What BEMA does

BEMA SAS is a French designer and manufacturer of didactic (educational) and industrial equipment, headquartered in Saint Marcellin, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The company operates from two sites, produces approximately 200 products per year entirely in-house in France, and is part of a unified group with ASTRIANE (A2i Didact) and ALIRA formed in 2018. BEMA serves two end markets: (i) French technical and vocational education institutions — lycées professionnels, CFAI/apprenticeship centers, BTS and engineering schools — for which it supplies authentic Industry 4.0 training equipment mapped to curricula such as Bac Pro MELEC, BTS Électrotechnique, and Bac Pro SN; and (ii) industrial SMEs seeking custom machines, robotic work stations, and retrofit services for production line modernization.

Its portfolio is organized around three engineering disciplines (mechanical, electrical, energy) and centers on flagship concept families including the ECOLCAFE connected 4.0 production line (SCADA Ignition / MES Sepasoft / ERP ODOO with AR/VR training, AGV/cobot intralogistics, IO-Link and OPC UA connectivity built on the patented Easy-Cup filling system); the Smart City Rue Connectée platform for smart infrastructure training; EcolPlast (modular plastic injection and recycling line); EcolPap 4.0 (paper waste compactor); ECOLMANIP UR5 (collaborative robot workstation); and ECOLOPTIQ (FTTH fiber optic training), supported by an extensive catalogue of robotics, electrotechnical, renewable energy, and home/building automation kits.

BEMA monetizes primarily through one-off hardware sales of customized pedagogical systems, custom industrial machine design-and-build projects, and retrofit/professional services that modernize legacy equipment with current PLCs, HMIs, and connectivity. Go-to-market is sales-led via a regional commercial team organized by Académie territories, supplemented by framework agreements with Académies de Lille and d'Amiens, the Alliance Didactique reseller network, and trade-show presence (notably Global Industrie in Lyon). Pricing is project-based and not publicly disclosed. The company holds the EASY-CUP™ patent and VEGECAP® trademark, integrates components from tier-1 industrial vendors (Schneider Electric, Universal Robots, FANUC, YASKAWA, ABB, IFM, Somfy), and is supported by BPI France Financement.

Name

BEMA

Legal name

BEMA SAS

Website

https://bema.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BEMA SAS is a French manufacturer of Industry 4.0 didactic equipment and custom industrial machines, serving technical/vocational schools (lycées professionnels, CFAI, BTS) and regional industrial SMEs across France from its Saint Marcellin base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational and Industrial Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Industrial Machinery Manufacturing (3332), Other General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing (3339)

SIC

Laboratory Apparatus & Furniture (3821), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro primary industry

Science & STEM Lab Equipment & Supplies (Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Makerspaces) (EDAEAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mechatronics Systems & Integration (EDAOAHAB)

Keywords

• Industrial training equipment
• Vocational education systems
• Automated production lines
• Industry 4.0 training
• Industrial robotics workstations

Headquarters

HQ city

Vinay

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational Equipment Sales: Sale of didactic and pedagogical equipment and systems to technical education institutions (lycées professionnels, BTS, formation professionnelle). Products include training systems for mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and energy sectors. Sales include technical documentation, pedagogical scenarios, and teacher training.
2. Custom Machine Design and Manufacturing: Specialized machine design and manufacturing for industrial clients (machines spéciales). Examples include robotic work stations for Défi-Tools. Projects are custom-designed and built to client specifications for production line modernization.
3. System Retrofit Services: Modernization of existing educational equipment by replacing obsolete automation with modern PLCs, HMIs, and connectivity features. Includes audit, factory return, hardware supply, installation, and training services.
4. Special Machines: Custom-designed industrial machines for specific manufacturing applications. Includes robotic integration, AGV systems, and automated work stations built to client requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BEMA designs, manufactures and assembles in France didactic equipment and training systems for technical and vocational education institutions (lycées professionnels, CFAI, BTS, CAP, engineering schools), spanning mechanical, electrical and energy engineering disciplines. The company also builds custom industrial machines (machines spéciales) and offers retrofitting services for production line modernization. Flagship offerings include connected production lines, robotic/cobot workstations, smart city infrastructure trainers, fiber optic FTTH trainers and renewable energy training systems, all centered on Industry 4.0 technologies.

