La Ciotat Shipyards

What La Ciotat Shipyards does

La Ciotat Shipyards (formerly Chantiers Navals de La Ciotat) is a French Société Publique Locale (SPL) operating a Mediterranean shipyard on the coast of La Ciotat, France, founded in 1835 and reconverted from traditional shipbuilding into a specialized superyacht refit and repair facility. The company owns and operates tiered platform infrastructure covering the full length spectrum of luxury yachts: a Yacht Platform (20–45m), Superyacht Platform (50–80m), and Megayacht Platform (80–115m) incorporating the Atlas 4300-tonne ship lift commissioned in September 2022, plus the 350-meter Grande Forme dry dock (one of few of this size still operational in Europe), 2,000 linear meters of industrial quays, a gantry crane, and the 900-berth Port Vieux Marina. An on-site Yachting Village (8,000 m², 20 workshop units across 3 buildings, expanded with the October 2025 Nef B rehabilitation adding 5,000 m²) hosts roughly 20 specialized subcontractors, with MB92 La Ciotat holding a 20-year exclusive operating agreement for the Grande Forme under a €1.45M fixed annual royalty plus 1–3% variable component.

The company captures 8–10% of the global superyacht refit market, hosting approximately 150 vessels annually (around one-seventh of the global superyacht fleet, including over 100 yachts exceeding 50 meters). Revenue mechanics combine usage-based port and berth fees, subscription-style fixed annual royalties from anchor tenants (notably MB92), industrial space rental to Yachting Village tenants, and ancillary technical services. The customer base is split across ultra-high-net-worth yacht owners, professional captains and crews (85% of whom would recommend La Ciotat as a stopover), and B2B refit service companies; named marquee references include Oceanco, MB92, Classic Works, iXblue, Sud Moteurs, HYNOVA, and Lumens.

La Ciotat Shipyards operates as a publicly-held local company with the City of La Ciotat (Mayor Arlette Salvo joined the board in May 2023) and the Conseil Départemental des Bouches-du-Rhône as institutional stakeholders, and benefits from French state co-financing through mechanisms such as the Fonds Vert (Green Fund). GTM is direct enterprise field sales targeting yacht owners, captains, and fleet managers through industry events and partnerships, supported by an active multilingual digital presence and heritage-driven marketing (European Heritage Days).

Name

La Ciotat Shipyards

Legal name

La Ciotat Shipyards

Website

https://laciotat-shipyards.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1835

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

La Ciotat Shipyards is a French public shipyard in La Ciotat operating Mediterranean refit and repair facilities for superyachts and megayachts (20–115m), including the Atlas 4300-tonne lift and 350m Grande Forme dry dock, serving an 8–10% share of the global superyacht refit market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Superyacht Refit and Repair Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Marinas (713930), Port and Harbor Operations (48831)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Yacht Systems Integration & Commissioning (Shipyard) (IMAJAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dry Docks & Floating Docks (Graving, Floating, Syncrolift) (IMAJALAA), Heavy Lifting & Material Handling Infrastructure (Goliath Cranes, Jib Cranes, Hoists) (IMAJALAD), Quay & Waterfront Civil Works (Piers, Quays, Seawalls, Dredging, Revetments) (IMAJALAF), Yard Layout & Production Facilities (Assembly Bays, Block Fabrication Shops, Warehouses) (IMAJALAG), Utilities & Power Infrastructure (Electrical Distribution, Compressed Air, Steam, Water) (IMAJALAJ)

Keywords

• Superyacht refit services
• Ship repair facilities
• Megayacht maintenance
• Marine dry dock
• Yacht port services

Headquarters

HQ city

La Ciotat

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Port and Berth Fees: Fees charged to yachts for berthing at quays and in the marina, including technical services (water, electricity, wastewater)
2. Fixed Annual Royalties from Site Operators: Annual fixed royalty of 1,450,000 euros from MB92 for exploitation of Grande Forme and adjacent spaces
3. Variable Royalties from Site Operators: Variable annual royalty of 1-3% depending on investments and operator activity on site
4. Industrial Space Rental: Rental of workshops and office space in the Yachting Village to yacht refit service companies

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

La Ciotat Shipyards operates a Mediterranean shipyard site providing refit, repair, and maintenance services for superyachts and megayachts through dedicated platforms for vessels of 20-45m, 50-80m, and 80-115m, supported by the Atlas 4300-tonne ship lift, a 350-meter Grande Forme dry dock, 2,000 linear meters of industrial quays, a gantry crane, and a 900-berth Port Vieux Marina. The site also runs the Yachting Village — an 8,000 m² industrial complex housing 20 specialist refit companies — and provides berthing, fiber connectivity, and the Plaisance Portal for contract management.

