CIAD - Contrôles - Inspections - Accès Difficiles

What CIAD - Contrôles - Inspections - Accès Difficiles does

CIAD is a French industrial inspection and non-destructive testing (NDT) firm headquartered in the Grenoble-Isère basin, founded in 2022. The company specializes in regulatory inspections, NDT, and difficult access interventions for industrial sites classified under the ICPE and SEVESO frameworks, including storage tanks, retention basins, and pressurized piping. Its operations are anchored in French and European regulatory regimes, particularly the Arrêté du 4 octobre 2010 (DT 94) on retention works, the PMII/PM2I inspection framework, and the May 2025 Arrêté on corrosive liquids (R4412-25). Service offerings span magnetic particle testing (MT), dye penetrant testing (PT), Alternating Current Field Measurement (ACFM), and Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement at Elevated Positions (UTMEP), as well as rope-access and confined-space interventions in ATEX and asbestos environments.

The business model is project- and contract-based, with revenue generated through regulated periodic inspection mandates and on-call difficult access interventions for facility operators. Personnel credentials — EEMUA Tank Assessor certification and COFREND Level 2 qualification — are positioned as core delivery assets, with channel access supported by memberships in the SIM (Syndicat de l'Inspection et de la Maintenance Industrielles) and the Mon Consultant Expert referral network. The company markets services to both domestic French operators and international industrial clients.

CIAD operates as a privately held company with no disclosed funding rounds, revenue figures, management team details, or customer logos. The French addressable market is substantial — over 500,000 installations fall under the PMII inspection framework — but the company competes against established national inspection firms and must differentiate on specialized credentials, difficult access capability, and regulatory expertise.

Name

CIAD - Contrôles - Inspections - Accès Difficiles

Legal name

CIAD - Contrôles - Inspections - Accès Difficiles

Website

https://ciad-inspections.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CIAD is a French industrial inspection and non-destructive testing firm serving ICPE- and SEVESO-classified facilities with regulatory inspections, NDT (PT, MT, ACFM, UTMEP), and difficult access interventions including rope access and confined-space work.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Inspection Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAEAHAN

Third-Party Certification, Code Compliance & Regulatory Inspection (ASME/API/ISO)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Energy Infrastructure & Services (EPC, O&M, Field Services)/Inspection, Testing & Certification (ITC) / NDT for Energy Infrastructure

SECONDARYEUAEAHAB

Pressure Equipment, Boilers & Heat Exchanger Inspection

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Energy Infrastructure & Services (EPC, O&M, Field Services)/Inspection, Testing & Certification (ITC) / NDT for Energy Infrastructure

SECONDARYTLAGALAF

Corrosion Monitoring & Cathodic Protection (CP) Services (CIS/DCVG/ACVG, CP Design/Testing)

Transportation & Logistics/Pipeline Transportation/Pipeline Integrity, Inspection & Monitoring Services (ILI, Leak Detection, SCADA)

Keywords

• Industrial inspection services
• Nondestructive testing
• Storage tank inspection
• Difficult access inspections
• PMII regulatory compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Grenoble

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Industrial Inspection Services: Professional services revenue generated from industrial inspection services including periodic inspections, design control, fabrication control, service commissioning, documentary base management, and NDT services. Services are provided on-site at customer facilities or in the company's workshop. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements tied to regulatory compliance requirements and maintenance programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CIAD is an industrial inspection company providing periodic and lifecycle inspections for storage tanks, retention basins, piping systems, and civil engineering structures at ICPE and SEVESO classified industrial facilities in France and internationally. The company offers a complete range of non-destructive testing services — including penetrant testing (PT), magnetic particle testing (MT), ACFM, and ultrasonic thickness measurement (UTMEP) — as well as difficult access interventions in confined spaces, ATEX zones, and rope access environments. All services are delivered by EEMUA Tank Assessor and COFREND Level 2 certified inspectors in compliance with the French PMII regulatory framework.

