COMPAGNIE D'INVESTISSEMENT EN MONTAGNE ET STATIONS

What COMPAGNIE D'INVESTISSEMENT EN MONTAGNE ET STATIONS does

COMPAGNIE D'INVESTISSEMENT EN MONTAGNE ET STATIONS (operating as CIMES) is a French competitiveness cluster (pôle de compétitivité) and non-profit association (association loi 1901, Code NAF 9499 Z) dedicated to mechanical engineering innovation in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Founded in 2005 by CIADT decision (SIRET 485 223 366 00017), CIMES serves as an innovation intermediary connecting industrial companies, research institutions, and training organizations across five thematic areas: advanced manufacturing processes, surface engineering, intelligent systems and robotics, and usage engineering/services. Its headquarters sit at c/o Hall32, 32 rue du Clos Four, 63100 Clermont-Ferrand, with a secondary site at 750 Avenue de Colomby, 74300 Cluses.

CIMES' core offerings are service-based rather than software-based. They include collaborative project assembly and labeling (the formal "labellisation" process that gates access to public funding), ecosystem animation and networking across industrial, research, and training members, an "Offre Industrie du Futur" covering advanced manufacturing themes, training and skills services, economic intelligence, and international support via membership in European networks including EFFRA, the Vanguard Initiative, and 4 Motors for Europe. Operational platforms include the online "Catalogue Projets et Produits" (catalogue.cimes-hub.com) indexing labeled projects and member products, and "Notre Usine à Produits," an industrialization-support initiative. CIMES holds a "Gold" cluster of European excellence designation, distinguishing it from lower-tier clusters.

The business model is a hybrid public-private non-profit funding structure. Operating revenue is sourced from public bodies — DIRECCTE, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Clermont Auvergne / Saint-Étienne / Grenoble Alpes Métropoles, BPI France, and the European Union (including H2020) — combined with contributions from private industrial partners such as Michelin, Aubert & Duval, Constellium, Nexter Systems, EDF, Haulotte, and HEF Group, plus membership fees from the broader ecosystem. The organization employs 11–50 staff and does not publicly disclose its revenue, ARR, or membership count.

Name

COMPAGNIE D'INVESTISSEMENT EN MONTAGNE ET STATIONS

Legal name

COMPAGNIE D'INVESTISSEMENT EN MONTAGNE ET STATIONS

Website

https://cimes-hub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CIMES is a French non-profit competitiveness cluster (founded 2005) dedicated to mechanical engineering innovation in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, connecting industrial companies, research institutions, and training organizations through project labeling, ecosystem animation, and European network participation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Competitiveness Cluster Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54199)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Science, Technology & Space Cooperation Organizations (BPADAAAK), Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB), Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI)

Keywords

• Competitiveness cluster management
• Mechanical engineering innovation
• Collaborative R&D networking
• Industry of the future
• Innovation ecosystem services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CIMES is a French mechanical-engineering competitiveness cluster that connects industrial companies, research institutions, and training organizations across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It assembles and labels collaborative R&D projects, animates the member ecosystem through networking events and thematic communities, supports companies with Industry of the Future services (advanced manufacturing, surface engineering, intelligent systems, robotics), training and skills development, economic intelligence, and international/EU project assistance. The cluster also operates an online Projects and Products Catalog and a Product Factory initiative to industrialize innovations emerging from labeled projects.