Product overview

BEMA is a French company (SAS, Saint Marcellin, founded ~1995) that designs and manufactures two broad categories of products: educational equipment for technical and vocational training, and special industrial machines. The educational portfolio is organized around three engineering disciplines — Mechanical Engineering (industrial maintenance, automated production lines, robotics), Electrical Engineering (electrotechnics, electronics, building/home automation, street lighting, fiber optics), and Energy Engineering (renewables, smart grids) — plus a Rétrofitage (retrofitting) service for modernizing legacy equipment. The portfolio centers on five flagship concept/product families: (1) Smart City Rue Connectée — a smart city infrastructure training platform covering public lighting, EV charging, CCTV, traffic signals, and urban WiFi; (2) EcolCafé — a connected 4.0 production line for Nespresso-compatible coffee capsules incorporating SCADA (Ignition), MES (Sepasoft), ERP (ODOO), AR/VR training, AGV/cobot intralogistics, and IO-Link/OPC UA automation, with sub-products ECOLCONTROL (process control), ECOLSTOCK (automated storage), and the AR/VR and SCADA/MES/ERP software packs; (3) EcolPlast — a modular injection-molding and recycling line with sub-products ECOLINJECT, ECOLBROYEUR, ECOLTRI, ECOLBOX, ECOLREGUL, and robotic palletizing; (4) EcolProd — a supervised production workshop for briquetting; and (5) EcolOptiq — an FTTH fiber optic training system. Supporting the core lines are numerous add-on modules (IOTICC, READICC, SAFETICC, SENSORICC, NUMERICC-RA, NUMERICC-RV, GMAO SPECTRAL, MONEO), sub-products across industrial robotics (COBOTICC-UR, ROBOTICC-FAN, ROBOTICC-ABB, MIR 100, etc.), mechanical maintenance equipment, and a full catalog of electrotechnical and home/building automation kits. EcolPap (paper waste compactor, now in its 4th generation) and EcolManip UR5 (collaborative robot workstation) serve as standalone mechanical engineering products. The company also publishes dedicated catalogs (MELEC, Maintenance, ECOLCAFE) and offers system retrofitting services. All products are designed, manufactured, and assembled in France.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ECOLCAFE: Connected coffee capsule production line system for Industry 4.0 education
• ECOLPAP
• ECOLMANIP UR5
• Smart City Rue Connectée
• ECOLPLAST
• ECOLPROD
• ECOLOPTIQ