Product overview

CIAD – Contrôles – Inspections – Accès Difficiles is a French industrial inspection company based in the Grenoble region that provides comprehensive inspection services for industrial facilities. The company offers a unified service portfolio centered on industrial inspections (PMII/PM2I) for storage tanks, retention basins, and piping systems, complemented by a full range of nondestructive testing services (CND/END) including Ressuage (PT), Magnétoscopie (MT), ACFM, and ultrasonic thickness measurement (UTMEP). The product line is structured around three core offerings: industrial inspections covering the entire equipment lifecycle from design control through manufacturing, commissioning, and periodic inspections; nondestructive testing services for defect detection; and difficult access services enabling inspections in constrained environments (confined spaces, ATEX zones, rope access). The company also provides documentary base services for regulatory compliance. All services are delivered by inspectors certified to EEMUA Tank Assessor and COFREND Level 2 standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Inspections – PMII (PM2I) for storage tanks, retention basins, and piping Full-lifecycle industrial inspection services for storage tanks, retention basins, and piping systems at ICPE and SEVESO classified facilities, conducted under the Plan de Modernisation des Installations Industrielles (PMII/PM2I). Includes periodic inspections, integrity assessments, and residual life calculations. Serves industrial operators subject to French environmental regulations.
• Non-Destructive Testing (CND/END) Services Complete range of non-destructive testing services including visual testing, penetrant testing (PT), magnetic particle testing (MT), ACFM, ultrasonic thickness measurement (UTMEP), hardness measurement, and protective anti-corrosion coating measurement. Performed by COFREND Level 2 certified controllers for defect detection in materials and structures without altering their integrity.
• Corrosive Liquid Storage Tank Inspection – R4412-25 Compliance Annual inspection service for storage tanks containing corrosive liquids classified H314 (skin and eye burns) or H290 (metal corrosion), performed in compliance with Article R4412-25 of the French Labor Code. Duration 1–3 hours per inspection depending on installation size and complexity; report delivered within 5 business days.
• Difficult Access and Constrained Environment Services Inspection services delivered in difficult access and constrained environments, including rope access (vertical), confined spaces, mountain access, capacity tanks, ATEX zones, and asbestos subsection 4 areas. Includes risk analysis and standard operating procedures for each intervention. Personnel hold cordist, CACES platform, confined space, SST, ATEX, ARI, HOBOV, RC2, and M2 certifications.
• Documentary Base Management – PMII Documentation Assistance Documentation management service for industrial installations under the PMII framework, including management of plans, schemas, technical manuals, inspection reports, and certificates of conformity to support regulatory compliance and traceability.

Quantifiable outcome

• Detection of defects without damaging materials or structures, enabling early defect identification and reduced maintenance and repair costs

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• COFREND (Confédération Française pour les Essais Non Destructifs)coreOthersCOFREND is the French Confederation for Non-Destructive Testing. CIAD's inspectors hold COFREND Level 2 certifications in various NDT methods (PT, MT, ACFM, UTMEP). COFREND provides certification standards and training frameworks for non-destructive testing professionals in France.
• EEMUA (Engineering Equipment and Materials Users Association)coreOthersEEMUA provides the Tank Assessor certification program. CIAD inspectors hold EEMUA Tank Assessor certifications, enabling them to conduct inspections according to EEMUA standards and guidelines for storage tanks and industrial equipment.
• SIM (Syndicat des Industries Minières)minorOthersCIAD is a member of SIM (Syndicat des Industries Minières), a professional association representing mining and related industries in France.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Apave: One of France's largest TIC (testing, inspection, certification) groups, offering industrial inspection, NDT and regulatory compliance services across ICPE/SEVESO facilities — directly comparable in scope to CIAD's PMII-aligned offering, though Apave operates at materially greater scale.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC giant with deep coverage of industrial asset integrity, pressure equipment inspection and NDT services across petrochemical, energy and process industries — a comparable peer for CIAD's storage tank, piping and process-industry inspection work, especially for international accounts.
• SOCOTEC: Major French TIC player serving construction, infrastructure and industrial clients with inspection, testing and certification capabilities — directly comparable to CIAD's regulated industrial inspection business in France.
• DEKRA Industrial France: DEKRA's French industrial division provides NDT and inspection services for energy, process and manufacturing clients — comparable in NDT breadth and regulated-asset focus to CIAD, with similar pressure-equipment and ATEX inspection capabilities.
• TÜV Rheinland France: German-rooted TIC group with industrial inspection and pressure-equipment certification services in France — comparable peer for pressure equipment and NDT work, particularly with international industrial operator clients.
• Intertek France: Global TIC firm providing industrial inspection, NDT and asset integrity services — comparable to CIAD's regulated industrial inspection portfolio, particularly for multi-national industrial clients operating in France.
• SGS France: Global TIC leader with strong French industrial inspection, NDT and process-industry capabilities — a direct comparable for CIAD's PMII-style regulated industrial inspection and NDT work.

Direct peers

• Cetim (Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques): French technical center focused on mechanical industries, providing material testing, NDT and failure analysis directly comparable to CIAD's industrial NDT and inspection services, including pressure equipment and mechanical components.
• Norisko (Suez Industrial Solutions): French industrial inspection firm specialized in storage tank, piping and pressure-equipment inspections — directly comparable to CIAD's PMII inspection portfolio for ICPE/SEVESO facilities.

Regional players

• Alp'Expert Inspection: French Alps-region industrial inspection specialist providing NDT and equipment integrity services to local industrial clients — a comparable regional peer to CIAD's Grenoble-based inspection operations, operating in a similar geography and customer profile.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ciad-contr%C3%B4les-inspections-acc%C3%A8s-difficiles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CIAD - Contrôles - Inspections - Accès Difficiles