A delegation of French companies is present in the United Arab Emirates from October 1 to 3 during the WETEX exhibition dedicated to the water, energy, solar and sustainable development sectors. This mission, organized by Business France, allows French companies to open their export market by meeting economic players from the Arabian Peninsula and thus support their international development.
A cutting-edge industrial packaging company based in Lachelle, Oise, Valsem Industries manufactures innovative packaging systems for non-standard products in the aeronautics, aerospace, energy and other industries sectors. .
IPAC-Valsem already established in Dubai
Today, the SME with 49 employees in France and around twenty in Dubai generates 22% of its turnover internationally. “Already established in the Emirates through our subsidiary IPAC-Valsem, we are already extending our activity to the Gulf region, which is very dynamic, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. We will be able to further accelerate our development in the United Arab Emirates”assure Dr Jean-François Daviet, CEO & President of the Valsem Industries Group.
And as stated Boris Nokovitch, CEO IPAC-Valsem “As a partner of Valsem Industries, we manufacture industrial packaging intended for the transport and preservation of sensitive and strategic materials. We have a strong decarbonization approach whose impact is recognized and visible by our customers thanks to the flexible ultra-barrier laminate protections that are 100% recyclable and environmentally friendly developed by Valsem Industries.”
A partnership with TotalEnergies
In this context, TotalEnergies supports 11 French companies in the delegation, including the Oisian company Valsem Industries, to present their innovative solutions in the sector of sustainable development and solar energy by facilitating their access to new international markets.
« We are delighted to support a company like Valsem Industries anchored in the Hauts de France region and to see their growth continue with potential projects in the Middle East and in the service of the energy transition. » Xavier BOURAT, Hauts de France Regional Director TotalEnergies.
Through its various mechanisms, TotalEnergies has supported, in 2023, more than 100 French companies in their international development in 20 countries covering the themes of wind power, solar energy, energy transition, hydrogen, the sustainable city, oil & gas, and the decarbonization of maritime transport. Since 2019, 27 SMEs in the Hauts de France region in the energy, industrial equipment, engineering, studies and consulting sectors were supported.
Valsem introduces himself
When a doctor of physics straight out of Silicon Valley meets a French company with high potential, the results are sometimes surprising. And when a health crisis occurs, its team shows how reactive and creative it can be… for the good of the community.
The opportunity
Doctor Jean-François Daviet, CEO of Valsem Industries SAS, is the product of a curious mix of technology, innovation, management and industry. A native of Annecy, he completed his doctorate in physics at the INPG and completed his thesis at CEA/Leti. In 1996, he left for Silicon Valley; and during the 2000s, Jean-François Daviet commuted between California and Grenoble. “I had exhausted the joys of this venture, I needed to change,” he summarizes. But when it was time to return to the USA, I came across an investment opportunity: Valsem SA.” He sets out… and creates his third company, Valsem Industries SAS, on the ashes of the defunct Valsem SA.
The change
Valsem specializes in flexible industrial packaging with very high protection – corrosion, shock, burglary, etc. – in a variety of fields – aeronautics, energy, heavy industry, pharmaceuticals, defense. But with 22 employees and €2 million in turnover, the results are not there. “The structure had potential, but had not innovated for years,” notes Jean-François Daviet. I had a technical, managerial and commercial background.”
It brings the DNA of innovation, as well as another way of looking at business; with his team, he is working to develop a range of new solutions – all unique and with high added value – under the ValStrong™ brand. First there is the only weather-resistant product in the world; an inflatable shockproof cover with independent cells; a burglar-proof film reinforced with steel wires; or an IoT sensor that can be integrated into other packaging, thanks to which, explains Jean-François Daviet, “you can monitor the protection of your packaged equipment in real time anywhere in the world, directly on your smartphone”.
L’action
But the business leader emphasizes: “At our humble scale, everything we do must have a positive impact on the environment and society.” And the most recent example is the DESS™ Militant Barrier Mask.
Jean-François Daviet recalls: “During the first confinement, Valsem remained 100% operational to serve its customers, including many critical entities such as Lactalis, Laboratoires Aguettant, or National Defense; but we wondered how we could contribute even more to the “war effort”, and I thought of this felted raw material that we use for the military sector. We thus developed a very simple mask, and in two months we had our UNS1 certification from the DGA for 100 washes. Our hi‑tech masks, 100% Made in-house, are the only ones to also be 100% recyclable; they present the best ecological and economic performance, but also in terms of breathability. In addition, they are customizable.
Disposable masks are a real environmental disaster! We have created activist masks that simply need to be washed by hand with soap. Ten thousand of them were donated to Unicef, of which we are a friendly company.” So, in addition to being agile and innovative, Valsem is indeed a company.
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