ONE GOAL
MAKE FRANCE’S #1 MARITIME REGION A MODEL
FOR INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE MARINE INDUSTRIES
For investors, industrial players and technology companies, the Région Sud combines port logistics capacity, specialized research and direct access to Mediterranean markets, within a trajectory of maritime transport decarbonization and development of marine renewable energy.
At a glance
Why choose the South of France for your maritime business?
The industry is built on four complementary segments: floating offshore wind, deep sea and marine robotics, naval industry and defence, and boating and yachting. It relies on the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille-Fos, the Toulon naval base, the Technopôle de la Mer and the Pôle Mer Méditerranée (a world-class competitiveness cluster).
Key industry figures
What infrastructure and innovation ecosystem?
The territory concentrates industrial-port platforms, technology clusters and a world-class competitiveness cluster that structure the industry.
The Marseille-Fos logistics and energy hub
The Grand Port Maritime de Marseille-Fos (GPMM) handled 74 Mt of freight in 2025 (+5% vs 2024) and is implementing a €1.3 bn strategic investment plan for 2025-2029 (decarbonisation, container terminals, future energy sectors). Liquid bulk (oil, LNG via Fos Cavaou and Fos Tonkin) accounts for approximately two-thirds of traffic.
CMA CGM's global headquarters is located in Marseille (~6,000 employees), where the group is the leading private employer. The group's economic footprint in France exceeds €20 bn in activity.
Innovation at the heart of Pôle Mer Méditerranée
Pôle Mer Méditerranée brings together ~500 members (50% SMEs) across the South of France, Occitanie and Corsica, around six focus areas: maritime defence and security, ports and infrastructure, marine energy, marine biological resources, environment, and coastal planning. By end 2024, it had surpassed 600 labelled innovation projects.
The 4 sectors of excellence in the maritime economy
The Regional Strategic Operation (OIR) for the Maritime Economy structures regional development around four sectors:
- Floating Offshore Wind (FOW)
- Deep sea, marine and underwater robotics
- Naval industry, defence and security
- Boating and yachting
Floating Offshore Wind (FOW)
France's first floating offshore wind farm, Provence Grand Large (EDF Renouvelables / Enbridge), was fully commissioned in June 2025 off Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône: three Siemens Gamesa turbines totalling 25 MW.
To support the industry, GPMM is developing the DEOS project (€550M investment, 80 hectares, capacity to assemble 25 floating wind turbines per year, planned commissioning late 2028). Two commercial wind farms of 250 MW each (expandable to 750 MW) were awarded in late 2024 (Fos-sur-Mer and Port-la-Nouvelle), with commissioning planned around 2031. The regional ambition: 2 GW by 2050.
Deep sea, marine and underwater robotics
The Technopôle de la Mer (Ollioules / La Seyne-sur-Mer) brings together companies and laboratories specialising in embedded systems, underwater robotics, marine drones and maritime cybersecurity (Thales Underwater Systems, Exail, Cybernetix, CNIM). The ecosystem relies on scientific partners based in the Mediterranean (IFREMER, CNRS, University of Toulon) for seabed mapping, ecosystem monitoring and pollution detection.
Naval industry, defence and security
The South of France is one of France's main naval basins: €3 bn in revenue in 2023 and nearly 10,000 jobs (18% of the national sector). The Naval Group site in Ollioules, dedicated to combat and embedded systems, employs ~1,950 people and continues to expand (6,800 m² building delivery by 2026; ~1,500 planned recruits in the Var department). The Toulon naval base, France's premier facility, hosts the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, Suffren-class SSNs and the Mediterranean maritime prefecture headquarters.
Boating and yachting
Regional boating represents €2.4 bn in revenue and ~25% of the national workforce; yachting alone accounts for over €1 bn. La Ciotat Shipyards is one of Europe's leading superyacht refit and maintenance sites: ~170 vessels last season, ~1,500 direct jobs and a €67M investment plan (2025-2034) to strengthen lifting infrastructure and superyacht capacity. The Riviera Yachting Network cluster brings together over 100 companies between Marseille and Nice.
