Jean Castex inaugurates Ifremer's new headquarters

Jean Castex inaugurated on Saturday February 6 in Plouzané (Finistère) the new headquarters of the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), previously located in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, extolling its role in the extension of the French maritime domain.

Read also: Jean Castex puts the reform of the State under tension

“

Our maritime domain is one of the largest in the world, and it has just grown by 150,000 km2 off Reunion Island and off the islands of Saint-Paul and Amsterdam, the equivalent of more than one quarter of the surface of the Hexagon

”, underlined the Prime Minister during a speech.

"

It is thanks to Ifremer and its Extraplac program that these 150,000 km2 have been gained,

" he said, announcing the continued funding of this program under the PPR (Priority Research Program) Ocean , the amounts of which have recently been revised upwards.

"

The sovereignty of France is at

stake," he added, after having visited several facilities, including the new headquarters, accompanied by several members of the government including the Ministers of the Sea, Annick Girardin, and of the Higher Education and Research, Frédérique Vidal.

In 2015, France had already extended its maritime domain, by 579,000 km2, thus increasing its sovereign rights over the resources of the soil and the seabed with a view to possible future exploitation.

"

There is still at stake between 500,000 and 600,000 km2

", explained to AFP the CEO of Ifremer François Houllier, referring to an envelope of 5 to 6 million euros still necessary by 2030 in order to continue to determine the limits of the French continental shelf.

With a surface area of ​​over 3,700 m2, Ifremer's new headquarters are housed in a building whose construction was completed in October 2019. Since autumn 2020, 160 permanent employees have been working there.

Read also: Ifremer headquarters transferred to Brest

Former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced this transfer to Brest at the end of 2013, as part of the pact for the future for Brittany which was to revive the economy in a region in turmoil.

The objective was to strengthen the attractiveness of the metropolis of Brest in the field of marine science and technology.

"

The western tip of Brittany is the first major site in France for research in marine science and technology

", explained François Houllier.

Founded in 1984, Ifremer is placed under the joint supervision of the Ministries of Higher Education, Ecological Transition and Agriculture.

Read also: François Houllier, a federator at the head of Ifremer

Some 1,500 researchers, engineers and technicians work in its 20 laboratories located on all the maritime facades of France and overseas.

Its budget is around 240 million euros.