A pure player in electrification and pioneer in the energy transition

Stretching back to the late 19th century, we have always played a key role in electrification.

 

Our cables are essential for all types of electrical transmission, meeting the needs of big cities as well as contributing to the development of remote villages. So, it is only natural for us to be leading the way towards an all-electric future and contributing to the general effort through our vision and innovations.

 

Our strategy is to set new standards in safety and sustainability for the future as part of a rational approach. We want to lay the foundations of a world that shows greater concern for both the environment and for people.

cable-wiring
Our goal: to become the leading pure player in electrification

Changing course

In 2018, we made a strategic shift in our approach to refocus on what we do best: electrifying the world.

Intervening throughout the chain

We play an essential role in operationalizing the various links in the electrification chain, from power generation to transmission, distribution and usage. Present in over 40 countries, we prefer local sourcing for local markets.

Paving the way

We have always been committed to electrifying the world. Thanks to our unique management model, we are agents of change. We are paving the way for economic performance to be intrinsically linked to the environment and human commitment.

Our strategy: rationalization to drive performance

We have replaced volume and complexity with value creation and simplification.

We have taken a number of steps to streamline our organization and create value:

  • Scaling down from 25 areas of activity to four main business units, and from 17,000 customers to 4,000 strategic customers.
  • Looking beyond cable supplies alone to take up a central market position delivering services and solutions. Through partnerships with our strategic customers, developing new solutions and services tailored to their needs.
  • Continuing to cover the entire electricity value chain, from generation and transmission to distribution and usage. We are a global specialist and market leader at every stage: high voltage, medium voltage and low voltage.

Between now and 2040, demand for electricity is expected to rise by 40%. We have a role to play at the very heart of the electric revolution, supplying renewable and decarbonized energy in an increasingly circular economy.

To this end, we are already supporting major projects, making it possible for wind farms to power megacities such as New York (USA). We are taking all possible steps to promote a new industrial approach, factoring in any potential shortages of raw materials. Today’s copper or aluminum scrap will provide a basis to develop the markets of tomorrow.

95%

of Nexans’ sites have received environmental certification.

100%

of production sites are ISO 14001 certified.

100%

of sites will be certified by 2030.

Our new E3 management model: sustainable performance

Most of today’s management models are based on theories dating back to the late 1980s, for the most recent among them. But times have changed. We are entering a global permacrisis, an era in which environmental, social and economic crises are stacked one on top of the other. Companies increasingly find themselves facing a double bind. Clashes between environmental, financial and social considerations create structural challenges. To overcome them, we need a radical rethink of our management style.

We see three factors as essential and interdependent in navigating this new world:

  • Economy
  • Environment
  • Engagement

All three underpin our new management model, E3.
In the absence of theoretical models or literature on the subject, we developed our own model based on one simple principle: to manage all our sites in accordance with the three above criteria, considering each one as equally important.

Our vision of management considers ecological performance, business performance and employee well-being as indissociable.

This rational and balanced approach has become the driving force behind our profitability.

In 2022, we rolled out the E3 model across the Group. Today, all our sites and major projects are adopting this unique method.

From a structural standpoint, the new model does away with the cost of complexity, allowing us to focus on our core business as ultra-specialists in electrification. And the results are there to see. We are generating profits with a low-carbon energy impact. Our employees are proud of this. And herein lies the systemic strength of E3.

We are leading the way and showing that rationalization can be a powerful driver of profitability, contributing to sustainable decarbonization at global level.

Christopher Guérin
Christopher Guérin

CEO, Nexans

Our CSR strategy: making an active contribution to carbon neutrality

The role of business in society has changed significantly over the past few decades. In response, we have developed an ambitious CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) approach that was first deployed over ten years ago. Our aim is to deliver products and services that are good for the environment and for society as a whole, and also to set out a sustainable business model.

Building on our role as major players in the international cable industry, we are seeking to shape a more sustainable world. We have made a commitment on several levels:

  • We joined the UN Global Compact in 2008 and have made it the cornerstone of our CSR strategy. Our CSR priorities include several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly: SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) and SDG 13 (climate action).
  • We are on the CDP A List for Climate Change, recognizing the companies leading the way in climate action.
  • We are committed to achieving “Net Zero” emissions by 2050, in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
  • In 2023, our Group joined the CAC SBT 1.5° index, a new climate-focused version of the CAC 40, intended for organizations whose emission reduction targets are recognized as being in line with the Paris Agreement.
  • Our foundries in Montreal, Canada, and Lens, France were recently certified by Copper Mark, a global program promoting responsible practices in the copper industry, particularly those aimed at reducing CO2 emissions, limiting energy consumption and using cleaner extraction technologies. Our facilities were assessed against 32 international sustainability criteria relating to social, environmental and governance standards.
Nexans Lens, France, unloading copper bales for recycling

Digitalization at the service of the environment

Industry 4.0 is driving efforts to cut both energy usage and waste. By focusing on innovation and the optimization of resources, we are contributing to a sustainable, circular economy.

