Mechatronics in the Paris Region: a little-known but essential sector for the future of industry in the region
The Institut d'aménagement et d'urbanisme d'île de France (IAU) unveils its study on mechatronics. Organized into four parts, the study looks at the general principles of mechatronics, its impact on the Île-de-France region, the geography of the Île-de-France value chain, benchmarks and recommendations.
You can download it in full by clicking on the link at the bottom of this article.
Extract:
" Mechatronics is a relatively unknown activity, yet one that is increasingly fundamental to the industries of today and, above all, tomorrow. It has been identified as a key technology, and will play a major role in the factory of the future. This approach, which consists of designing products with mechanical, electronic and IT functions that work in synergy, is particularly well developed in the automotive industry, which pioneered the field with ABS braking systems. It is now being extended to the whole of industry, including aeronautics, machine tools, healthcare, home automation, etc., with the addition of new connected functionalities. Mechatronics is designed to enhance system performance and operational reliability, notably through greater robustness. Mechatronic systems also offer new functionalities for the user, enabling companies to move upmarket from a component-based approach to a solution-based one.
The Paris Region is particularly well endowed with mechatronic skills, with almost 300 establishments employing over 15,000 people. The region is home to a large network of industrial suppliers - the heart of the industry - and high value-added services, working together under the impetus of prime contractors (historically, automotive equipment manufacturers) to develop and manufacture mechatronic systems and solutions. These systems support the gradual move upmarket of products developed by automakers (electric and connected cars, electrically-controlled aircraft, intelligent endoscopes for medicine, etc.). Most of these suppliers in the Paris region are mechanical engineering companies that have developed skills or partnerships with electronics and IT players.
The most fertile areas in the Paris region in terms of industrial, academic and research skills, and home to one or more structures dedicated to mechatronics, are located in the Seine Aval region, with the GPS&O and SGBS inter-municipalities. The Seine Amont region is also in this category, with the EPT Grand Orly Val de Bièvre (EPT12) being the first region in the Paris region to create an association dedicated to mechatronics, as well as the Saclay, Versailles and Cergy regions, and the City of Paris...
The main challenge for what can now be called the Ile-de-France mechatronics sector is to establish links between players, given the increasingly complex nature of the industry. For this reason, the creation of a mechatronics network on a regional scale, drawing on existing local structures and networks, would be the first step in promoting its development and strengthening its players."
Petit Thierry / Mechatronics in Ile-de-France / IAU îdF / 2017
Learn more: https://www.iau-idf.fr/savoir-faire/nos-travaux/edition/la-mecatronique-en-ile-de-france.html