A new industrial chair to bolster French naval technological independence

SEALENCE brings together Centrale Nantes, Naval Group and CETIM, building on strong regional expertise and a long history of industrial collaboration on the mechanical behavior of elastomers. This partnership aims to study the behavior of elastomer materials under pressure for applications in water-tightness and naval acoustics.

A shared ambition for applied research

SEALENCE (Elastomer Solution for Naval Acoustics and Watertight Design) brings together three key players – a leading higher education and research institution, a global player in naval defence and the technical centre of reference for industrial transformation – around a shared objective: to develop predictive tools for the design of elastomer parts used in extreme environments.

Strategic applications in the naval field

Two major areas of industrial application:

• Acoustic coatings for submarines, to improve control of their acoustic signature;
• Waterproof seals for submarine electrical cables exposed to high pressure.

A structured and ambitious three-point programme

The four-year SEALENCE – Elastomer Solution for Naval Acoustics has a budget of €1.86 million, including €500,000 funded by the ANR  through its ‘Industrial Chairs’ funding programme, dedicated to public-private partnership research. Its work focuses on the mechanical behaviour of elastomers and its modelling. The Industrial Chair, led by Professor Erwan Verron (Centrale Nantes – GeM, UMR CNRS 6183), brings together a team whose members come from three entities: Dr Benoit Omnès, sealing expert, Cetim; Dr Pierre Rublon, technical expert in elastomeric materials for the naval industry, Naval Group; and Prof. Michel Coret, Centrale Nantes.

The work will combine experimental measurements, theoretical modelling and numerical simulation to overcome a major scientific obstacle: understanding the compressibility of polymer materials, which is still largely absent from conventional approaches.

A driver for independence and innovation

At Centrale Nantes, we support companies in the development of disruptive solutions. SEALENCE perfectly illustrates our role: to bring together fundamental research, technological innovation and industrial challenges to build the sovereignty of tomorrow together. 

Jean-Baptiste Avrillier, Director of Centrale Nantes

This project reinforces the teaching-research-innovation continuum, with an expected impact in terms of standardisation, technology transfer and the training of leading engineers and researchers. It is part of a long-term strategy to promote the strategic independence of the French naval industry.

Download the press release in French