Industrial laser and machine-tool specialist TRUMPF inaugurated its €40 million French headquarters in Villepinte, Seine-Saint-Denis on 22 September. The facility combines sales, training and a Smart Factory demo centre, enabling the company to host up to 200 engineers from across Europe for short-term assignments under the EU Van der Elst secondment rules. CEO Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller said Villepinte’s proximity to CDG Airport and the future Grand Paris Express Line 17 were key. The site features a ‘digital twin’ lab connected to TRUMPF plants in Ditzingen and Chicago, allowing cross-border teams to test production scenarios in real time. The group will leverage France’s “Talent-EU Blue Card” route to rotate high-skilled staff on projects lasting six to 12 months, and has signed a memorandum with the Île-de-France regional council to facilitate dual-vocational apprenticeships for German and French technicians. For multinational mobility programmes, TRUMPF’s investment signals confidence in France’s reformed professional-stay permit framework and growing ecosystem of advanced-manufacturing talent. Local officials predict spill-over benefits for nearby suppliers and business-travel demand for the Paris Nord Expo grounds. The opening also eases post-Brexit servicing of UK customers, as Villepinte can consolidate equipment before onward shipment via the Channel Tunnel, reducing customs formalities.
Source: DailyCADCAM