Products and services

• EcolCafé Connected 4.0 production line and standalone system for filling and sealing Nespresso-compatible coffee capsules. Built on the professional Easy-Cup™ machine, it integrates SCADA (Ignition), MES (Sepasoft), ERP (ODOO), AR/VR training packs, digital twin, AGV/cobot intralogistics, and IO-Link/OPC UA connectivity across ISA-95 levels 0–4. Targeted at vocational training for production operators and maintenance technicians, from CAP to engineering school.
• EcolManip UR5 Collaborative robot (cobot) workstation featuring a Universal Robots UR5 on a mobile, modular pedagogical workbench. Designed for safe human/robot collaboration in repetitive assembly, disassembly, conditioning, and packaging tasks. Supports multiple configurations and includes precision positioning points for accessories, conveyors, magazines and work zones.
• EcolPap 4.0 Fourth-generation paper waste compactor incorporating Industry 4.0 concepts. Features compacting cylinder in pneumatic/pneumo-hydraulic/hydraulic variants, brushless linear axis, conveyor belts, electronic temperature regulation (3 kW oven), Schneider M241 PLC with Modbus IP/Ethernet, OPC UA server, web server, and 5.7-inch color touchscreen HMI. Supports IO-Link smart sensors.
• Smart City Rue Connectée Thematic smart city infrastructure training platform covering connected street infrastructure: public lighting (ECOLECLAIRAGE), traffic lights, dynamic signage, EV charging stations (Evilink, Wallbox), CCTV, urban WiFi, parking barriers, and fiber optic distribution. Integrates with the CityGrid GridBox for energy balancing across production and consumption zones. Targets Bac Pro MELEC and SN curricula.
• EcolPlast Production Line Modular, scalable automated production line for injection molding and recycling of plastic parts (bottle caps, customizable tokens). Combines ECOLINJECT (hot injection molding), ECOLBROYEUR (grinding), ECOLTRI (sorting), ECOLBOX (cartoning), ECOLREGUL (process regulation), ECOLSCOTCHEUSE (taping), ECOLROBOT (robotic palletizing), and recycling subsystems. Controlled via PC and tablet with 4 to 14 workstations, including optional vision quality control.
• EcolOptiq (Fiber Optic FTTH) Complete fiber optic FTTH (Fiber to the Home) training system covering optical node, subscriber box, aerial box, and full building riser installation. Modular structures support real-world cording, connectorization, and reflectometry activities aligned with Bac Pro MELEC and SN referentials.
• EcolProd Supervised Production Workshop Complete paper/wood briquetting production workshop with 1–4 independent stations using electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic energy. Handles preparation, same-line, and closure modes; manages two types of briquettes, packs, and cartons with PC-based supervision.
• Rétrofitage / Retrofitting Service System modernization and retrofitting service that replaces obsolete automation components (legacy PLCs with Schneider M340, new HMI XBT HMISTU855, IO-Link sensors) and brings aging equipment up to current safety and Industry 4.0 communication standards. Includes optional PC Vue supervision and remote tablet/smartphone control via Wi-Fi router. Available for EcolPap and other BEMA/ASTRIANE systems.
• Custom Industrial Machines (Machines spéciales) Specialized machine design and manufacturing service for industrial clients. Includes custom robotic work stations, AGV systems and automated work stations built to client specifications for production line modernization.

Quantifiable outcome

• Systems meet CE compliance standards and are verified by independent safety experts including ACRITEC and SOCOTEC

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability9 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, notable and support.

