Cerema

Name

Cerema

Legal name

Cerema - Centre d'études et d'expertise sur les risques, l'environnement, la mobilité et l'aménagement

Website

https://cerema.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bron

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Service Provision: Cerema operates as a national public expertise establishment providing specialized advisory, research, and technical services to the French State, local authorities, and businesses for territorial adaptation to climate challenges. Revenue generated through service contracts, consulting engagements, and technical assistance.
2. Software Licensing: Revenue from licensing specialized engineering software including PETRA (structural works documentation), with license fees, dongle purchases, and updates. PETRA license priced at 3000€ for primary license, 1500€ for additional licenses.
3. Membership Fees: Local authorities can become members (adhérents) of Cerema, gaining access to preferential services, expertise, and resources. Annual membership provides ongoing engagement and service access.
4. Training Programs: Certified training programs (Qualiopi certified) offered to professionals and organizations on topics including UrbanSIMUL, road works, structural engineering, and climate adaptation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cerema is a French public establishment that provides expert advisory, research, and technical services to the French State, local authorities (collectivités territoriales), and businesses for adapting territories to climate change. It develops and licenses specialized engineering and urban planning software (PETRA, CHAMOA, UrbanSIMUL, Sésame, Girabase and others), operates territorial data platforms (Datafoncier, Geolittoral, Candhis), delivers Qualiopi-certified training, and conducts applied research through the Carnot Clim'adapt institute across 6 activity domains.

Product overview

Cerema operates as a public research and expertise establishment with a portfolio of 6 integrated activity domains (Territorial Planning, Building, Mobility, Transport Infrastructure, Environment and Risks, Sea and Coast). The offering comprises: (1) Engineering structure software platform (PILES) with specialized design tools including PETRA for tender documents, CHAMOA-P/3D for bridge design, ST1/MUR/CDS for structural calculations, and CONVOA for heavy load analysis; (2) GPL-licensed urban planning software (Girabase, Hydrouti, StructUrb, Giration, MiTemps, OndeV, Diagfeux, Tempus Access) hosted on GitHub/GitLab; (3) Specialized web tools including UrbanSIMUL for land data visualization, Sésame for urban tree species selection, Avatar for traffic analysis, Cartofriches for brownfield mapping, Datafoncier for land data, Geolittoral/Candhis for coastal information; (4) Mobile applications (CopCerema for emissions, SCOUT for surveys, MUREX for flood feedback, Rivages for coastline monitoring, GES Urba for climate-energy factors); (5) Documentary services (CeremaDoc portal, DTRF road techniques documentation). The product portfolio serves government agencies, local authorities, and businesses for climate adaptation and territorial development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Institut Carnot Clim'adapt: Carnot Institute focused on climate adaptation research and innovation
• CeremaLab
• PILES
• Sésame
• CopCerema
• RIVAGES
• GES Urba

Products and services

• PILES - Plateforme Ouvrages d'Art Central knowledge platform for engineering structures providing documentation, guidelines, technical bulletins, reference materials, and software tools for bridge and infrastructure design, management, and maintenance. Targets infrastructure professionals including bridge designers, construction firms, and maintenance operators.
• PETRA Software Software for preparing technical written documents for construction and repair tenders of engineering structures (CCTP, Bordereau des Prix Unitaires, Detail Estimatif) with regulatory references and database support. Licensed at 3000€ primary license with optional updates at 1500€.
• CHAMOA-P Modular algorithm chain for engineering structures - Plan version providing automatic designs of standard bridges following French regulations. Available via tariff schedule for pay-as-you-go unit pricing.
• CONVOA Software to analyze crossing requirements for exceptional heavy loads and convoys on bridges, supporting infrastructure managers and transport operators.
• ST1, CDS, MUR, CHAMOA-3D Engineering Software Suite Suite of structural design software including ST1 (bar structures), CDS (reinforced/pre-stressed thin wall sections), MUR (retaining walls), and CHAMOA-3D (3D bridge design analysis).
• GPL Open Source Software Suite (Girabase, Hydrouti, StructUrb, Giration, MiTemps, OndeV, Diagfeux, Tempus Access) Open-source software tools for urban planning and transport including: Girabase (roundabout capacity), Hydrouti (sanitation planning), StructUrb (road structures), Giration (vehicle paths), MiTemps (journey times), OndeV (green waves), Diagfeux (traffic lights), and Tempus Access (transport accessibility).
• UrbanSIMUL Free digital tool for visualization and sharing of multiple land information (land data, real estate mutations, vacant housing, land reserves, planning documents) at parcel scale for local authority decision-making.
• Sésame Tool for integrating trees into urban renaturation projects, helping local authorities select appropriate species based on ecosystem services, with 400 species studied.
• Avatar Analysis and visualization platform for road traffic data, serving infrastructure managers and planners.
• Cartofriches Mapping tool for abandoned/brownfield land (friches) inventory and visualization, supporting urban renewal and territorial planning decisions.
• Datafoncier Land data platform providing comprehensive territorial land information for analysis by public authorities and businesses.
• Geolittoral