Product overview

La Ciotat Shipyards is a Mediterranean shipyard excellence site offering a comprehensive suite of yacht refit and repair services through tiered platform offerings: Yacht Platform (20-45m vessels), Superyacht Platform (50-80m), and Megayacht Platform (80-115m) featuring the Atlas 4300-tonne ship lift. The facility also operates the Grande Forme dry dock for unlimited-size vessels, 2,000 linear meters of industrial quays, a 250-tonne gantry crane, and the Port Vieux Marina with 900 berths. The Yachting Village provides 8,000 m² of dedicated workshop space for 20 specialized subcontractor companies. Additional services include 360° virtual tours, fibre optic connectivity for crews, and the Plaisance Portal for customer contract management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Yachting Village: A dedicated enterprise village for yachting companies, with approximately 8000sqm of industrial workshops and 20 business units for refit and maintenance companies.

Products and services

• Yacht Platform (Plateforme Yacht)

Quantifiable outcome

• ~150 yachts per year, representing one-seventh of global superyacht fleet
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic, minor and supportive.

• MB92 La CiotatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2022MB92 is the primary superyacht refit operator at La Ciotat Shipyards, holding a 20-year contract for exploitation of the Grande Forme (350m dry dock) and adjacent spaces (38,000 m²). The company invested approximately 20 million euros and pays annual royalties of 1.45 million euros plus variable component. MB92 handles refit of yachts over 80 meters.
• HYNOVAstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2021Hydrogen propulsion pioneer awarded lot 14 in the Yachting Village following a competitive bidding process. Specializes in sustainable yachting solutions to reduce ecological footprint of yachts and the refit industry.
• Sud MoteursstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2019Family business from Marseille specializing in propulsion repair and maintenance for megayachts. Among first companies to join Yachting Village in Q2 2020, with 185 employees strengthening megayacht service capabilities.
• TSM3DminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBureau d'études (design office) collaborated on complex lifting operations including the 86-meter Oceanco sailing yacht transfer to Atlas platform.
• Riviera Yachting NetworkstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerYachting cluster organization collaborating on industry development and networking within the Mediterranean yachting ecosystem.
• Barcelona Cluster NauticstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarcelona-based nautical cluster participating in professional roundtables on maritime cluster development and industry collaboration.
• GICANsupportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroupement des Industries de Construction et Activités Navales (French naval construction industry group) represented by François Lambert, General Delegate.
• UIMM Alpes-MéditerranéesupportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnion des Industries et Métiers de la Métallurgie (metallurgy industry union) for Alpes-Méditerranée region, involved in industry development discussions.
• LCS Yachting Village SAScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWholly-owned subsidiary of La Ciotat Shipyards that financed and developed the Yachting Village project (8,000 m², 20 units, 3 buildings on 2.5 hectares).

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fincantieri: Italy-headquartered global shipbuilding group operating multiple yards (including dedicated yacht facilities such as CRN). While focused on cruise/naval, its megayacht and refit activities overlap with LCS in the superyacht segment at much larger scale.
• Lürssen: German family-owned megayacht builder with refit/extension capabilities (Bremerhaven, Rendsburg, Hamburg). Competes for the same large-vessel refit and newbuild customer base, though primarily a builder.
• Damen Shipyards: Dutch global shipbuilder with a dedicated yachting division (Amels) building and refitting superyachts. Operates broad naval/commercial portfolio but its yachting arm directly overlaps with LCS for 50-80m vessels.

Direct peers

• CRN (Ferretti Group): Italian builder of fully-custom megayachts (Ancona) with associated refit services. Competes in the 50-90m motor yacht segment and shares customer overlap with LCS's superyacht clientele.
• Astilleros de Mallorca: Mallorca-based superyacht refit, repair and maintenance yard serving large yachts in the western Mediterranean. Competes head-to-head with LCS for refit slots and shares the megayacht (>50m) customer base.
• Nobiskrug: German shipyard in Rendsburg building and refitting large custom superyachts (60-140m). Direct competitor for the megayacht refit niche and shares HNW clientele.
• Vitters Shipyard: Dutch builder of high-end sailing superyachts with refit and maintenance services. Targets the same ultra-high-net-worth sailing and motor yacht owners as LCS, especially for refit on vessels >50m.
• Benetti (Azimut|Benetti Group): Italian megayacht builder in Viareggio with refit capabilities for its own and third-party yachts. Comparable in target segment (large luxury motor yachts) and Mediterranean footprint.
• MB92 Group: Headquartered in Barcelona with a second superyacht refit operation at La Ciotat under a 20-year contract with LCS. MB92 is the most direct competitor and partner in superyacht refit and repair, offering the same 80m+ megayacht refit services across the Mediterranean.
• Pendennis Shipyard: UK-based (Falmouth) custom superyacht builder and refit yard offering new build, refit and restoration for large sailing and motor yachts. Direct competitor for high-end refit work targeting HNW owners globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@chantiersnavals_laciotat
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShipyardsLaCiotat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chantiersnavals-laciotat
• Instagraminstagram.com/chantiersnavals_laciotat
• Xx.com/ShipyardsLC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 La Ciotat Shipyards