Jean Castex, Prime Minister, here during the visit of the wave simulation pool at Ifremer in Brest.

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Herve RONNE-POOL / SIPA

This is not the most famous aspect of Ifremer.

It is for the one that Jean Castex wanted to highlight on Saturday during his inaugural visit to the premises of Brest (Finistère).

Installed since the fall in its new HQ, the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea has been working for years on a program called Extraplac which has enabled France to increase its maritime domain.

“Our maritime domain is one of the largest in the world, and it has just grown by 150,000 km2 off Reunion Island and off the islands of Saint-Paul and Amsterdam, the equivalent of more than one quarter of the surface of the Hexagon ”, underlined the Prime Minister during a speech.

The mission of this Extraplac program is to study the extent of the French continental shelf and aims to "prepare files for all areas of potential extension".

The Prime Minister announced on Saturday that the funding amounts for the Extraplac program would be revised upwards.

"France's sovereignty is at stake," he added, after having visited several facilities.

“There are still between 500,000 and 600,000 km2 at stake” to be won

In 2015, France had already extended its maritime domain, by 579,000 km2, thus increasing its sovereign rights over the resources of the soil and the seabed with a view to possible future exploitation.

"There is still at stake between 500,000 and 600,000 km2", explained the CEO of Ifremer François Houllier, referring to an envelope of 5 to 6 million euros still necessary by 2030 in order to continue to determine the limits of the French continental shelf.

Formerly located in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, the headquarters of the institute moved last year to Plouzané.

With an area of ​​more than 3,700 m2, it accommodates 160 permanent employees.

The institute employs 1,500 people around the world and has a budget of 240 million euros.

Former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault announced this transfer to Brest at the end of 2013, as part of the pact for the future for Brittany which was to revive the economy in a region in turmoil.

The objective was to strengthen the attractiveness of the metropolis of Brest in the field of marine science and technology.

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