ALCEN

Advanced technology at the service of innovation

Ambition

ALCEN —the men and women who make it up— rely on numerous, often cutting-edge technologies, sometimes unique the world over, to develop innovations that will help shape the world of tomorrow.

ALCEN initially focused its activity on a small number of highly critical areas of Defense which required the use of varied and particularly advanced technologies.

The Company then extended the use of its technologies to other fields, including Medical and Energy, in which it has gradually acquired a considerable level of expertise.

In the early 2010’s, strengthened by its new skills, ALCEN decided to use its own funds to launch a significant number of developments, in parallel with its usual and historical activities. The aim? To create disruptive innovations that will significantly and considerably impact large human populations. Some of these innovations are displayed on the ALCEN subsidiaries’ websites, others are not.

These innovations are coming and will gradually come into operation until the second half of the 2020’s. Some have already been introduced in their respective markets:

An automated center for the production of radioactive molecules for medical use. Being extremely compact, the center can be located as close as possible to the patient, thus multiplying diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities.
A solution for biobank automation which guarantees reliability, quality and traceability in processing biological samples, often of human origin, stored at cryogenic temperatures.
A thermodynamic solar-powered system producing electricity, desalinated water, heat and cold air on demand: necessary utilities for the social and economic development of isolated areas, for example in Africa.
A highly integrated reactor transforming CO2 into methane/"green" gas for household use or use in cities.

ALCEN’s great effort in this process, as well as in its usual activities, rallies together its staff and gives their actions a social and societal dimension which makes ALCEN proud.

Sectors

ALCEN is active in 5 sectors:

Defense & Security
Energy
Medical & Healthcare
Aeronautics & Space
Large Scientific Instruments

ALCEN's ambition is to establish an ongoing policy of innovation applied first and foremost to its own products and services.

To achieve this, ALCEN has developed a particularly extensive in-house technological base. It works closely with research centers, systematically transfers technological developments and feedback from one field to another and develops its technologies in specialized laboratories organized around a select number of top experts.

ALCEN has built an original and fully-integrated technological model boasting exceptional productivity.

Organization

ALCEN favors setting up subsidiaries for its activities, each focusing on one particular technology.

ALCEN has established a unique method of governance which favors initiative-taking and real collaboration between subsidiaries.

This method of organization, along with technological differentiation, is the key to its success.

Partnerships

ALCEN possesses a large number of laboratories working on a vast range of technologies. In order to match its means with its ambitions, ALCEN has additionally developed collaboration expertise with external research centers. Thus, over the years, it has forged links with the CEA Military Applications Division (DAM), the CEA Technological Research Division (DRT), the CEA Fundamental Research Division (DRF), CNRS laboratories, Ifremer, the BRGM (French Geological Survey) and ONERA (the French Aerospace Lab), as well as with schools and universities.

As part of its partnership approach, it favors "applied" research, i.e. research focused on a specific product from the outset.

It is part of ALCEN’s business culture to use the technological knowledge acquired through partnerships in fields other than those initially chosen.