The Rouen metropolis is a land of industries. It is first that of textiles that develops, from the late nineteenth century, carried by cotton mills and port activities. Then the automobile, steel, chemical and refinery activities rise in power. Today, the territory is home to national and international industry flagships in the automotive (Renault, NextMove competitiveness cluster), aeronautics (Thales), pharmaceutical (Aspen, Sanofi), food (Ferrero, Nutriset, Touflet, Cargill), chemical (Laguerre Chimie) sectors… and is developing research clusters for an ecological and responsible industry.
The flagships of the industry of excellence
Welcome to the world of high silverware made in Normandy! Near Duclair, you can visit the workshops ofthe Christofle factory, which has been perpetuating the tradition of French tableware since 1971. The prestigious factory is theofficial supplier of the Élysée and many embassies in the world. The King of Morocco comes to be supplied, here, with luxury cutlery and dishes. Enter the various workshops of the factory where chiselers, turners and engravers work to make these pieces with impressive meticulousness around the metal and silver and enter the factory store that conceals a thousand treasures.
With its vintage bags,the Rouen-based brand Paul Marius is experiencing an incredible rise. Created in 2010, it has made a name for itself in the world of leather goods. There are now about forty stores in the hexagon and in Europe and people are snatching up these bags, satchels and satchels imagined by Florent Poirier from Rouen. So push the door of his historic store located in a former hotel of the Place des Carmes, on the right bank of Rouen. Waiting for you there are quality items, more than 150 references of leather, with retro lines and very affordable prices. Real jewels!
Do you know Lamps Berger? These famous catalytic lamps decorate and purify home interiors with delicate fragrances. In Bourgtheroulde, a few kilometers from Rouen, discover the DNA of the House of Berger and its 120-year-old French know-how. A small museum with a fragrant atmosphere unveils 150 rare pieces. You can discover the history of this 100% French brand before falling for a perfume diffuser, a lamp or a candle in the adjacent store. In addition to older collections at great prices, current collections are available there. That’s the whole advantage of factory outlets!
It is here that the Renault electric motor is produced. The diamond brand has made the loop of Elbeuf an industrial land of the automobile since its establishment in 1958. You are, here, in the group’s largest mechanical plant and the only one to produce, since 2015, electric motors. Renault Cléon is committed to the factory of the future with new state-of-the-art machining lines that anticipate the adaptation of products to new, more ecological and interconnected pollution control standards.
Normandy is the leading producer of linen in the world. Many entrepreneurs have reinvested this know-how. You can visit their cooperative and discover the work of this natural fiber and the resulting products. T-shirts, household linen, bed sheets, bath linen, tablecloths, curtains, … linen has multipleadvantages especially ecological and hygienic: quick drying, water absorption capacity, resistance, anti-allergic, … Push the doors of the factories of Terre de Lin, La Maison du lin or Embrun and discover this local know-how with international dimensions. The brand French filature Lin which ensures a linen 100% French reintegrates this know-how by ensuring a complete traceability from field to wardrobe.
Second place in France for medicinal chemistry and third for drug production, Normandy is characterized by the presence of internationally renowned players. On the health side, Rouen University Hospital is at the forefront with a world therapeutic first (percutaneous aortic valve implantation), the creation of a Medical training center, a simulation and training center of excellence that is unique in France, and networks Seine Biopolis and Rouen innovation santé that host ambitious start-ups with promising results.