Every second year, Innotrans is a major event for railway business. Fer de France is aware to reinforce the attractiveness of french innovative SME

 

 

Like in 2014, France was the second largest country in Innotrans. the French Railway Sector was unified and customer oriented, and wanted to make visible its innovation spirit and its industrial power. 100 companies were hosted by three huge french pavilions. In addition, 100 other companies had their own showroom.

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The 2016 edition was the first one reinforced by a new event on the main French Pavilion. Fer de France, BusinessFrance and FIF (French railway manufacturers organisation) had decided to organise the first French Awards Ceremony. The purpose of such event was to highlight several french SMEs for their efforts in different fields : innovation, export, Customer-Supplier relationship.

 

Numerous companies have decided to compete for this first edition of French railways awards. Having choosen among them a shortlist of 9 companies, the evaluation commitee led by Gérard Glas (Chairman of British Steel-France) announced the names of the 3 winners.

The brilliant awards ceremony has taken place in Berlin, September 20th , honoured by the Ambassador of the French Republic in Germany, and gathered a lot of companies on the French pavilion 11.2 (one among the 3 pavilions organised by BusinessFrance and Fer de France in Innotrans)

AWARD FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT was delivered to CIM, by Philippe Etienne, Ambassador of France.  This award underlines the CIM’s international action and development on worldwide emerging markets for maintenance and railways support. CIM is evolving support, assitance, methods and tools for railways actors, even in non-easy areas. The largest part of its turnover is realised outside of France.

• Other companies in shortlist for this award : MBD Design and Atherm

AWARD FOR INNOVATION was attributed to RUSTIN by Jean-Pierre Audoux (FIF). This award recognised the high value of a new product evolved by the company : a new rubber band for Rolling Stock doors including coloured LEDs. This combination offers new fonctionnalities giving information by changing the colour of the rubber when the door is open, closed, alarmed or defective. The fan of possibilities is very wide, in particular to help disabled people by increasing their safety and accessibility. This is for all passengers a way to offer a lighting ambiance on board more comfortable and attractive.

• Other companies in shortlist for this award : Mersen and VisionSystems

AWARD FOR EXTENDED ENTERPRISE was given to FLEXELEC by Alain Bullot (Fer de France). The evaluation commitee wanted to underline the very “proactive” attitude of Flexelec in order to create from the beginning a positive relationship with their customers :  customer’s need understanding, proposals to make the best answer, risks sharing, and no-failure realisation to save money, even for complicated requirements and difficult products. The comitee was impressed by this positive way to cooperate, creating value for the customer-provider process and enhancing the willingness to cooperate further.

• Other companies in shortlist for this award : SEG and LAF

Photos Pierre Rouchaléou for Business France