Job: At the gates of La Rochelle, Zeiss has acquired a state-of-the-art factory and is recruiting

“This is the first time that a major German or European company has invested so much in La Rochelle,” said Jean-Francois Fontaine, president of the agglomeration. Specialist in optics and optoelectronics, the Zeiss Group officially formalized this Wednesday, March 29, the construction, which began in January, of a new plant in Périgny (Charente-Maritime) dedicated to the production of medical devices, in particular intraocular implants for the treatment of cataracts.

Production multiplied by five

Established since 2005 at the gates of La Rochelle, the company will grow from 5,300 m2 to almost 14,000 m2 within two years. About 33.7 million euros will be invested in this project. Then, $46.7 million will be invested in this plant by 2030 to fund production equipment, the Zeiss group said in a statement. The automated production lines will be installed in a four-level building specially designed to limit the footprint. This plant will also use 30% less energy than the obligations it is currently subject to, thanks in part to roofs covered in photovoltaic panels or a heat recovery system, Zeiss said.

This project, approved by the state and local authorities, will increase at least five times the current production, as well as create 300 jobs in the digital technology, automation and data analytics sectors. The Perigny site, which currently employs about 250 people, will be of great importance in the industrial landscape of La Rochelle in the future. The facility will serve “our long-term growth strategy,” says Markus Weber, president of the Zeiss medical division, who advocates “a cutting-edge manufacturing tool destined to become the benchmark in the group.” The set has already started.