Quantifiable outcome

• Presence in all 14 French metropolitan regions plus overseas departments through 11 territorial directions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability4 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Groupe AFD (Agence Française de Développement)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2025New partnership agreement signed in July 2025 between Cerema and AFD Group to strengthen cooperation in international development. Agreement enables Cerema to contribute expertise on climate adaptation, territorial planning, and sustainable infrastructure to AFD-funded international projects. Signed in presence of Pascal Berteaud, Director General of Cerema, and Marie-Hélène Loison, Deputy Director General of AFD.
• INRAE RECOVERminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Research consortium partner in MUFFINS project (ANR-funded) exploring new approaches to flood modeling combining hydrological and hydraulic models, multi-source data assimilation, and artificial intelligence to improve flood forecasting.
• Cités Unies FranceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025French local government association partnering with Cerema on international cooperation projects, particularly in presence at AFD partnership signing ceremony representing French municipalities.
• Korean Research Institute for Human Settlements (KRIHS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Research cooperation on urban sprawl (étalement urbain), territorial cohesion, and climate adaptation policy. KRIHS is conducting research related to South Korea's Green Belt public policy, and delegations exchange best practices on land use and urban planning.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IGN (Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière): France's national mapping agency, IGN produces authoritative geospatial data, software tools, and territorial analysis for public-sector users. It is directly comparable to Cerema on the production of territorial-data platforms (e.g., Datafoncier, Cartofriches) and serving local authorities for planning decisions.
• BRGM (Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières): France's public geological survey, BRGM provides applied geoscience expertise, databases, and technical services to government, local authorities, and industry. Like Cerema, it operates as a public establishment under the Ministry of Ecological Transition with regional presence, software tools, and a mandate to inform public policy on environmental risks.
• CSTB (Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment): France's public scientific and technical center for the building sector, CSTB provides research, evaluation, and consultancy on construction, energy efficiency, and building safety. It mirrors Cerema's 'Bâtiment' activity domain and its model of providing trusted public expertise, technical software, and training to construction professionals and local authorities.

Broad incumbents

• INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement): France's public research institute on agriculture, food, and environment, INRAE conducts applied and fundamental research and partners with territorial authorities. It is comparable as a state research body contributing to environmental policy and a Cerema partner in projects such as the ANR-funded MUFFINS flood-forecasting consortium.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): U.S. federal environmental regulator and research body with extensive geospatial data platforms, environmental monitoring networks, and technical guidance. Comparable as a public-authority model for environmental data dissemination, regulatory guidance, and territorial risk assessment, although operating under a different governance framework.
• ANCT (Agence Nationale de la Cohésion des Territoires): French national agency coordinating cohesion policy across territories, ANCT supports local authorities on planning, digital, and ecological-transition projects. It shares Cerema's local-authority customer base and its role as a national-level coordinator of territorial expertise (e.g., the joint 'Expertises Territoires' platform).
• ADEME (Agence de la transition écologique): France's primary agency for ecological transition, ADEME funds and steers environmental and energy projects at national and territorial levels. It is the closest French peer to Cerema in combining applied research, public expertise, and territorial deployment on climate, energy, and environmental risk; overlap is strongest in environmental/risk domains where the two agencies coordinate.
• European Environment Agency (EEA): The EU agency providing environmental data, indicators, and policy support across member states. Comparable as a public-interest reference body publishing authoritative environmental datasets and assessments, intersecting with Cerema on climate-adaptation reporting and territorial environmental information (Geolittoral, Candhis, Datafoncier).

Others

• Egis: French-headquartered engineering group operating in transport, urban development, and environment consulting. Comparable as a French engineering services firm active in mobility, infrastructure, and territorial planning projects, complementing Cerema's expertise with implementation capacity on infrastructure tenders.
• ARUP: Global engineering and design consultancy providing advisory, planning, and technical services across built environment, infrastructure, and climate adaptation. It represents the private-sector counterpart to Cerema's engineering-software portfolio (PETRA, CHAMOA-P, CHAMOA-3D) for bridge and infrastructure design, with overlapping end-clients in transport authorities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ceremacom
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cerema3139
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/cerema
• GitHubgithub.com/CEREMA

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Cerema