Manufacturing and producing locally are dear values to Notilo Plus. As designers and technology makers, revendicating a “Made In France” symbol for Seasam, our underwater drone, is a source pride.  It also helps directly in pursuing our company’s mission, which is to contribute to the protection and knowledge of the marine environment. In this article, we will see in detail, the manufacturing in France of our different high-end products, like the Seasam drone or the Navigator buoy.

Why did we choose to produce in France for our underwater drone?

In addition to our values which advocate the reduction of our carbon footprint, we interviewed several members of our team and 4 reasons came up:

Protecting the environment through European and French standards

European standards are among the strictest in the world. A “Made in France” product is a guarantee of quality and testifies a very thorough quality control of the product.

These standards allow us to monitor the manufacturing of our hardware very closely. This ensures our customers receive a qualitative product, and allows us to better prevent and control the risk of defects.

Producing our underwater drone in France means reducing our carbon impact linked to transportation.

Climate change is linked to the emission of greenhouse gases from our human activities. In France, goods transportation is the sector that contributes the most to emissions (GHG); worldwide, it is just behind.

Buying a product manufactured in France and respecting local logistic chains allows us to rationalize its life cycle by limiting considerably its travels. 

A limited number of our products’ raw materials are imported, but once on the territory, all the transformation stages up to the final product are done locally. Moreover, most of the raw materials used in the manufacture of our products come from Europe: hydrophones, electronic cards and other basic components are produced in France.

Here are a few figures to illustrate what we mean:

• 50% of our suppliers or service providers are directly in France
• More than 70% are in Europe
• The remaining 30% come from the United States or China, most of them being specialized products.

A product going around the world three times before reaching our customers is no longer an option for us.

We work with EFI Automotive Service, which produces our hardware & products. Based in Joinville, Haute-Marne department, France, the company is a long-standing partner of Notilo Plus. Indeed, since 2018,  they built our very first series of iBubble underwater drones. This trustful partnership allows us to be in full control of our production process, and responsive in case of modifications.

Valuing the working conditions of employees and supporting the local economy.

Being labelled “Made in France” also means supporting the economy and jobs in our territories. Notilo Plus currently employs 25 people and 4 other employees work on the production line in Joinville. 

“Producing in France is a real advantage for internal exchanges. It is easier and quicker between the production factory, our suppliers and our team. If a problem occurs on the assembly line, we can be on site under an hour. Furthermore, it’s important to keep this workforce in France, it keeps our talent and know-how in the country.” 

Thibault.A, Mechanical Engineer at Notilo Plus.

Our underwater drone is of better quality thanks to the “Made in France”.

“Made in France” also means being able to manage the production chain from A to Z, and not having to delegate to companies or factories that do not share our values. 

Our collaboration is in a permanent search for perfection. The production operators are directly trained by our engineers and experts. As a result, they integrate the specificities of Notilo Plus products faster and master their technicality. 

Let’s hear from EFI Automotive Service about their vision of our partnership:

“4 years ago, EFI Automotive Service decided to diversify its business, beyond the automotive industry with the assembly of innovative products. One business line focuses on intelligent robotics, with Notilo Plus. This partnership combines the agility and technological expertise of a start-up, with the rigorous quality development approach inherited from the automotive world. The geographical proximity of Notilo Plus, with common values and culture, has favoured a quick collaboration of the teams. As a result, the development of a dedicated industrial line, and implementation of an adapted supply chain have been facilitated. In addition, it lead to the co-development of certain components, which were identified as critical to deliver a top quality product worthy of the “Made in France” label. The alchemy between our two companies is exemplified by the support it provided to our successful ISO 9001 recertification audit.”

Christophe DECAUX, Deputy Site Manager and Technical Manager EFI Automotive Service.

Producing in France has many advantages, such as preventing blockages resulting from international tensions

During the pandemic, Notilo Plus was confronted with the same constraints as our suppliers (in terms of legislation in particular). In other words, the proximity with EFIS eases agreement on production process updates and simplifies the search for supply chain solutions. 

Sadly, the COVID pandemic came at the time of the launch of the Seasam range, which was following after the iBubble range. Thanks to the “Made in France” approach, the transition was smooth and the company was able to keep its head above water.

“The responsiveness and accessibility within the factory to improve our products and/or solve problems is felt. Our underwater drone is constantly evolving and it would be complicated to keep an impeccable quality by relocating.” 

Pierre.B, Technical Director at Notilo Plus.

So don’t hesitate, buy & produce locally – if we can do it, so do you!

And for you, what does “Made in France” mean?