News 23 June 2023
On June 20, 2023, Sunna Design, in collaboration with Bpifrance, brought together entrepreneurs, key industry players and decision-makers from the public and private sectors to share the solutions needed for a transition to a low-carbon economy. On this occasion, Sunna Design was delighted to announce the triple distinction received from Bpifrance.
At a time when SMEs and ETIs account for 30% of France’s total carbon footprint, via their domestic production processes and their imports of intermediate consumption, Sunna Design is making a commitment by opening its doors to the event organized by Club Les Excellence, the business network of growth companies supported by Bpifrance.
Opened by Sébastien Robert-Charrerau, Regional Director of Bpifrance, who stressed the importance of decarbonizing industry in the fight against climate change and the preservation of the environment, the event was an opportunity to highlight the challenges and opportunities facing everyone in this era of transition.
As a financial and strategic partner to industry, Bpifrance, Climate bank, is committed to supporting businesses in their transition to a low-carbon economy. Through its financing, consulting and partnership programs, Bpifrance supports industry players in implementing sustainable solutions, and promotes innovation in decarbonization.
To introduce the discussions, Anaïs Gros, Bpifrance Nouvelle-Aquitaine’s Climate Plan Coordinator, and Emmanuel Bejanin, ADEME‘s Deputy Regional Director, shared their experiences, highlighting the innovative solutions already underway to reduce industry’s CO2 emissions. An adapted CSR and climate offer and the green VTE deployed as part of the France Relance plan were presented, underlining the importance of close collaboration between public and private players to achieve the ambitious goals of carbon neutrality.
The highlight of the event was a round-table discussion led by local industry players, who shared their expertise and innovative ideas for accelerating decarbonization.
Philippe Métayer, Managing Director of French tech Bordeaux, Ignace de Prest, Chairman of Sunna Design, Jean-François Nothias, Director of CS Écoparc Bordeaux Techno West, and Maïlys Grau, President of Circouleur, shared concrete examples of technological innovation that are revolutionizing industrial processes and enabling more sustainable production. These advances demonstrate that technology can be a powerful engine for the ecological transformation of our industries. Sunna Design, as host of the event, presented its own decarbonization initiatives, highlighting its connected solar lighting projects and solutions.
In closing, Bpifrance’s Les Excellence business club reminded one of the challenges of reindustrialization: developing the image of industry among young people.
Murielle Benejat, Director of the Bordeaux IUT, and Xavier Lemarchand, UIMM‘s R2iD project manager, spoke of the measures needed to encourage young people and professionals to join industry sectors focused on sustainability. Training, education and the promotion of careers linked to decarbonization were identified as essential levers for developing a French know-how of commitment.
This Bpifrance event offered a unique platform to discuss the latest technological advances, best practices in sustainable development and corporate efforts to meet the challenges of climate change. It was also an opportunity for participants to forge partnerships and strengthen networks of companies committed to decarbonizing industry.
Above all, the event demonstrated that decarbonizing industry is a major and urgent challenge for our society. The challenges are immense, but the solutions are within our grasp. It also underlined the importance of synergy between public and private players, as well as the need to invest in innovation and education.
The event’s organizers are now calling for collective action, engaging political decision-makers, business leaders and civil society to work together to drive decarbonization solutions, accelerate towards a greener, more resilient economy, and make France the leading decarbonized nation in Europe.
The transition to a decarbonized economy is an unavoidable imperative to ensure a sustainable future for our planet.
“Bpifrance expresses its gratitude to Sunna Design for its warm welcome and commitment to decarbonizing the industry. Sunna Design has proven to be a partner of choice to highlight synergies and inspire other industry players to adopt decarbonized and sustainable solutions. This initiative illustrates the strength and determination of Bpifrance’s ‘Les Excellence’ club to support innovative companies that are actively helping to drive change towards a more sustainable economy,” says Kristell Pacary, communications manager for Club Les Excellence – Bpifrance’s Western network.
”This event was a celebration of innovation and commitment to decarbonizing industry. On this occasion, we were proud to communicate for the first time on the distinctions we received, the Red, Blue and Green Roosters, symbols of French excellence, from Bpifrance. It’s a testament to our shared commitment to decarbonizing industry, and recognition of the work accomplished by Sunna Design’s teams”, emphasizes Ignace de Prest, Chairman of Sunna Design’s Management Board.
Sunna Design, as a leader in connected solar street lighting, has indeed taken this opportunity to publicly announce the three distinctions received from Bpifrance:
▪ The “Coq Rouge” of French Tech, a mark of recognition awarded by Bpifrance to the most promising French technology companies, highlighting Sunna Design’s excellence in solar street lighting solutions and its significant contribution to the French Tech ecosystem.
▪ The “Coq Bleu” of French Fab, meanwhile, highlights Sunna Design’s commitment to the French manufacturing industry. This distinction testifies to the company’s ability to produce high-quality lighting solutions, designed and manufactured in France, thus actively participating in the development of the national economy.
▪ Finally the “Coq Vert” for companies committed to energy transition and renewable energies reflects Sunna Design’s commitment to a sustainable, environmentally-friendly future. By offering solar-powered street lighting solutions, Sunna Design actively contributes to reducing CO2 emissions and promoting renewable energies worldwide.
Sébastien Robert-Charrerau, Regional Director of Bpifrance, expressed his pride in Sunna Design’s achievements and commitment to sustainable development, saying: “Sunna Design perfectly embodies the spirit of innovation and excellence that we support at Bpifrance. Their connected solar street lighting solutions make a significant contribution to decarbonizing the industry, and we are delighted to honor them with these three well-deserved distinctions.“
Ignace de Prest, CEO of Sunna Design, expressed his gratitude to Bpifrance for their continued support and recognition of the Sunna Design teams: “We are honored to receive these three awards from Bpifrance. They testify to our commitment to innovation, quality and sustainability. At Sunna Design, we firmly believe in the potential of renewable energies to shape a more sustainable future. These awards are a testament to our commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation and making Sunna Design a leader in connected solar street lighting. We warmly thank Bpifrance for this recognition, and look forward to continuing to bring high-quality, sustainable solutions to our partners.“
