Commercy (France): the ‘Oudinot Quarters’ becomes CMI’s Cockerill Campus

Commercy (France): the ‘Oudinot Quarters’ becomes CMI's Cockerill Campus.

March 02nd 2015

The CMI Group and the Codecom (Communities Association) of the Commercy region have signed on February 27th a notarial deed relative to the transfer of the ownership of part of the ‘Oudinot Quarters’, the Commercy military base occupied until 2013 by the 8th artillery Regiment of the French Army. The CMI Group is now officially the owner of this. Its project is to convert this area into an international training centre: the Cockerill Campus.

By 2017, the Cockerill Campus will enable some 120 course delegates to be accommodated and trained, either members of CMI or its clients, or of local companies and public bodies. The development of the Cockerill Campus should gradually lead to the creation of many direct and indirect jobs in the Commercy basin.

The project schedules the rehabilitation of existing buildings and the construction of new infrastructures. Their architecture and their conception will make of the Cockerill Campus a state of the art training infrastructure: classic course rooms and digital simulation rooms, workshops and depots, a high quality residential area (sports and leisure facilities…). The Cockerill Campus will be located on a 10 hectare site and include 29,700 m² of buildings, of which 14,000 m² will be new. This substantial worksite will be undertaken with the help of companies from the Meuse department. It represents an investment of around 70 million Euros.

The Cockerill Campus is scheduled to receive its first trainers in 2016 and its first course delegates in 2017. Amongst these first students will be users of CMI Defence systems, within the framework of a long term contract won by the CMI Group in 2014.

Bernard Serin, President of the CMI Group: “With the signature of these official deeds, we are today taking an important step in the realisation of the Cockerill Campus and in the rehabilitation of this area. The Cockerill Campus will support the sustainable growth of the CMI Group and at the same time contribute to the economic development of this region”.

Jean-Philippe Vautrin, President of the Codecom: “Just 20 months after the departure of the 8th artillery Regiment, this signature represents a new start for the Oudinot Quarters. We are delighted that the CMI Group is developing in the Meuse, which will provide a new source of job creation and of activities in our region”.