Objective: Reduce the direct exposure of marine species to noise The mission of Quiet-Oceans is to enable sustainable use of the oceans by preserving the balance between human activities at sea and marine biodiversity.
The fragile balance between economic imperatives and respect for the environment depends largely on Man's ability to understand the consequences of his activities at sea on marine biodiversity and to adapt his actions to minimize their impact, particularly acoustic. . The issues linked to ocean noise pollution are now well known to the maritime community and are now regulated by the legislator.
French leader in passive acoustics, prediction, monitoring and mitigation of underwater noise, Quiet-Oceans provides cutting-edge risk assessment tools and management capabilities to help the offshore industry to secure its projects.
Its experts support the industry with pragmatic and adapted methodologies, as well as integrated tools, corresponding to the level of risk and each stage of the project life cycle.
With a portfolio of international clients, they are recognized worldwide. Regularly consulted by the governments of many countries, they actively participate in noise regulation, notably by collaborating with the European Commission, the Secretariat of the Pelagos Agreement in the Mediterranean and the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Mediterranean Region. the Baltic Sea. Collaboration for a sustainable future Quiet-Oceans solutions are already applied in several contexts, notably in offshore wind farms in France, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Taiwan, where modeling and noise reduction are at the heart of resilience strategies. By acquiring Quiet-Oceans, CLS strengthens its impact assessment and noise mitigation capabilities at sea, with an approach grounded in science and sustainability. It thus completes its solutions in favor of a sustainable planet and biodiversity. Christophe Vassal, President of the CLS group “The integration of Quiet-Oceans within CLS is a major step forward in our commitment to protecting the oceans. For more than 30 years, CLS has been developing cutting-edge technologies to monitor marine ecosystems. By partnering with Quiet-Oceans, we are strengthening our capabilities to limit the acoustic impact of human activities at sea, a key issue for the preservation of species.
This acquisition will enrich our international offering, by providing innovative and comprehensive solutions to our customers. The synergies between our teams will allow us to respond to current environmental challenges with efficiency and responsibility. Together, we are building a sustainable future for the oceans, reconciling economy and ecology, while remaining faithful to our values of innovation and progress. »
Thomas Folegot, Founder of Quiet-Oceans “I am extremely proud that Quiet-Oceans is joining an international group such as CLS. Working in synergy with their network of 33 sites around the world will allow us to further promote on a global scale, our solutions and technologies that we have developed and perfected for years. CLS's mission to protect our planet while using cutting-edge technologies for a sustainable Earth resonates deeply with our own commitment. The synergies between our two companies are promising and will allow us to contribute significantly to the preservation of marine ecosystems with an approach that is both ambitious and virtuous. »
Stephan Vannoote, SG M&A Director “The SG M&A teams are very proud to have advised Quiet-Oceans shareholders in this strategic merger. The competitive process that we carried out was fascinating, in a scientific and marine world where multiple skills are required. The quality of the Quiet-Oceans teams, the constant innovations proposed and their applications to manage and minimize the impacts of human activities on the marine environment, have attracted numerous French and international players. The support of Quiet-Oceans with CLS seemed obvious to us, as the scientific DNA of the two organizations was so close, as the synergies to come are exciting. »
CLS – on the rise economically
The CLS Group has achieved regular growth and strategic international deployment. Since its creation in 1986 as a subsidiary of the National Center for Space Studies (CNES), CLS has continued to innovate in space solutions to monitor and protect the Planet. With its headquarters in Toulouse, and now 34 sites around the world (with the new location of Quiet-Oceans), CLS employs nearly 1,000 people dedicated to sustainable resource management. In 2023, the CLS Group achieved a turnover of 180 million euros, with forecasts close to 200 million euros for 2024. This steady growth underlines the company's solid strategy and its ability to thrive on the global market. This operation represents the 17th acquisition of the group which launched its first external growth in 2008.
