CERG

What CERG does

CERG SAS is a French for-profit engineering and testing center specialized in fluid mechanics, founded in 1962 in Grenoble and headquartered in Le Pont-de-Claix. The company operates one of Europe's largest hydraulic testing centers, with more than 100 test rigs spread across 4,000 m² on a 15,000 m² site. Its offering spans experimental studies, custom qualification testing, on-site expertise, and training, serving six verticals: Nuclear Energy, Defense, Energy Transition, Water & Environment, Transport, and Industry.

CERG's technical core is a portfolio of proprietary test platforms — including the EPEC3 full-scale nuclear safety test loop, the 60-meter STUDYSLUG well, the SANDRA sand transport system, the MAC3T 3-ton shock machine, the BEEC heat exchanger loop, and standardized debris manufacturing used internationally in nuclear accident testing — supported by nine branded sub-products (VAG+, Twisy, Caviflow, Cavi+, Cavhyloop, Airless, Epoca, Hydrogen motors, and Facilities). The company is ISO 9001 and ISO 19443 (nuclear) certified, and its training arm (CERG Academy) holds Qualiopi certification.

The business model is enterprise B2B engineering services delivered through direct field sales, with custom quote-based pricing on multi-year contracts. Key customers include EDF (privileged partner for nuclear safety since 2015), AREVA, Westinghouse, CEA, IRSN, the French National Navy, Arabelle Solutions, and KROHNE. The firm had 30 employees and reported €4.9M in FY2024 revenue, growing roughly 20% per year in 2021/2022. In 2025, ownership transferred to an employee collective, preserving independence and the company's specialized expertise.

Name

CERG

Legal name

CERG SAS

Website

https://cerg-fluides.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CERG is a French fluid mechanics engineering and testing center founded in 1962, operating 100+ test rigs in Le Pont-de-Claix. It provides custom qualification, performance, and shock testing for nuclear, defense, and energy clients including EDF and the French Navy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Le Pont-de-claix

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Engineering Testing Services: Custom testing and qualification services for industrial equipment, primarily in nuclear, defense, and energy sectors. Tests are performed on pumps, valves, turbines, and other fluid mechanics equipment to validate performance, reliability, and safety.
2. Experimental Studies: Experimental studies conducted for industrial clients or consortia to advance the state of the art in hydraulics, acoustics, or vibrations, providing competitive advantage.
3. Training Services: Professional training programs in fluid mechanics, hydraulics, acoustics, and vibrations. Over 120 engineers and technicians trained annually. Certified Qualiopi since 2021.
4. Test Bench Development: Custom design and construction of test benches for client sites, from technical specifications to on-site commissioning.
5. Proprietary Products: Sale of proprietary testing equipment including VAG+ cavitation nuclei analyzer, Twisy compact separator, Caviflow supercavitating flow limiter, Cavhyloop hydrodynamic cavitation tunnel, Cavi+ bubble injection system, Airless degassing system, EPOCA hydrodynamic bearing, and Hydrogen hydraulic turbine motors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CERG is an independent engineering center providing specialized fluid mechanics testing, qualification, and experimental study services for industrial clients. It operates over 100 test rigs across 4,000 m² of testing platforms, delivering custom equipment qualification, hydraulic, thermal, acoustic, and shock testing for nuclear, defense, energy, and industrial sectors. It also sells proprietary test equipment and offers professional training through CERG Academy.

Product overview

CERG is a specialized fluid mechanics engineering and testing center offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. The core offering consists of specialized testing equipment (BEEP, EPEC3, ECARO, MAC3T, BERCI, DEFIT, BEEC, STUDYSLUG, SANDRA, TH8.2V, MAC2D) spanning over 100 test facilities across 4,000 m² at Grenoble. The product portfolio includes nine branded sub-products (VAG+, Twisy, Hydrogen, Facilities, Epoca, Caviflow, Cavi+, Cavhyloop, Airless) covering cavitation analysis, separation systems, hydraulic motors, measurement devices, and test tunnel design. Services include engineering studies (hydraulic similarity, numerical simulation, transient phenomena, cavitation, multiphase flows), testing services (performance, qualification, endurance, acoustic, shock), on-site expertise, and CERG Academy professional training. The company operates across six strategic sectors: Energy (nuclear safety), Water & Environment, Transport, Energy Transition, Defense, and Industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VAG+ Cavitation Nucleus Analyzer Cavitation nucleus analyzer using a Venturi device to enable controlled cavitation testing on turbomachines and hydrodynamic objects in hydraulic similarity. Sold to industrial clients and research labs.
• Twisy Compact Separator Compact dynamic separator system for separating different phases (solid/liquid, liquid/liquid, gas/liquid), including hydrogen separation for fuel cells, oil emulsions, and gyrocyclone systems for mechanical seal particle removal.
• Hydrogen Multi-Stage Hydraulic Turbine Motors Multi-stage hydraulic turbine motors providing high torque and rotation speed in compact dimensions with silent operation and non-cavitating blades, available in 5kW to 500kW configurations.
• Epoca Hydrodynamic Bearing Hydrodynamic bearing measurement device that measures forces and moments on rotating machine drive shafts during testing (pump, turbine, propeller), with capacity up to 25,000N and 2,500Nm moments.
• Caviflow Supercavitating Flow Limiter Super-cavitating flow limiter using cavitation and cut-off flow principles for passive flow control in case of downstream rupture, applicable to Nuclear, Oil & Gas, and Chemical markets.
• Cavi+ Bubble Injection System Bubble injection system providing controlled cavitation nuclei population with size and number-controlled micro air bubbles, enabling controlled cavitation testing on turbomachines and serving as a non-polluting marker for flow visualizations.
• Cavhyloop Hydrodynamic Cavitation Tunnel Hydrodynamic cavitation tunnel for studying hydrodynamic systems, submarines, cavitation analysis, and performance testing. Capable of designing and manufacturing silent tunnels for research institutes and defense agencies worldwide.
• Airless Degassing System High-efficiency degassing system using coalescence and decantation principles to eliminate air or gas bubbles in hydrodynamic tunnels or high-speed circuits, with example deployment for DGA's Grand Tunnel Hydrodynamique at 40 m³/s flow rate.
• CERG Academy Training Programs Professional training division offering courses in fluid mechanics, hydraulics, acoustics, and vibrations. Provides both catalog training (H1-H8, BVE series) and customized on-site programs, Qualiopi certified since 2021.
• Engineering Testing and Qualification Services Custom engineering studies, experimental studies, performance testing, qualification testing, endurance testing, acoustic testing, and shock testing for industrial clients in nuclear, defense, energy, and industrial sectors. Delivered from the Grenoble facility or on-site.
• Test Bench Design and Construction Custom design and construction of test benches including mechanical, thermal, and hydraulic test installations, educational facilities, and specific instrumentation for research centers, hydrodynamic tunnels, and hull basins.
• Standardized Debris Manufacturing Manufacture and supply of standardized debris for representative nuclear accident testing conditions, including thermal insulation, paints, concrete, silica, corium particles, and chemical precipitates. Supplied to EDF, AREVA, WESTINGHOUSE, CEA, IRSN internationally.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 120 engineers and technicians trained annually with 100% satisfaction rate (2022 survey)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor, flagship and core.

