GROUPE ZEBRA bets on innovation and commits to the relocation of industry in France

As a symbol of globalisation, almost all sports shoes are manufactured in Asia. This will soon no longer be the case. GROUPE ZEBRA is joining forces with CHAMATEX GROUP and Siemens in the crazy challenge of relocating the production of sports shoes in France through the development of an intelligent factory (industrial tool 4.0) dedicated to automated production.

The return of made in France

The new ultra-modern sports shoe manufacturing plant is being set up in Ardoix, a village in the Ardèche region of France, one hour from Lyon. This new smart factory will open its doors at the end of 2021 and already aims to produce 500,000 pairs of shoes per year within 4 years.

Local production minimises the carbon footprint and promotes respect for the environment. This sustainable innovation will enable the relocation of almost 50 jobs in France.

The result of a merger of expertise

ASF 4.0 is the result of open innovation based on :

GROUPE ZEBRA’S experience in innovation processes and product design,
CHAMATEX GROUP’S expertise in technical textiles,
Siemens’ know-how and industrial performance 4.0.

Partner brands with a strong commitment will be the first to benefit from this ultra innovative production tool: Babolat, Salomon and Millet are the leaders.

An intelligent factory

The automation of production will bring speed and agility to the organisation of production and logistics. ASF 4.0 will also allow new products to be tested with consumers in small series. The Ardèche smart factory will compete with Asian factories by rationalising production processes and robotising assembly lines.

This high level of automation will make it possible to produce one pair of shoes per minute, but also to obtain a flexible production line that will make it possible to manufacture several types of shoes simultaneously.