More information on CLS
CLS, a subsidiary of CNES1 (34%) and CNP (66%), is a company with an international mission, a pioneer in the provision of Earth observation and monitoring solutions since 1986. Its vision is to imagine and deploy innovative solutions to understand, protect our Planet and sustainably manage its resources.
CLS employs nearly 1,000 people at its headquarters in Toulouse and at its 34 other sites around the world.
The company operates in 5 strategic sectors of activity:
• Sustainable fisheries management,
• Environmental monitoring & climate,
• Maritime safety,
• Mobility,
• Energy & infrastructure.
The company notably provides satellite services based on the location and collection of environmental data (100,000 beacons are processed each month, drifting buoys, beacons equipping animals, fishing or commercial fleets, etc.), the observation of oceans and continental waters (more than 20 instruments, on board satellites, provide daily information to CLS on the seas and oceans of the globe), and the monitoring of activities land and sea (nearly 20,000 radar and optical images are processed and analyzed each year). The CLS Group achieved a turnover of nearly 180 million in 2023. Committed to a sustainable planet, the company works every day for the Earth, from Space. www.cls.fr
1 CNES
CNES (National Center for Space Studies) is the public establishment responsible for proposing French space policy to the Government and implementing it within Europe. It designs and puts satellites into orbit and invents the space systems of tomorrow; it encourages the emergence of new services, useful on a daily basis. CNES, created in 1961, is at the origin of major space projects, launchers and satellites and is the natural interlocutor for the industry to push innovation. CNES has nearly 2,500 employees, women and men passionate about this space which opens up infinite, innovative fields of application and intervenes in five areas of intervention: Ariane, sciences, observation, telecommunications, defense. CNES is a major player in technological innovation, economic development and industrial policy in France. It also forms scientific partnerships and is involved in numerous international cooperations. France, represented by CNES, is one of the main contributors to the European Space Agency (ESA). www.cnes.fr
2 CNP
Founded by Mr. Albert Frère and owned by members of his family, CNP is one of the two pillars of the Frère Group. With a family shareholder base which provides stability and support, CNP favors the creation of long-term value by actively engaging alongside the management teams of companies of which it is the majority or first-rank shareholder. Through its two pillars, CNP and GBL, the Frère Group manages revalued net assets of around 5.5 billion euros, deployed through a diversified portfolio of companies of global scale and leaders in their sector of activity. www.cnp.be
More information on Quiet-Oceans
Quiet-Oceans was born in 2010 from a desire to bring together multidisciplinary expertise around a unique corporate vision: finding sustainable solutions for the use of the oceans. With its 25 employees, the company specializes in the emerging issue of underwater noise. The company's expertise covers underwater noise forecasting, risk assessment and consultancy services to reduce the impact of noise on biodiversity. This expertise is based on innovative and proprietary technology, Quonops©, an ocean noise monitoring, mapping and forecasting system.
Quiet-Oceans helps manufacturers carry out environmental impact studies for maritime projects in the fields of renewable marine energies (offshore wind farms, tidal energy, ocean thermal energy, etc.), offshore construction, port development, coastal development, seismic surveys and maritime traffic.
The company also carries out research aimed at ensuring good ecological status in terms of sound levels in European waters, in accordance with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and its application in the national legislation of Member States. Their wide range of customers and partners provides them with a comprehensive and objective perspective on the issue of underwater noise.
Their services include:
• Prediction of ambient noise by mapping
• Assessment of noise risks of industrial projects with regard to marine biodiversity
• Impact study and evaluation of mitigation solutions
• Definition of protocols
• Real-time passive acoustic monitoring
• Real-time noise assessment
• Real-time alert
• Quantification of risks to marine life
• Biological risk mitigation
• Decision support
These solutions have already been successfully implemented in offshore wind farm projects, tidal energy projects, floating wind farms, ocean thermal energy and offshore construction projects in France, French Overseas Territories. , in Eur
