CMA CGM, CNES ink pact for developing solutions for shipping, logistics, space

June 14, 2021: CMA CGM Group and The National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) have signed a five-year agreement to identify, design and develop innovative solutions together to serve shipping, logistics, and the space industry.

The signing was done at the Toulouse Space Centre on June 10 between CNES chairman and CEO Philippe Baptiste; and Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group.

On the occasion of this visit, Saadé commented, “CNES is world-renowned for its space expertise. This unique partnership will cement our innovation strategy, enabling us to benefit from technologies developed by CNES, be it to optimise our operations or to support our energy transition.”

Under the agreement, CNES and CMA CGM’s experts will be focusing on a range of topics including:

• Smart ship routing to enhance safety at sea to aid crews and closely manage shipping’s environmental footprint. Data on currents, winds and waves will notably help to further optimize sea crossings and make them safer while developing effective management of future hybrid ship propulsion systems.
• The maritime energy transition, through sharing of experience with hydrogen and practices for producing, storing, distributing, filling and using this future ‘green’ fuel, exploiting economies of scale to make it a viable prospect.
• Upgrading of port activities and infrastructures, employing digital technologies to ease flows and paying special attention to environmental impacts.
• Contributions of the space sector to optimizing logistics in order to develop a reliable and sustainable end-to-end service for global tracking of goods.

Under their partnership agreement, CNES and the CMA CGM Group, both members of the French Maritime Cluster, will be working with start-ups and SMEs and relying on their entities charged with supporting business development and start-ups (ZEBOX, CMA CGM Venture and Connect by CNES), as well as on CMA CGM’s R&D teams.

These focus areas were defined through Connect by CNES, the space agency’s initiative to put its expertise to work in helping firms develop innovative products and services leveraging space technologies and solutions. 

Baptiste added, “Creating activities from satellite data and services for our societies is a major focus of action for us at the French space agency. This agreement signed with CMA CGM is a perfect illustration of our desire to reach outside the space industry, notably to the mobility sector, which is a priority area for Connect by CNES alongside the environment and healthcare. This cooperation will also allow our two organisations to mutually benefit from each other’s excellence.