Palaiseau, France (2012 - HORIBA Europe Research Center)

Palaiseau, France (2012 - HORIBA Europe Research Center)

The HORIBA Group moved to the Quartier Ouest site of the Polytechnique in Palaiseau, as part of the Paris Saclay Campus, on a new site covering 6,500 m2, with the possibility of building up to 18,000 m2 in subsequent phases. Since 2012, the company embarked on a new development cycle that will allow it to add new technological fields (nanosystems, biophotonics, algorithms) to the strong positions it has achieved through holography. The Paris Saclay site will provide it with the material resources for these new developments, such as optical slabs in clean rooms. HORIBA's location is attracted by the overall environment of the Saclay Plateau, in particular Nano-INNOV, the System@tic competitiveness cluster, DIGITEO, and the Triangle de la Physique. In return, it functions like an Intermediate Enterprise for this ecosystem.

In the continuity of its historical approach, HORIBA Scientific is able to commercially promote the advances of academic researchers. By setting up in the heart of the Campus Scientipole, HORIBA intends to bring its activities even closer to research laboratories. This proximity will allow it to strengthen existing links, in particular with:

  • The Optics Institute (the historical leader Amédée Jobin, X1881, was one of the creators of the Institute in 1918);
  • The Polytechnic School (LPICM, LULI);
  • The neighboring sites of Nano-lNNOV and Nano-Sciences (CEA, CNRS, University of Paris XI);
  • ENSTA, in particular the Laboratory of Applied Optics (LOA) and the Extreme Light lnstitute project; and
  • The SOLEIL synchrotron (VUV monochromators).
     

Realizing most of its turnover from exports, the company can bring to smaller neighboring companies (VSEs and start-ups) the strength of a commercial network already established for the distribution of products on the world markets of scientific instrumentation or OEM components, as well as industrialization and production know-how. This approach reduces the risk when young growth of these VSEs and start-ups moves from the research stage to the industrialization and commercialization stage, and also allows the company to access complementary products.
The proximity of the research centres of major technology groups located on the plateau, or those which will join the campus in the coming years, finally makes it possible to consider a complementary commercial advantage of their scientific advances. The system-oriented developments of a major prime contractor can thus be upgraded in a commercially autonomous instruments and components sector, with an additional complementary channel for access to the world market.

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