As part of the process of continuous improvements applied to our production sites, we have put in place a complementary approach for the assessment and external certification of our environmental performance, based on the ISO 14001 standard.

In the field, we implement lean management methods at our industrial sites. All sites are required to draw up an environmental crisis management plan. Each plan is regularly audited and supported through investments in protective equipment (containment basins or plugs) to prevent any off-site pollution, together with emergency response kits (contaminant booms, mobile plugs). This equipment is tested as part of dedicated verification exercises.

See our Environment page

Innovation: R&D to promote sustainable electrification

Pursuing our ambition to become a pure player in sustainable electrification, we invested nearly 20 million euros in 2022 in AmpaCity, our R&D center in Lyon. At this 6,000 m2 site, some one hundred engineers, researchers and technicians are working on the low-carbon electricity of the future.

To electrify tomorrow’s world, our R&D projects focus on four key goals:

  • Supply power for the world.
  • Ensure grid reliability and prevent blackouts.
  • Limit environmental impact.
  • Deliver competitive, optimized solutions.
R&D at Nexans AmpaCity

Our experts are working on a range of subjects, including superconductivity, digitalized electrical installations, building safety, the fire performance of materials, and the implementation of smart grids.

Innovation is part of who we are and what we do. Through innovation and expertise, we are able to deliver a practical response to the challenges of the energy transition and to reduce the carbon impact of our products over their entire life cycle.

To support our customers in meeting today’s challenges, we are dedicating our innovation capabilities to the goal of sustainable electrification, while also addressing safety and reliability concerns with innovative solutions. We are constantly developing new products, services and solutions with a view to cutting costs, optimizing the total cost of ownership and minimizing environmental impact. Through innovation, we are also able to develop premium products tailored to the specific needs of our customers.

In our factories and at our sites, we manufacture the products underpinning our success, and test the many innovations developed by our research centers. We are a flagship of French industry, with 70 plants and sites worldwide, of which 55 are dedicated to electrification.

Our key strength: a diverse, highly qualified and talented workforce

Our role is to have a real impact on society. By taking power to new places, for example, or by supporting the speed of deployment of electrification needs in megacities.

For this reason, we are keen to attract and keep the best talents for each of the markets in which we operate.

We know that each employee is essential, in the factory, in the field, and in head offices. They are all committed to keeping the Group’s heart beating every day. For this reason, we foster a working environment that will support their career development. Our continuing education programs are always accessible, and we encourage internal mobility. We consider it essential for our employees to thrive in their work.

We are looking for a wide diversity of innovative profiles, people who are committed to sustainable performance and who share our founding values:

 

  • PIONEERS in the energy transition.
  • DEDICATED to the highest standards of performance.
  • UNITED as a team, working in complete transparency towards an ambitious goal: electrifying the future.

 

These values are deeply rooted in our identity and shape our day-to-day commitments.

 

Joining our Group is therefore an opportunity to play an active role in building a more sustainable future and working towards global decarbonization targets. Our employees are proud to work for a group that favors a rational approach over all-out growth focusing solely on profit.

Nexans employee at Halden, Norway

Careers

Join Nexans and make an impact today!

A career at Nexans
Nexans Donchery plant, France - Automation, Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0: digitalization to simplify processes and promote a more rational approach

Industry 4.0 is a performance driver and a cornerstone of Group strategy.

Building on our commitment to simplify and modernize our processes, we are leading the way in manufacturing standards for the coming decades, based on digitalization.

We are applying the Nexans World Class Manufacturing (WCM) operational standard to the organization and management of all our plants. The WCM standard is part of the deployment of Industry 4.0 by the Group. We need to make sure that our industrial processes are robust, in order to respond to customer requirements and continuously improve the competitive edge of each site.

Through our partnership with Schneider Electric, we were able to set up a structured digital transformation program. This allowed us to integrate new technologies into our operations, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, production data analysis, artificial intelligence and self-learning equipment. At the same time, we created a collaborative environment to facilitate real-time decision-making, as well as to improve quality, safety, response time, and time-to-market.

Industry 4.0 saves time for operators and transforms the working environment on three key levels: safety, business support and upskilling.

We plan to accelerate deployment in order to increase speed and agility and reduce energy usage. Industry 4.0 is an integral part of E3, our rational business model, given that digitalization contributes to sustainable development.