Subsidiaries serving local areas
Throughout its history, Caisse des Dépôts has worked towards local economic growth. Working in sectors in which the market cannot satisfy requirements, it is an innovation laboratory, incubating companies which are today leaders in their sectors.
Conseil et services aux collectivités : la SCET
Créée en 1955 par la Caisse des Dépôts, la SCET s’est vu confier la mission d’accompagner les sociétés d’économie mixte locales (SEML) dans leur développement. Elle s’est dès lors imposée comme un acteur majeur de l’économie mixte et du développement des territoires.
Entreprise innovante, elle dispose d’un savoir-faire unique et reconnu dans les métiers de l’aménagement, de l’immobilier et des services et anime un réseau local riche de 240 entreprises publiques réparties sur tout le territoire et qui emploient plus de 5 000 collaborateurs. Ensemble, ils ont multiplié les réalisations pour devenir notamment le 1er aménageur de France (25 % de la production du foncier) et le 3ème opérateur national du stationnement (17 % des parkings). Ensemble, ils portent près de 4 Md€ d’investissements de long terme par an.
Au fil du temps, la SCET et son réseau ont su adapter leurs missions aux nouvelles exigences de la décentralisation pour rester à l’écoute des projets et des attentes des territoires. La SCET et ses 500 collaborateurs accompagnent élus et collectivités, de l’expression de leur projet à sa réalisation. Management stratégique, audit, assistance juridique et financière, commande publique et gestion des marchés, RH, formation... autant de compétences que la SCET met à la disposition de son réseau et de ses partenaires.
Veolia Transdev, public passenger transport
Operating in nine countries on three continents, Transdev is the 4th largest private public transport operator in Europe with two billion passengers a year. It provides its expertise in three complementary fields: the use of public transport networks, putting together and managing large projects and passenger services.
Transdev has been the architect of the return of the tramway in France, for instance in Nantes and Grenoble in the 1980s, and is now the world leader in this sector.
A specialist in urban, interurban and regional passenger transport, Transdev incorporates the full range of transport modes: trains, tramways, metro, Busway®, buses, coaches, trolley buses, riverboats, demand responsive transport, but also car sharing, carpooling and bikes.
To better satisfy the requirements of passengers, Transdec is developing innovative services which make it easier to change from one mode of transport to another: passenger info in real time via the internet, mobile telephones or PDAs, remote ticket booking and purchases, Demand Responsive Transport in addition to the regular network and car sharing.
Transdev is a committed and environmentally-friendly player which considers the environmental dimension of all its activities: ISO 14001 certification of its networks, fleet renewal in compliance with environmental standards, acquisition of hybrid buses, training for drivers in green driving techniques, construction of green depots, etc.
In order to provide the best possible service to local authorities, the Group has established a "Transdev Quality" labelling system to supplement the various French and international certification systems.
In addition to its role as a transport operator, the Group is a valued partner for local authorities, with which it maintains an ongoing dialogue to help them find the modes of transport which best suit their needs. Transdev works as a transport network architect by drawing up, along with the organising authorities, the type of partnership which is most appropriate to the project and its context, for an optimal public service mandate.
Large infrastructure engineering with Egis
Egis specialises in engineering and consultancy in the construction of infrastructures and systems for transport, local development, water and the environment, and is a valued partner for the State and local authorities in town and country planning. From engineering on the ground to the management of large complex or technical projects, Egis is able to satisfy all the the needs of local authorities and large ordering parties.
In France, its team members working at over fifty sites are in contact with elected representatives working in all fields: rail, road, water, air transport, urban development, lighting, bridges, geo-technical projects, systems and mobility. Regional and departmental authorities take advantage of its many skills: project management, research, development, works supervision, operations, establishment of public-private partnerships. And its dedication to comply with sustainable development rules.
A number of projects have been undertaken for large public ordering parties (State, cities) and private clients (construction companies, industrial players, etc.). For example, Egis was recently awarded the contract to carry out technical, environmental and rail studies for the Poitiers-Limoges high-speed link, and the complete project management contract for the extension of the A34 motorway between Charleville Mézières and Belgium. It is also project manager for the Hospitals site in Neuilly-sur-Marne and has worked on Urban Transport Plans (PDU - plans de déplacement urbain) for the Montpellier agglomeration and the Pays de Vannes in Brittany.
Leisure: boosting the tourism potential of local areas: the Compagnie des Alpes and Belambra
Caisse des Dépôts occupies a central place in the leisure field thanks to its subsidiaries Compagnie des Alpes and Belambra. Through their activities and longstanding links with local authorities, they contribute to local economic development.
Who operates 17 of the largest ski areas in Europe (including Val d’Isère, Tignes, Serre-Chevalier, Méribel and Les Arcs)? Who welcomes millions of adults and children through the gates of the largest French and European leisure parks (Parc Astérix, Grévin, Mer de sable, Grand Aquarium in Saint-Malo, Walibi…) ?Compagnie des Alpes.
This stock market-listed Group, which Caisse des Dépôts established in 1989 and in which it still holds a 39% capital stake, recorded a total growth in visitor numbers of 11% in 2007-08 and turnover growth of 14.6%.
CDA is a valued partner for local authorities: its subsidiaries are very often the largest employers in municipalities in which it operates tourism facilities and the largest contributors to local finances (nearly €40m a year). Ski areas are run as public service concessions, a high-performance and very effective from of public-private partnership.
56 holiday sites totalling 40,000 accommodation units in the most beautiful parts of France, a stone's throw from the sea or the ski slopes, 500,000 French and European customers a year staying alone or with their families, 2,000 groups for seminars... Belambra is the leading provider of holiday clubs in France.
Building on its results, the subsidiary is growing with new sites in Raphaël, Menton, l’Isle sur la Sorgue and Saumur which opened in 2009 spring. In 2012 it will complete a total upgrade project in its clubs (almost €220m invested). A godsend for local authorities who get a quality tourism asset and see their most beautiful sites enhanced.
