Framatome opens €25 million additive manufacturing center in Romans-sur-Isère
The 6,000 m² facility, operational since May 2026, uses laser powder bed fusion and wire arc deposition to produce spare parts for French nuclear reactor primary circuits
Framatome inaugurated its new additive manufacturing center in Romans-sur-Isère on July 2, 2026, in what the company described as the first industrial AM facility of its kind in Europe dedicated to the nuclear and defense sectors. The center had been operational since May 2026 and was built in one year from groundbreaking to full production.
“This new additive manufacturing center is central to Framatome’s strategic ambition: to have a leading industrial tool to sustainably support nuclear projects and meet the needs of its customers and partners in France and internationally, as well as those of the defense sector,” said Grégoire Ponchon, CEO of Framatome. “Thanks to additive manufacturing, we are strengthening Framatome’s industrial capabilities, boosting the competitiveness of strategic sectors, and securing essential supply chains, while also speeding up innovation to improve the performance and safety of nuclear and defense facilities.”
The facility spans 6,000 m² and represents a €25 million ($27.3 million) investment. Two metal AM processes are in use at the facility: LPBF and WAAM. Together, they allow Framatome to produce components ranging from a few kilograms to several tons, with dimensions from a few millimeters to 5 meters, covering the full range of geometries required for primary circuit spare parts in French nuclear reactors. The center currently employs around 20 people.
Framatome positioned the center as both a supply chain security measure and a production asset, as it can manufacture critical components domestically, which reduces dependence on external suppliers for parts that must meet the strictest safety requirements in the nuclear, defense, and aeronautics sectors. The company also cited reduced raw material and energy consumption compared to conventional manufacturing as an environmental benefit of the AM approach.
The center bears the name of Admiral Bernard-Antoine Morio de l’Isle, who died in 2024. A Commander of the Legion of Honor, Admiral Morio de l’Isle spent much of his career in the French Navy, serving as a submariner before rising to the highest military positions, including five commands at sea and command of France’s submarine forces and strategic oceanic force (ALFOST). He later joined Framatome as an advisor to the CEO.
The inauguration was attended by regional and departmental institutional partners including Marie-Aimée Gaspari, Prefect of the Drôme; Fabrice Pannekoucke, President of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Council; Nicolas Daragon, Vice-President of the Regional Council and Mayor of Valence; Franck Soulignac, President of the Drôme Departmental Council; and Marie-Hélène Thoraval, Mayor of Romans-sur-Isère.