• Arabelle SolutionsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Strategic partnership for designing and delivering high-performance test systems for turbine lubrication pumps. MoGP project delivered a specialized test rig with 1,200 m³/h capacity, 40 m³ oil reservoir, and approximately 40 instrumentations.
• STIL ConstructionsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Construction partner for MoGP project, building new facility to house high-performance pump test system.
• EDFflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Strategic partnership established in 2015 making CERG a preferred partner for EDF nuclear safety. CERG provides equipment qualification and safety demonstration services for operating nuclear fleet as well as new nuclear development (HPC, EPR2, SMR).
• GRETH (Groupe de Recherche en Échangeurs Thermiques)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for heat exchanger research. CERG collaborates with GRETH to enrich knowledge on heat exchanger performance. CERG conducts experimental tests to verify and validate heat exchanger thermal performance including thermal balance, pressure loss, and fouling characteristics. CERG utilizes GRETH's ECHTHERM simulation system.
• EES - DynaecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for BVE (Bruits et Vibrations liés aux Écoulements) training program. Dynae is a specialist in noise and vibration related to fluid flows. Joint delivery of training courses for engineers and technicians in hydraulic energy sector.
• Nuclear ValleyminorOthersMembership in nuclear industry cluster supporting industry networking and knowledge sharing.
• GifenminorOthersMembership in industrial grouping for professional networking.
• Pôle Mer MéditerranéeminorOthersMembership in Mediterranean maritime cluster for marine and defense industry networking.
• EvolenminorOthersMembership in energy industry professional association.
• PFCE (Partenariat France Chine Electricité)minorOthersFrance-China electricity partnership for international industry collaboration.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Intertek: UK-headquartered TIC global operating across energy, industrial, and aerospace testing. Comparable as a broad incumbent competitor in industrial testing and certification, but not a fluid-mechanics specialist like CERG.
• Babcock International: UK-headquartered defense and nuclear services company. Comparable as a larger incumbent providing nuclear and submarine support services to European defense customers that overlap with CERG's defense segment and Navy testing work.
• Curtiss-Wright: US-listed defense and industrial engineering company with significant defense testing and qualification capabilities. Comparable as a much larger incumbent in defense qualification testing, partial peer for CERG's defense business.
• SGS: Swiss-headquartered global TIC leader. Comparable as a large, broad incumbent in industrial testing and certification with some overlap in the energy-sector testing work that touches CERG's customer base.
• Bureau Veritas: French-headquartered global testing, inspection and certification (TIC) giant. Comparable as a much larger incumbent offering overlapping testing services across marine, energy, nuclear, and industrial clients, but does not specialize in the fluid-mechanics niche that defines CERG.
• Applus+: Spanish-headquartered global TIC provider active in energy, industrial, and oil & gas testing. Comparable as a broad incumbent overlapping with CERG's energy, defense, and industrial testing work, but without the niche fluid-mechanics specialization.
• Tractebel (Engie): Belgian-headquartered engineering consultancy within the Engie group, focused on energy, nuclear, and infrastructure. Comparable as a broader engineering/testing organization serving the same nuclear and energy clients as CERG, though delivered via consultancy rather than physical testing rigs.

Direct peers

• HR Wallingford: UK-based independent hydraulics and fluid mechanics research and testing organization with a long history. Most directly comparable peer to CERG in terms of being a specialized, independent fluid-mechanics lab serving energy, water, and offshore clients with physical-model and component testing.
• Alden Research Laboratory: US-based independent fluid mechanics and hydraulic testing laboratory founded in 1894. Closely comparable to CERG in offering physical-model and component testing for hydro, nuclear, and industrial-fluid sectors, with a similarly niche specialization in cavitation and hydraulic-flow testing.

Others

• Naval Group: French naval defense prime contractor. Not a direct testing peer, but a buyer and ecosystem participant in CERG's defense segment (submarine acoustic-discretion and shock testing). Included as an adjacent ecosystem player in the same French naval-industrial value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/c-e-r-g-

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CERG