Product overview

CIMES is a mechanical engineering competitiveness cluster (pôle de compétitivité) based in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. The organization operates as a networking and innovation support platform rather than a single software product. Its offerings consist of core cluster services including collaborative project assembly and labeling, ecosystem animation, business networking, and thematic service streams focused on Industry of the Future, training and skills, economic intelligence, and international services. The cluster also maintains an online project and product catalog (Catalogue Projets et Produits) and a Product Factory initiative (Notre Usine à Produits) to support the industrialization of innovative projects. CIMES serves as an intermediary organization connecting companies, research institutions, and training providers in the mechanical engineering sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EFFRA (European Factories of the Future Research Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIMES recently joined EFFRA, a non-for-profit, industry-driven association promoting the development of new and innovative production technologies. EFFRA's key objective is promoting pre-competitive research on production technologies within the European Research Area by engaging in a public-private partnership with the European Union.
• The Vanguard InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vanguard Initiative is driven by political commitment of regions to use smart specialisation strategy for boosting new growth through bottom-up entrepreneurial innovation and industrial renewal in European priority areas. CIMES is strongly involved in '3D Printing' and 'Efficient and Sustainable Manufacturing' pilot projects.
• 4 Motors for EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-lasting cooperation between the Regions of Baden-Württemberg (Germany), Catalonia (Spain), Lombardia (Italy) and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (France). Current goal is reinforcing competitiveness in economy, sciences and technologies and facilitating collaborative projects for European calls for proposals such as H2020.
• SMART SENSORS 4 AGRI-FOODminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThematic partnership aiming to set up a platform between agri-food- and electronic/IT cluster organisations, relevant research and technology organisations to lower barriers for agri-food companies to access and implement newest smart electronic systems and enable the Internet of Things transition.
• DIRECCTE (Direction régionale des Entreprises de la Concurrence, de la Consommation, du Travail et de l'Emploi)coreOthersRegional directorate providing public support and funding for the competitiveness cluster activities.
• La Région Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreOthersMain regional funding body and supporter of CIMES activities in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
• Clermont Auvergne MétropolecoreOthersMetropolitan area funding and support for CIMES initiatives.
• Saint-Etienne MétropoleminorOthersMetropolitan area support for CIMES activities.
• Grenoble Alpes MétropoleminorOthersMetropolitan area support for CIMES activities.
• Aubert & DuvalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partner providing support to the competitiveness cluster.
• MichelinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor industrial company partner supporting cluster activities.
• ConstelliumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partner in the cluster ecosystem.
• Nexter SystemsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDefense and security industrial partner.
• EDFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy company partner in the cluster.
• La Région Nouvelle-AquitaineminorOthersRegional government funding body supporting cluster activities.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tenerrdis: Competitiveness cluster for renewable energy and smart grids in Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes. A direct peer of CIMES: same regional territory, same public funding model, same member-driven innovation ecosystem serving industrial companies.
• Aerospace Valley: French competitiveness cluster for aerospace, space and embedded systems across Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine. A direct peer of CIMES as a flagship p\u00f4le de comp\u00e9titivit\u00e9 with European and global reach, although focused on a different industrial sector.
• Systematic Paris-Region: One of the largest French competitiveness clusters, focused on digital engineering, deep tech and software systems. Comparable to CIMES as a similarly structured p\u00f4le de comp\u00e9titivit\u00e9 but operating at a much larger scale and in a different thematic area.
• Axelera: French competitiveness cluster for chemistry and environment headquartered in Lyon. Directly comparable to CIMES as a p\u00f4le de comp\u00e9titivit\u00e9 serving industrial members in Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes with public co-funding and European project activity.
• Minalogic: French competitiveness cluster headquartered in Grenoble covering digital technologies, micro/nanoelectronics and software. Directly comparable to CIMES as a similarly structured French p\u00f4le de comp\u00e9titivit\u00e9, partly overlapping in the Auvergne-Rh\u00f4ne-Alpes region and Industry of the Future themes.

Broad incumbents

• FIM (F\u00e9d\u00e9ration des Industries M\u00e9caniques): National trade federation representing French mechanical and metalworking industries. Comparable to CIMES in serving the French mechanical-industry ecosystem, but operates as an industry-wide representative body rather than a regional innovation cluster.
• Cetim (Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques): French technical center serving the mechanical industry with R&D, testing and standardization services. Highly comparable to CIMES as both support French mechanical-industry innovation, though Cetim operates as a nationwide technical institute rather than a regional cluster.

Others

• EFFRA (European Factories of the Future Research Association): Industry-driven European association promoting pre-competitive production-technology research and acting as the private-side partner in the EU's Factories of the Future PPP. Already a strategic partner of CIMES, making it a relevant network peer in the same innovation ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cimes-hub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 COMPAGNIE D'INVESTISSEMENT EN MONTAGNE ET STATIONS