Maison régionale de l'eau

What Maison régionale de l'eau does

Maison régionale de l'eau is a French non-profit scientific association (loi 1901), founded in 1991 and headquartered in Barjols, Var, that operates exclusively across the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its mission is to develop and democratize knowledge of water and aquatic environments through three interlocking activities: (i) scientific studies and ecological diagnostics (40-60 per year) using standardized French bio-indicator methodologies (I2M2, IBD, IPR); (ii) scientific mediation and educational programs (650+ interventions per year) delivered in schools and to the general public; and (iii) territorial accompaniment of public water-management projects.

The core technology portfolio centers on the Aquathèque digital media library (scientific reports, cartography, educational documents, videos, infographics on PACA aquatic environments) and a suite of immersive mediation tools: BIORAMA (augmented reality landscapes), IMMERSIO (holographic walk-through), CONTINUUM (virtual reality), BENTHOS (holographic invertebrates), HOLOBIOS (hologram species-identification app), Hydropolis (pedagogical board game), and AQUA NOSTRUM (climate-scenario participatory workshop tool). Scientific outputs are published in the Cahiers de la Maison régionale de l'eau series and feed the SILENE regional biodiversity platform.

Revenue is generated through five streams: contracted scientific studies for public institutions, scientific mediation services for schools and local authorities, membership fees and tax-deductible donations, sale of publications and educational materials via HelloAsso, and public subsidies from Agence de l'eau, Région Sud, departmental councils, and other public bodies. The organization runs an annual operating budget of EUR 1.1M with a 60% self-financing rate, holds ESUS status (2022-2027) and Reconnaissance d'Intérêt Général, and operates with 18 permanent employees (scientific mediators, engineers, study technicians, project managers) under a Scientific Council chaired by Rémi Chappaz. Customer concentration sits primarily with regional public-sector bodies (Office Français de la Biodiversité, Société du Canal de Provence, Syndicat Mixte de l'Argens, Département des Hautes-Alpes, Parc National du Mercantour) and the Académies d'Aix-Marseille and Nice, supplemented by an enterprise engagement with EDF for hydroelectric risk-prevention education.

Name

Maison régionale de l'eau

Legal name

Maison régionale de l'eau

Website

https://maisonregionaledeleau.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maison régionale de l'eau is a 1991-founded French non-profit scientific association based in Barjols that conducts aquatic-environment studies, scientific mediation, and educational programs for schools, public institutions, and the general public across the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education and Aquatic Ecology Research Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) (BPADAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Agriculture, Environmental & Earth Sciences (EDAGABAL)

Keywords

• Aquatic environment studies
• Scientific water mediation
• Environmental education programs
• Biodiversity research services
• Freshwater ecology diagnostics

Headquarters

HQ city

Barjols

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Scientific Studies and Environmental Expertise: Revenue from conducting scientific studies, environmental diagnostics, aquatic inventory studies, and regulatory studies for public and private clients. The organization conducts 40-60 studies annually.
2. Scientific Mediation Services: Revenue from educational programs, school interventions, conferences, and exhibition services provided to schools, municipalities, and water management organizations.
3. Membership and Donations: Revenue from membership fees and tax-deductible donations (66% tax reduction for individuals, 40-60% for companies). Association loi 1901 recognized as being of general interest.
4. Publications and Educational Materials: Revenue from sale of scientific publications, educational tools, and pedagogical materials through their online shop (HelloAsso).
5. Public Subsidies and Grants: Support from Agence de l'eau, Région Sud, departmental councils, and other public bodies. 60% self-financing rate indicates significant public funding.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Maison régionale de l'eau is a non-profit scientific association that conducts environmental studies and ecological diagnostics on watercourses and aquatic environments, delivers scientific mediation programs for schools and the public, and develops immersive educational tools (augmented reality, virtual reality, holograms) and digital resources (Aquothèque) about water resources in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its portfolio spans scientific studies using standardized biological indices, school programs approved by the French Education Nationale, immersive exhibitions (BIORAMA, IMMERSIO, CONTINUUM, BENTHOS), and a digital media library.

