, Saint-Nazaire is keen to make culture accessible to everyone. Artistic and
cultural education and access to knowledge for everyone are the basis of Saint-Nazaire’s cultural policy. The music and
dance Conservatory, the municipal school of visual arts, the Théâtre Athénor school and the media library provide the keys
and allow every to express themselves through culture and the arts. Saint-Nazaire undertakes actions deliberately aimed at
children and young people through actions supported in schools, support for amateur cultural groups and an adapted
pricing policy.
This modern, unusual and eventful history, atypical heritage and evolving industrial economy make the town of SaintNazaire an area of investigation and exceptional scope for artists.
Bouge: the festival of urban cultures
La Folle Journée is also in Saint-Nazaire
Les Escales Festival: 30,000 people in the harbour
The perennial work of Felice Varini designed as part of the Estuaire contemporary art biennial
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The port for all journeys
The range of tours of Saint-Nazaire harbour is covered by the name Port de tous les Voyages (Port for all journeys). This
range of cultural recreation involves the idea of a route: an urban and harbour theme park in which each tour forms an
element or “journey”. All these themes – all these journeys – are closely linked to the history of Saint-Nazaire itself, its life
and its activities. They form part of its identity.
The visitor is invited to embark for a journey:
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By liner: Escal’Atlantic and the tour of the STX shipyard;
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By submarine: the submarine Espadon;
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By plane: a visit to the Airbus factory;
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On the estuary: a tour of the Nantes Saint-Nazaire port terminals and boat trips; from 2018: the Pumping Station;
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In the town: Saint-Nazaire Ecomuseum (Museum of France) and its Heritage Agenda.
This range of tours has been developed in Saint-Nazaire for about fifteen years and has already attracted more than 3.7
million visitors. Three tours (Escal’Atlantic, Airbus and the Harbour) have been awarded the Tourism Quality mark.
Organising your visit or your stay in Saint-Nazaire
An address: the tourist office in the submarine base, Boulevard de la Légion d’Honneur in Ville-Port - tel. 02 40 22 40 65 mail: contact@saint-nazaire-tourisme.com)
A telephone number for tours. 02 28 540 640
A website: www.saint-nazaire-tourisme.com
A Facebook page: “Une ville à la mer – Saint-Nazaire Tourisme”
Where to sleep Between hotels, hotel residences and guesthouses, Saint-Nazaire has more than 1,000 beds often at very
reasonable prices, without forgetting the large campsite beside the sea.
Some figures
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National theatre: 50,000 spectators a year
The VIP concert hall: 15,000 spectators a year
Les Escales, the world music festival: 30,000 spectators a year
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Saint-Nazaire, taste for a challenge
The third most important French conurbation for industrial activities, the biggest port on the French Atlantic coast and the
second French aeronautical centre, Saint-Nazaire is a unique region bringing together unique attractions: an area of skilled
employment; the power of industrial tools and expertise; the talents of the research laboratories and engineering firms, and
a high-quality living environment. Because Saint-Nazaire is building the industry of the future and the conurbation
authority (CARENE), the big industrial companies and many SMEs are working every day in close cooperation to create an
ecosystem for excellence. It is with complete confidence in this area of the future that all the economic agents have
announced more than a billion euros in investment over the next five years.
Recognised as a centre of expertise in many areas of protection and research, such as shipbuilding, aeronautics, renewable
marine energy and logistics, Saint-Nazaire is one of the most internationalised French regional economies which has
successfully been able to cope with the shift in the economic mix.
For the past ten years, the conurbation and its public and private agents have been working for greater diversification of
activities and confirming their ambition with the development of innovative industrial projects and an environment serving
an international business network and a fabric of VSEs and SMEs in diversified activities.
Harmonious coexistence between XXL industries and a profusion of VSEs/SMEs
Whether in the public or private sector or in the context of public/private cooperation, every day the local agents show their
capacity to run collective projects. In particular, this cooperation has made it possible to develop Neopolia (180 additional
knowledge-based industrial businesses), to establish international businesses and to allow the emergence of sectors such as
renewable marine energies and logistics today.
