An SEM to take care of marinas outside Morbihan
On the occasion of Nautic 2018, the president of the Compagnie des Ports du Morbihan, François Goulard, presented the new ambitions of the marina operator. France's largest operator wants to go beyond its borders. The status of Local Public Company, which avoids competition, limited the scope of activity to Morbihan. A second structure will therefore be set up under the Mixed Economy Company (SEM) regime to operate in the extra-departmental zone. Its name is not yet known, and the financial arrangements are still being made with the Caisse des Dépôts, the Crédit Agricole du Morbihan and Arkéa Bretagne.
From port and digital engineering to marina management
François Goulard intends to build on the know-how and the lead acquired by Morbihan to offer various services. According to him, the new SEM will have a triple vocation:
- the sale of digital engineering, such as the Escale Passport, whose company has just been bought by the Compagnie des Ports du Morbihan
- port and urban engineering for the development of the waterfront and the quays
- responding to calls for tender for the management of marinas
A reasoned development
The development schedule of the new SEM will be progressive, says its president: " It will be a careful and controlled development. We will start with the Breton departments, including the Loire-Atlantique, as a first step. Engineering services will be able to start quickly. However, for port management, it is a long commercial approach on the scale of several years. "
What political reception?
When asked by BoatIndustry about the perception of the Compagnie des Ports du Morbihan's initiative by its neighbors, François Goulard sees no problem: " There is no conflict with the other departments. The Brittany Region is looking at the process with interest. I have good relations with Mr. Quernez in Finistère (Editor's note: President of the Syndicat Mixte des Ports de Cornouaille) and with the Conseil Départemental de Loire-Atlantique. "We will have to wait for the next call for tenders to observe the concrete reactions to the arrival of the Morbihan in the neighboring territories, both from the communities and the boaters.
