Edeis takes over the Calais marina from the CCI
The agglomeration of Grand Calais Terres et mers has officialised the change of concessionaire for the operation of its marina. The Edeis group, a specialist in the management of public infrastructures, particularly airports, was chosen over the historical operator, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI). After having obtained the management of the commercial and fishing ports of Saint-Malo and Cancale in a similar context, the group is continuing its establishment with a 1st marina in Calais. The public service delegation is awarded for 5 years from 1 January 2021.
Opening the marina to the city
The change of concessionaire is part of a municipal desire to improve Calais' operation of its coastal anchorage, explains Olivier Galzi, Vice President of Edeis. "It is a short 5-year concession to initiate the changeover and support the repositioning of the conurbation, which wants to develop the destination for tourism. Investments are being made around it, outside the port. Our main mandate is to open the port to the city. We are a 5-minute walk from downtown, a bridge between the beach and the city. All the ingredients are there, with a healthy situation, but problems of use in relation to the population base. The port must be a tool for territorial attractiveness. We are going to develop the stopovers. We must become a reference port of call for Belgians or Germans coming down, a weekend destination for the English" illustrates the leader.
Becoming a structured player in the leisure port sector
The Edeis group does not intend to stop at the port of Calais and aims to take its share in the marina sector by drawing on its airport experience. "Initially, Edeis is an urban engineering company, with 500 engineers throughout France. We design major infrastructure projects, but we also operate them. Edeis already manages 19 regional airports in France. We are a private company but we consider ourselves to have a public service mission. Ports or airports are strategic assets of a territory. We have the capacity to generate a lot of activity in a place that was initially only thought of as an airport, thought of at the outset only to land and take off planes. The needs are the same in the port, with flow management, parking lots, land... Calais is the first flag in marinas, but we hope to plant others. By creating a network, we will be able to develop services, at the level of software and management or boat clubs for example" concludes Olivier Galzi.