Product overview

The Maison régionale de l'eau is a scientific association offering a portfolio of products and services centered on water and aquatic environment education and research. Its core product is L'Aquothèque, a digital media library providing access to scientific documents about water resources. The organization offers immersive experiences including BIORAMA (augmented reality), IMMERSIO (immersive walk-through), CONTINUUM (virtual reality), and BENTHOS (holographic exhibition), as well as educational applications like HOLOBIOS and participatory tools like AQUA NOSTRUM. The Les Cahiers series provides scientific publications, while dedicated educational games cover water topics. Services include scientific studies using standardized biological indices (I2M2, IBD, IPR), ecological diagnostics, fish rescue operations, and science mediation programs for schools and public audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aquothèque (digital media library) Digital media library (médiathèque numérique) dedicated to water and aquatic environments in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, providing access to scientific reports, thematic booklets, educational documents, infographics, cartography, videos, and photos organized by theme and hydrographic zone. Available to schools, researchers, public institutions, and the general public.
• BIORAMA (augmented reality exhibition) Immersive augmented reality exhibition featuring four aquatic river landscapes with biodiversity elements revealed through smartphone scanning, deployed at schools, public events, and partner venues to raise awareness of aquatic biodiversity.
• IMMERSIO (immersive walking experience) Immersive walking experience through aquatic environments with a holographic tunnel featuring river fauna and virtual reality elements that illustrate river ecosystems from source to mouth, deployed at events and schools.
• CONTINUUM (virtual reality experience) Virtual reality experience that explores the biodiversity of rivers from source to mouth, providing an immersive understanding of aquatic ecosystems for educational audiences and the general public.
• BENTHOS (holographic exhibition) Holographic exhibition featuring interactive terminals that display aquatic invertebrate information through holographic projections, deployed at events and schools to teach benthic biodiversity.
• HOLOBIOS (species identification application) Application displaying holograms of freshwater fish, aquatic insects, crustaceans, and mollusks, accompanied by species identification cards for use in educational and field settings.
• Hydropolis (educational board game) Pedagogical board game that enables understanding of benthic community evolution in PACA rivers and lets players act as water quality restoration stakeholders, used in school and public settings.
• AQUA NOSTRUM (participatory scenario tool) Participatory tool for collectively exploring possible futures of water under climate change, designed to be deployed in workshops with local authorities, organizations, and educational institutions.
• Scientific Studies and Ecological Diagnostics Environmental studies and ecological diagnostics for public institutions, water agencies, river contracts, and management bodies, including aquatic inventories, biological quality indices (I2M2, IBD, IPR), fish population studies, macrophyte surveys, habitat characterization, impact assessments, and rescue fishing operations.
• Scientific Mediation Services Science communication services including school programs, conferences, exhibitions, educational tools, workshops, and training focused on water education and aquatic environment awareness, delivered to schools, municipalities, and water management organizations.
• Les Cahiers de la Maison régionale de l'eau (publication series) Scientific publication series covering aquatic environment topics in PACA, including titles such as 'Les invertébrés aquatiques des Alpes du Sud', 'Les petits fleuves côtiers', 'Les sources triasiques', and 'Les adous des Alpes du Sud', distributed via the HelloAsso online shop.
• Educational Games Collection Collection of educational games including word searches, spot-the-difference games, and observation games on water topics such as aquatic biodiversity and river vocabulary, made available through the Aquothèque digital library.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 to 60 scientific studies conducted annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Comité rivière NartubyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Member of the river contract committee for Nartuby, focused on achieving good ecological status, guaranteeing water uses, restoring natural river function, and promoting participatory water governance.
• Parc naturel régional des Préalpes d'AzurcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner in Estéron project for inventory of aquatic invertebrates and bioclimatic characterization, addressing knowledge gaps on aquatic invertebrate populations.
• ECOBAM Consortium (Aix-Marseille Université, INRAE, Fédérations de Pêche)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Study consortium on ecology and biodiversity of the southern barbel (Barbeau méridional), assessing short and long-term responses of this endemic French species to climate change.
• AGORA (Assemblée pour une Gouvernance Opérationnelle de la Ressource en Eau et des Aquifères)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipatory assembly with over 100 members working on regional water resource governance. Maison régionale de l'eau contributes scientific expertise to this coordination body for water resource management across PACA.
• SILENE (Système d'Information sur la Nature et les Paysages)coreTechnology or IntegrationContributor to the regional biodiversity data platform, part of the national SINP program for biodiversity data production, management, and dissemination.
• Chaire GéEAUde (GEstion de l'Eau Durable)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership research chair developing holistic tools and approaches for characterizing and modeling groundwater resources and proposing sustainable management strategies adapted to Mediterranean context under global changes.
• Commission ISEF EPAGE HuCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Information, Sensibilization, Education, and Training commission for the Huveaune-Côtiers-Aygalades water contract, implementing actions from public information campaigns to professional training.
• Conservatoire d'Espaces Naturels PACAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in studying biological diversity and functional characterization of adous (small streams) in Southern Alps, contributing to management guidelines.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB): National public agency responsible for biodiversity monitoring, law enforcement, and policy. MRE is a contracted field-execution partner for OFB's stream-monitoring programs; comparable as a stakeholder in aquatic biodiversity studies but operating at vastly larger scale.
• WWF France: Large national environmental NGO operating across freshwater, marine, and broader biodiversity programs. Overlaps with MRE in scientific advocacy and educational mediation but at national scale with significantly larger fundraising and project capacity.
• Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO) France: Major French nature-protection NGO combining scientific studies, citizen science, and environmental education. Comparable in mission blend of science + education + regional refuges, though focused on avifauna rather than aquatic invertebrates.
• Agence de l'eau Rhône Méditerranée Corse: Public water agency that funds many of MRE's studies and mediation programs across PACA. Not a direct competitor but a principal financier and policy actor in the same aquatic-environment domain.

Others

• INRAE: French national research institute for agriculture, food, and environment. MRE partners with INRAE (e.g., ECOBAM consortium) and shares scientific methods around aquatic biodiversity, but INRAE is a research institution rather than a peer for mediation services.
• Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle: National natural history institution whose experts sit on MRE's Scientific Council. Provides scientific legitimacy and taxonomic expertise comparable to MRE's, but operates at national scale and is a public institution rather than an association.

Direct peers

• Centres Permanents d'Initiatives pour l'Environnement (CPIE): National network of regional associations delivering environmental education, citizen science, and territorial accompaniment. Directly comparable business model: school agréments, public subsidies, regional scope, scientific mediation focus.
• Conservatoire d'espaces naturels de Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur: Regional branch of the CEN network focused on natural habitat protection and biodiversity studies in PACA. Comparable as a regional non-profit doing inventory work, scientific expertise, and partnership-based aquatic studies with the same public-sector counterparties.
• FNE Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur: Regional environmental federation covering the same PACA territory as MRE, coordinating environmental NGOs on water, biodiversity, and pollution issues. Highly comparable as a regional non-profit environmental association delivering scientific mediation and advocacy in the same geography.

Regional players

• Fédération de pêche du Var: Departmental fishing federation within PACA engaging in fish population monitoring, habitat restoration, and aquatic education. Direct local overlap with MRE on fish inventory and river ecosystem studies, though focused narrowly on recreational fishing interests.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mrepaca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maison-regionale-de-l-eau
• Instagraminstagram.com/maisonregionaledeleau

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maison régionale de l'eau