• ASTRIANE (A2i Didact S.A.S.)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2018, BEMA and ALIRA pursue a common trajectory with ASTRIANE to form an integrated group. The union of the 3 structures optimizes resources, increases development capacity, and offers better service to customers. ASTRIANE handles didactic activities with products at www.didact.fr.
• ALIRAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the unified group with BEMA and ASTRIANE since 2018. ALIRA contributes to the combined resources and development capacity of the group.
• EASY-CUPcoreTechnology or IntegrationIndependent torréfacteur partner with whom BEMA developed the Easy-Cup industrial system in 2016 for filling Nespresso-compatible coffee capsules. The ECOLCAFE educational system is derived from this industrial concept.
• SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC SEmajorTechnology or IntegrationIndustrial partner providing automation components (PLCs, HMIs, variable speed drives) used in BEMA systems. Schneider M340 and M241 PLCs, XBT/XHMISTU HMIs featured in product catalogues.
• UNIVERSAL ROBOTS A/SmajorTechnology or IntegrationCollaborative robot manufacturer. BEMA exhibited ECOLCAFE on Universal Robots booth at GLOBAL INDUSTRIE 2025 (stand 1K47). UR5 cobot featured in EcolManip UR5 product.
• FANUCmajorTechnology or IntegrationIndustrial robot manufacturer integrated into BEMA educational systems. FANUC robots featured in ROBOTICC-FAN and robotic work station products.
• YASKAWA FRANCE SASmajorTechnology or IntegrationIndustrial robot manufacturer whose robots are integrated into BEMA educational systems, particularly in the ISEL robotic island product line.
• MOBILE INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS (MIR)notableTechnology or IntegrationMIR100 autonomous mobile robot integrated into ECOLCAFE line for intralogistics, transporting materials between workstations.
• NUCLEUS VRnotableTechnology or IntegrationVirtual and augmented reality technology partner implementing the AUTHORING mode for ECOLCAFE VR/AR pack, enabling import of 3D objects from SketchFab and Blender.
• DEPAGNEnotableTechnology or IntegrationIndustrial lighting manufacturer partnered for street lighting solutions integrated into the Rue Connectée (Smart City) concept.
• SKF FRANCE SASnotableTechnology or IntegrationIndustrial bearing and mechanical component manufacturer whose products are featured in BEMA maintenance training systems.
• IFM ElectronicnotableTechnology or IntegrationSensor manufacturer providing IO-Link sensors and other industrial automation components integrated into BEMA educational systems.
• SOMFYnotableTechnology or IntegrationHome automation and building management systems partner for connected residence solutions in the Rue Connectée concept.
• REGION AUVERGNE RHONE ALPESsupportOthersRegional council providing development support to the BEMA-ASTRIANE-ALIRA group headquartered in Lyon.
• RESEAU ENTREPRENDRE ISEREsupportOthersBusiness support network for entrepreneurs in Isère region, supporting regional economic development.
• TOTALENERGIES DEVELOPPEMENT REGIONALsupportOthersRegional development program of TotalEnergies supporting sustainable industry initiatives.
• MINISTERE DE L'EDUCATION NATIONALEmajorOthersMinistry of National Education sets the certification frameworks (Bac Pro MELEC, BTS Électrotechnique) that BEMA's products are designed to meet.
• SOMUDIMECnotableTechnology or IntegrationIndustrial partner referenced in BEMA's partner network, contributing to the regional industrial ecosystem.
• ALLIANCE DIDACTIQUEnotableChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDidactic alliance network for distribution of educational equipment in France.
• Association Les Industriels du Sud GrésivaudansupportOthersRegional industry association in Sud Grésivaudan supporting local industrial companies including BEMA.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Amatrol: Amatrol provides hands-on training systems and eLearning for industrial skills, including robotics, automation, electrical, and mechatronics. It is a comparable peer in delivering school-to-factory technical training equipment.
• Lucas-Nülle: Lucas-Nülle manufactures didactic training systems for electrical engineering, automation, and renewable energy. BEMA and Lucas-Nülle both target Bac Pro MELEC/BTS Électrotechnique curricula with electrotechnical benches and IoT/Industry 4.0 modules.
• Festo Didactic: Festo Didactic is the global leader in technical education equipment (pneumatics, automation, Industry 4.0 labs). It directly competes with BEMA in French and international lycées, CFAI, and engineering schools, with overlapping portfolios in robotics, PLC, and mechatronics training.
• EDIBON: EDIBON designs and supplies technical-vocational training equipment for universities, vocational schools, and industrial training centers worldwide. It overlaps BEMA's portfolio in automation, process control, and electrical engineering laboratories.
• G.U.N.T. Hamburg: G.U.N.T. Hamburg makes didactic training equipment for engineering education, including thermal, fluid, mechanical, and process control systems. Its educational pedagogy focus and broad engineering catalog closely mirror BEMA's positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens (SCE - Siemens Automation Cooperates with Education): Siemens delivers industrial automation hardware and the SCE educator program that places training equipment in technical schools. Its industrial-controls and digital-industry portfolio overlaps with BEMA's PLC, IoT, and Industry 4.0 training modules.
• Schneider Electric (Industrial Automation): Schneider Electric supplies the PLCs (M241/M340), HMIs, and EcoStruxure platform that BEMA integrates. While it is both a partner and supplier, Schneider's broader industrial-automation footprint and growing education partnerships (including EcoStruxure for Education) make it an indirect competitor in advanced training labs.

Emerging players

• Bosch Rexroth (Didactic): Bosch Rexroth offers factory automation components and, through its training division, didactic equipment for hydraulics, pneumatics, and Industry 4.0. It competes with BEMA's mechanical and mechatronics training lines in France and Europe.
• SMC Corporation (Training): SMC provides pneumatics and automation components and supports educational/training programs for technical schools. Its emphasis on pneumatic and mechatronics training partly overlaps BEMA's ECOLBRUSSLESS and maintenance equipment.

Regional players

• Tecnal Didactic Equipment: Tecnal is a French supplier of educational equipment for technical schools and universities, covering electrical, mechanical, and process engineering. It is a domestic French competitor to BEMA in lycées and BTS/CFAI institutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bema-sas

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 BEMA