Valeo has completed the final phase of a major modernization programme at its Angers manufacturing facility in France, reinforcing the site’s role as a key centre for the design and production of advanced automotive lighting systems.
Recognised as one of Valeo’s historic industrial hubs, the Angers plant has undergone a comprehensive transformation under a modernization plan carried out between 2023 and 2026, backed by an investment of more than €45 million.
The upgrade includes the modernization of production workshops and the deployment of next-generation optical technologies, strengthening the facility’s manufacturing capabilities to support the growth objectives outlined in Valeo’s ELEVATE 2028 strategic plan.
Alongside the technological enhancements, the investment has also been accompanied by continued recruitment, underscoring Valeo’s commitment to expanding local employment while reinforcing the Angers site’s position as a globally competitive centre for automotive lighting innovation.
Jean-Luc Terrasse, CEO of Valeo’s Light Division, said: “Lighting is at the heart of the mobility challenges of tomorrow: safety, design, and intelligent interaction with the environment. It allows manufacturers to differentiate themselves and offer users ever-increasing safety and driving comfort. This 45 million euro investment allows the factory to consolidate its industrial excellence. The Angers site demonstrates that a French factory can design and produce systems of unprecedented optical complexity and be at the forefront of European Industry 4.0.”
The Angers plant showcases the Group’s expertise and its high standards for quality, operational performance, and industrial competitiveness. It is firmly rooted in its region, focusing on industrial innovation and operational excellence.
With over 1,200 highly qualified employees across Angers and Blois, Valeo’s industrial operations in the region supply 9,000 headlights and 22,000 complex modules daily to the world’s leading manufacturers. The site benefits from exceptional innovation capabilities through its dual DNA, which combines industrial excellence with advanced R&D design.
Valeo has been selected by several European manufacturers to equip their new vehicles with complex bi-color optical lenses. The modernization plan has enabled a major transformation of the thermoplastic injection workshops, equipping them with new, dedicated, high-performance automated injection press lines.
The plant now features a high-tech industrial facility equipped with 25 injection presses, 5 varnishing lines, 11 assembly lines, and 181 robots.
The site also benefits from significant innovation strength through its R&D center, with 24 projects currently under development, including 6 major projects specifically allocated to the Angers plant.
All these processes benefit from the increasing integration of digital tools and Artificial Intelligence for predictive simulation and real-time system validation.
