IDEMIA’s new bank card manufacturing factory in Vitré (35)

IDEMIA, the French leader in digital security, biometrics, and in data identification and authentication, was looking to continue to grow its operations and increase its production capacity at a strategic location in Vitré in the Ille-et-Vilaine department. The company had already been established in the town for over three decades, where it operates Europe’s largest bank card manufacturing factory.

In November 2021, IDEMIA launched a developer/investor consultation to build its new factory, for which planning permission had been granted. In 2022, GA Smart Building was asked to review the programme in synergy with IDEMIA, and to carry out the pre-design of a turnkey project with Sight, before new planning permission was granted. A ‘lease in future state of completion’ (BEFA) and a ‘sale in future state of completion’ (VEFA) were then signed in December 2022 before construction began in February 2023, with handover scheduled for spring 2024, after 14 months of construction work.

The project, which will be able to accommodate around 500 IDEMIA employees, includes the erection of an 8,300 m² mixed-use office and industrial building, consisting of 5,550 m² of industrial space on the ground floor and 2,750 m² of office space on the first floor. There will also be 206 outdoor parking spaces, covered by photovoltaic structures to be built and operated by See You Sun.

The parking area, logistics area, the buildings’ immediate surroundings and the green spaces will be carefully laid out to blend in with the area’s existing landscape. The built structures will be further integrated into the surrounding natural landscape by planting 71 trees. This will contribute to creating a harmonious blend between the building’s sleek architecture and nature.

The IDEMIA factory will benefit from GA Smart Building’s off-site construction approach, from FullBIM modelling, to the prefabrication of structural elements, facades and comfort features in its French factories, and assembling them on-site. This construction method ensures quality of execution and control of delivery times while minimising the site’s environmental impact and disturbance to local residents.

The future IDEMIA bank card manufacturing factory is aiming to obtain the BREEAM Very Good level certification.