The economic actions of Saint-Nazaire and its conurbation are intended to be pragmatic and concentrate efforts based on a
project to develop the region and the local economic agents. For Saint-Nazaire, it is a matter of accelerating its economic
diversification, allowing the establishment and development of industrial sectors in the area and ensuring harmonious
development among the economic agencies that create wealth in the area. CARENE, the conurbation authority, has, for
example, supported the construction of the Anemos factory, intended to allow STX France to become a leading agent in the
very promising market represented by renewable marine energies.
Saint-Nazaire: 2nd biggest French aeronautical clusterGiant wind turbines are built here
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Saint-Nazaire : 2 pôle aéronautique français
Giant gantry for manufacturing giants
Saint-Nazaire : 2e pôle aéronautique français
An excellent ecosystem linked to economic activity
The industrial sector is becoming consolidated, innovating and diversifying thanks to a rich range of training and R&D. Two
research platforms show the strong ambition to maintain the area’s competitiveness: the CIRV (Industrial Virtual Reality
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Centre), and AlgoSolis, a leading international research platform devoted to the industrial exploitation of micro-algae.
More than 3,000 students in Saint-Nazaire benefit from more than 60 higher education courses, from age 18 to 26
(preparatory classes, the BTS and DUT diplomas, professional qualifications, degrees, state diplomas, master’s degrees,
engineering diplomas, specialised master’s degrees, PhDs, etc.).
In order to strengthen the local value chain, private groups and agents work to develop and secure the loyalty of many
cutting-edge sectors: civil engineering, process and bioprocess engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical and materials
engineering, aeronautics, purchasing and supply chain logistics.
Four laboratories and research institutes reinforce the importance of some economic sectors: the Process Engineering,
Environmental and Agrifood Laboratory (GEPEA); the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (GeM); the Nantes
Atlantique Electrotechnical and Electronics Research Institute (IREENA) and the Higher Institute of Maritime Economics
(ISEMAR).
Skills and competitiveness centres such as the EMC2 Centre, the Regional Innovation Platform PASCA (Supply Chain
Purchasing Centre) and the Mer Bretagne Atlantique Centre provide support for industrial sectors. Initiatives such as PASCA,
a centre for skills and expertise in the supply chain, purchasing and logistics fields, demonstrate the area’s desire to develop
all the links of the industrial value chain, offering a favourable ecosystem to support the development of its business fabric.
A virtual reality centre (CIRV) unique in Europe
Wind generators have their factory here (Anémos)
Saint-Nazaire : 2e pôle aéronautique français
Ultra-innovative businesses. The example of Geps Techno
Saint-Nazaire : 2e pôle aéronautique français
Successful diversification: the example of STX
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Saint-Nazaireeconomy
: 2 pôle aéronautique
The Saint-Nazaire
in figuresfrançais
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Nº 1 port on the French Atlantic coast
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2 biggest aeronautical cluster in France
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3 most important French conurbation for industrial activities
110,000 employees
18,000 businesses in the employment pool
20% annual increase in employment
4 competitiveness centres
6 cutting-edge sectors
More than 60 education courses in many areas and at all levels
3,000 students on three university sites
5 secondary schools
3 technology platforms
Harmony of the Seas, the biggest cruise ship in the world
This year, the STX shipyards in Saint-Nazaire have built Harmony of the Seas, the biggest cruise ship ever built anywhere in
the world. Its construction began in 2013 for delivery to the owner Royal Caribbean Cruise Line on 12 May 2016. In the final
months, more than 3,200 people worked on board, from 2,500 subcontractors. Harmony has generated 10 million hours of
work. With its four propellers, it can reach 23 knots. The ship offers 60,000 m² of public spaces: cafes, restaurants, a theatre,
a casino, swimming pools, a skating ring, shops, areas for children, an aquatheatre, two dizzying slides, a bionic bar and
more. It has more than 2,700 cabins and can accommodate up to 6,400 passengers and 2,300 crew members. It will make its
first visit to France when it arrives at Cherbourg on 27 May.
Harmony of the Seas is: 362 m long and 47 m wide, and has 21 decks, with
60,000 tonnes of steel, 4,000 kilometres of cables, 100,000 lights, 500 tonnes of paint,
2,000 m² of cold stores.
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