Cerfav

Name

Cerfav

Legal name

Cerfav – Centre Européen de Recherches et de Formation aux Arts Verriers

Website

https://cerfav.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Glass Arts Vocational Training and Materials Research

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

akta.pro primary industry

Project, Process & Quality Certification Prep (PMP, PRINCE2, Lean Six Sigma, ITIL) (EDANAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Project, Quality & Operations (PMP PDUs, Six Sigma, Quality CE) (EDAAALAM), Glass Fabrication & Processing Services (Cutting/Edging/Drilling/Polishing) (IMADAHAI)

Keywords

• Glass arts training
• Glass materials research
• Vocational training
• Glass R&D services
• Industrial glass training

Headquarters

HQ city

Vannes-le-châtel

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Training Services: Revenue from vocational training programs including apprenticeships, professional development courses, and industrial training (Prover). Training is financed through OPCO, CPF, and regional funding.
2. R&D Contract Services: Custom research and development projects for industry clients including feasibility studies, experimental testing, prototyping, and technical accompaniment. CIR (Research Tax Credit) certified.
3. Artist Services and Editions: Services to artists and designers including workshop rental, prototyping, and co-edition of glass pieces under the Vannes-le-Châtel brand.
4. Accommodation and Catering: On-site lodging (auberge) and restaurant services for visitors, apprentices, and event guests.
5. Cultural Activities: Gallery exhibitions, demonstrations, animations, and cultural events open to the public.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Cerfav is a non-profit European center dedicated to the glass material, organized around three complementary poles: Formation (vocational training in glass arts including the 2-year Créateur verrier program, CAP certifications, and industrial Prover training), R&D (custom accompaniment, feasibility studies, breakage analysis, characterizations, prototyping, and collaborative research projects for industry clients), and Culture (artist residencies, gallery|atelier, Cerfav|éditions, and on-site accommodation and catering). The center operates specialized technical platforms including a Glass FabLab, chemistry and characterization laboratories, and semi-industrial workshops.

Product overview

Cerfav is a European center for research and training in glass arts and techniques, organized around three complementary poles: Formation (professional training), R&D (research and innovation), and Culture (gallery and artist services). The training offerings include the 2-year Créateur verrier program, 1-year Concepteur créateur en métier d'art program, CAP certifications, and industrial Prover training with CQPI preparation. The R&D division provides technical services including custom accompaniment, breakage analysis, characterizations, prototyping, and collaborative research projects. The Culture pole manages artist residencies, editions and collections (Cerfav|éditions, Collection Vannes-le-Châtel), gallery exhibitions, workshop rentals, and on-site accommodation. All services are specialized exclusively on the glass material.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cerfav|éditions: Edition collaborations with artists and designers under the Cerfav|éditions program and Vannes-le-Châtel brand
• Vannes-le-Châtel
• SURFACEplus
• Corthemis
• GLAM

Products and services

• Formation Créateur verrier

Quantifiable outcome

• CIR certification enables French companies to deduct R&D costs from taxes
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• CRITT TJFU (Techniques Jet Fluide et Usinage)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration on SURFACEplus project for surface functionalization. TJFU contributes supercritical nitrogen jet, very high pressure water jet, and cold spray technologies for treating metallic and polymeric material surfaces.
• CRITT Matériaux InnovationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner in SURFACEplus and Corthemis projects. Provides materials characterization, mechanical testing, surface treatments including plasma coating, adherence characterization, and biomedical applications expertise.
• CRT ICAR-CM2TmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner in Corthemis project focused on mold design for glass pressing. Provides expertise in refractories and thermal/mechanical simulations for mold design optimization.
• CRT HOLO3minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner in Corthemis project providing optical characterization expertise and developing techniques to evaluate progressive mold wear.
• DRAC (Ministère de la Culture)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial and institutional support for artist residencies at Cerfav. DRAC provides ongoing support for the annual artist-in-residence program, enabling international and French artists to create glass works at the facility.
• Région Grand EstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government funding for training programs, R&D projects, and the 10 million euro facility extension project. Key supporter of glass arts professions in the Grand Est region.
• OPCO 2icoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJoint financing organization for professional training that funds apprenticeships and continuing education at Cerfav, enabling access to training for glass industry professionals.
• Branche du Cristal, du Verre et du VitrailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional branch organization supporting glass industry training, providing funding and recognition for apprenticeship programs in glass craftsmanship.
• Institut Carnot ICÉELcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCerfav is a member of the Carnot Institute ICÉEL, providing credibility and network access for collaborative research with academic and industrial partners in materials science.
• Laboratoire de recherche et universitésminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partners for fundamental research collaborations, providing access to advanced research capabilities and contributing to technology transfer from laboratory to industry.
• Pôles de compétitivitéminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in competitive clusters connecting industry, research, and academia for collaborative innovation projects in materials and manufacturing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Penland School of Craft: Leading American craft school in North Carolina offering glass workshops alongside other media. Comparable residential craft education model with similar pedagogical intensity.
• North Lands Creative Glass: Scottish glass education center offering masterclasses, residencies, and studio facilities in Lybster. Comparable European peer with the same combination of technical training and artist development that defines Cerfav.
• Centre International du Vitrail de Chartres: French institution in Chartres dedicated to stained-glass heritage, training, and research. Direct French peer addressing stained-glass vocational training and cultural programming.
• The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass: Educational facility within the Corning Museum of Glass offering classes and artist residencies in glassmaking techniques. Comparable educational mission to Cerfav's training and culture poles.
• Bild-Werk Frauenau: German glass arts education center in Bavaria offering international summer programs and masterclasses in glass techniques. Direct European peer to Cerfav with similar workshop-based training model.
• Pilchuck Glass School: Premier American glass arts school in Washington state offering workshops, residencies, and studio access for emerging and established glass artists. Closely comparable to Cerfav as a glass-specialized training institution combining pedagogical programs with artist services.
• Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts: Tennessee-based American craft school offering multi-week workshops including glass alongside other media. Comparable residential craft education model with on-site accommodation.
• Haystack Mountain School of Crafts: Multi-craft American school in Maine offering intensive workshops including glass. Comparable integrated model of multi-week craft immersion, though broader in media than Cerfav.

Regional players

• Glasmuseet (Museum of Glass Denmark): Danish glass museum in Ebeltoft housing an international contemporary glass collection with educational programs. Comparable combination of cultural programming and glass-specific education, operating in a different Northern European geography.

Broad incumbents

• Corning Museum of Glass: Major American glass-focused cultural and educational institution with world-leading glass collection, exhibitions, and educational programming. Broader and more global in scope than Cerfav, but overlapping in glass education, exhibitions, and artist services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Cerfav
• Facebookfacebook.com/cerfav.fr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cerfav
• Instagraminstagram.com/cerfav_glass/?hl=fr
• TikToktiktok.com/@cerfav_glass

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Cerfav