“Decarbonization is a matter of common sense”

2023-10-05 11:00:00

A few days before IBT(1), the new BtoB exhibition which brings together Industry, Building, Flavors and perfumes and technology in one place, Marcel Ragni, president of the Union des Industries et Métiers de la Métallurgie des Alpes-Maritimes ( UIMM06), takes stock of the major challenges of the sector: decarbonization, reindustrialization, training…

How is the industrial sector doing in the Alpes-Maritimes?

It is doing rather well with 4,042 companies, 33,000 jobs. With nearly 8 billion euros, it represents 27% of the Riviera’s GDP – almost as important as tourism. Metallurgy involves 900 companies for 15,000 jobs. And IUMM06 has 200 member companies, or 10,000 jobs.

What are the major challenges of the Riviera industrial sector?

These are reindustrialization and the energy transition. At UIMM06, we must support them to put in place codes of good conduct. And above all, explain to them that decarbonization must be considered as an opportunity to earn money, attract talent and open up to new professions.

The first edition of IBT will be held next Thursday in Nice and somewhat replaces the larger Industria show. For what?

When I took over as president of UIMM06, my ambition was to bring together local businesses. I often say that everything is industry. In construction, there is industry; in tech too but also in perfume… I therefore approached the Nice Côte d’Azur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the BTP06 Federation, the UPE06 as well as Prodarom [Syndicat national des fabricants de produits aromatiques, ndlr] which is an important player in the Grasse region.

For you, there is strength in unity…

I am convinced of it. When we represent nearly 30% of the Riviera’s GDP, it is essential to maintain activity in the territory, to show our know-how and our industries.

One of IBT’s targets is young people. Is today’s industry attractive to young people?

I would say that it is not attractive because it is not explained to them. This is why nearly 1,200 students will come to discover all the construction and UIMM professions. The industry in general is made up of a thousand professions and there will always be room for newcomers. Young people will be able to grow up, enjoy it and have a career.

The industry, however, suffers from an image deficit…

Because we stayed on the image of the film industry THE Modern times by Charlie Chaplin where we saw people in the dust. Unhappiness at work is over. We are now talking regarding CSR, comfort and ergonomics at work. We are getting closer to humans and that is my credo. The industry has never been so bright and so interesting. More and more young people are coming there. As an example in my company [Ragni, solutions d’éclairage public, ndlr]the average age is 34 years old with seniority of 14. People make careers there.

Is the training offer in the sector sufficient?

When you take over the presidency of a federation, you cannot tackle all the problems at the same time. Decarbonization is a subject on which we must work and explain to our members how to get started. Training is just as important. We do not have a training center in the region; there is one in Istres and it’s a bit far. We are therefore working on opening a maintenance electrician training school in the Nice Côte d’Azur metropolis and why not establish a second one near Sophia Antipolis? There is training, such as the Don Bosco high school in Nice, but there is never enough. Companies are also doing it internally: Covid was a revelation which made it possible to realize that the industry existed and that it needed to be supported. I think there will be more and more training.

Decarbonization is the theme of IBT. What solutions have already been implemented within companies?

In a company, we initially talk more regarding CSR than regarding decarbonization. It is above all a matter of common sense. When we don’t throw away, we save… And therefore we earn money. By changing an energy-intensive oven for a more recent one, the payback is made very quickly, if only by the savings made on energy which continues to increase. Any decarbonization action will be a saving and an investment. The Region offers numerous supports for businesses and it is up to them to invest. The UIMM06 has set up a CSR center for them. The union, at the national level, has created a UIMM label which will be passed on throughout the territory. I will try to set an example by trying to win it within my company.

Exactly, what have you implemented within your company to accelerate this decarbonization?

Before, we did aesthetic lighting that produced light. From now on, we are doing sustainable lighting. You can turn it off at night without worrying regarding insecurity or danger because the system is turned back on as soon as there is traffic thanks to simple detection. The saving is real, if only by changing the standard lighting fixtures as we see them on the road, a municipality can save 80% on its energy bill and have a return on investment in three or four years.

Internally, our new building benefits from new technologies: all our lighting is LED; the lights turn off when there is no one in the rooms. The support subsidiary that we created for the territories also serves us. It will provide us with remote management systems for electrical energy, gas, water, etc. We are thinking regarding new laser cutting and replacing aging and energy-consuming machines.

We talk a lot regarding reindustrialization and made in France. You believe in it?

Yes and I always believed in it. Otherwise I would have relocated abroad but I always stayed in France. I also obviously believe in reindustrialization: we have room on French territory to build new factories and find solutions to make them more sustainable.

You have a very transversal vision as president of UIMM06 and as director of an almost century-old company. What would you like to convey to the government to support the industry?

I have a lot of suggestions to make! But the first is to support industries in their transition and development. The public authorities prevent us from carrying out certain projects, such as, for example, building higher up and therefore enlarging the building.

(1) Co-organized by the CCI Nice Côte d’Azur, the UIMM Côte d’Azur (Union of Metallurgical Industries and Trades), the FBTP 06 (Federation of Building and Public Works), Prodarom (National Union of Manufacturers aromatic products) and UPE06, IBT will take place on October 12 in Nice.

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