Where to set up? Key maritime business zones
The territory offers several activity zones suited to the requirements of maritime, industrial and technology projects.
| Business zone | Specialisation | Key assets |
|---|---|---|
| Technopôle de la Mer (Ollioules / La Seyne-sur-Mer) | Defence, security, underwater robotics | Turnkey industrial site, AFR zoning, proximity to Naval Group, Thales, Exail, R&D laboratories. |
| Fos Industrial-Port Zone | Logistics, industry, LNG, floating wind | Extensive land reserves, high-voltage power connections, DEOS project (€550M), Fos Cavaou and Fos Tonkin LNG terminals. |
| La Ciotat Shipyards | Yachting, refit, naval maintenance | €67M investment plan (2025-2034), lifting infrastructure for superyachts, ~50 on-site companies. |
Explore all available business sites
risingSUD support: your strategic partner
risingSUD offers free territorial and financial engineering to support your maritime business set-up. The dedicated expert, Julie Legrand, coordinates:
- Identifying suitable port, industrial or technology land (floating wind, naval repair, marine R&D).
- Accessing regional, national and European funding (France 2030, AFR zoning, Terra Nea fund, decarbonisation schemes).
- Integration into networks: Pôle Mer Méditerranée, Maritime Economy OIR, yachting clusters.
- Project structuring and administrative procedures (permits, consultations, connections).
3 questions to Julie Legrand, Maritime Economy sector expert
Which maritime segment is experiencing the strongest growth in the South of France?
Floating offshore wind is clearly the segment that is accelerating. With the commissioning of Provence Grand Large and the DEOS project in Fos-sur-Mer, we are seeing industrial subcontractors seeking to position themselves across the entire value chain: anchoring, cabling, maintenance. At the same time, the boating and yachting sector remains a stable driver, supported by La Ciotat shipyards and the refit industry on the Côte d'Azur.
What types of industrial subcontractors are most in demand in the maritime sector?
Maintenance and MRO (Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul) trades for yachts and naval defence lack capacity. Offshore engineering and composite materials skills are also in high demand, particularly for floating wind. Pôle Mer Méditerranée facilitates networking, and risingSUD can help industrial companies identify subcontracting opportunities in the territory.
What sets the southern maritime ecosystem apart from other French coastlines?
The diversity of opportunities. On the Atlantic coast, the maritime economy is focused on naval defence and fishing. In the Mediterranean, we have France's largest commercial port, Europe's leading yachting basin, the main naval base and the first floating wind projects, all in one place. This diversity allows companies setting up here to avoid relying on a single client.
Industry leaders:
CMA CGM, NAVAL GROUP, THALES UNDERWATER SYSTEMS, EXAIL, CNIM, EDF RENOUVELABLES, BW IDEOL, PRINCIPLE POWER, BOURBON, TECHNIP ENERGIES, MB92 LA CIOTAT, MONACO MARINE, IXBLUE, SUBSEA TECH, JIFMAR OFFSHORE SERVICES, GEOCEAN (VINCI), TRAXENS, EIFFAGE METAL, ELENGY, LA MÉRIDIONALE
Success Stories
Success Stories
FAQ: Everything you need to know about maritime investment in the South of France
Why choose the southern coast for testing new marine technologies?
The French Mediterranean hosts the first offshore test site dedicated to floating wind energy (Provence Grand Large, in service since June 2025). The territory is also home to IFREMER, CNRS and the University of Toulon, and Pôle Mer Méditerranée has labelled more than 600 innovative projects.
What financial support is available for a maritime industrial project?
Several schemes are available: AFR zoning, maritime transport decarbonisation grants (€70M allocated in the 2026 national budget), Terra Nea fund (target €100M), France 2030 and European funds. risingSUD assists with structuring financing plans.
How to access the naval defence market?
The South of France concentrates the main contracting authorities and major naval defence manufacturers around the Toulon naval base and the Technopôle de la Mer. Being located nearby facilitates accreditation with prime contractors and tier-1 subcontractors. Pôle Mer Méditerranée supports SME structuring and integration into value chains.
What is the potential of floating wind in the French Mediterranean?
Following Provence Grand Large (25 MW, June 2025), two commercial wind farms of 250 MW each (expandable to 750 MW) were awarded in late 2024 off Fos-sur-Mer and Port-la-Nouvelle (planned commissioning ~2031). GPMM's DEOS project adds €550M for a platform capable of assembling 25 floating turbines per year. Regional ambition: 2 GW by 2050.
Sources and references
Your Expert
