Renault named as "advanced lighthouse" for Industry 4.0

The World Economic Forum has named the Renault plant in Cléon, France, as an “advanced lighthouse” for Industry 4.0, giving its backing to the Renault Group's commitment to a human, digital and connected industry of the future.

The announcement was made at the World Economic Forum in Dalian, China on July 3. It is the first automotive industrial site in France to be recognised in this way.

At the heart of the digital transformation of Renault Group plants, Cléon has equipped all 57 hectares of buildings with Wi-Fi, enabling data to be gathered and fully automated processes such as full kitting or parts traceability to be implemented.

Jose Vicente de los Mozos, EVP Manufacturing & Supply Chain Groupe Renault said: "To prepare the mobility of tomorrow, which will be electric, connected and autonomous, our factories are driving this transformation to meet increasingly personalized customer demands in a more flexible work environment. With 35 plants worldwide, the Groupe Renault has an industrial system that is firmly anchored in the future."

The Cléon plant, which produced 760,000 engines and 372,000 gearboxes in 2018 and which has just celebrated its 60th anniversary, has been transformed into a recognised 4.0 plant, with several digital use cases such as connected workforce, virtual reality training and automated truck flow management. Already ranked among the best plants in the world by specialised agencies, the Cléon plant has created a local ecosystem while developing innovations that will be deployed around the world.

Javier Bernaldez, Director of the Renault plant in Cléon said: "It is a source of pride for all Renault Cléon employees to obtain this recognition from the World Economic Forum, which thus recognises everyone's commitment. In a highly changing market, our plant has a central role to play in the production of electric motors for the entire Renault Group. Being at the forefront of Industry 4.0 is a strong competitive advantage that allows us to look to the future with confidence."

The Renault Group made a commitment to place people at the heart of the plant of the future. Thus, employees at the Cleon plant benefit from a specific safety program for 100% of incoming employees using augmented and virtual reality. More than 3,570 people have benefited from this innovative training program. The deployment of digital tools as close as possible to the field, particularly through tablets for workforce, provides real-time access to production or quality datas. All the technologies aim to facilitate everyone's work for a production that meets customer expectations.

With nearly 860 hires since 2015, the Cléon plant is fully involved in the local ecosystem and works with several Normandy start-ups to co-develop the know-how and technologies of tomorrow.

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