History & values

In 1956, Jean Bertin – a Polytechnique graduate, Supaéro engineer and law graduate – created Bertin & Cie. Entrepreneur with a passion for technology and innovation, Jean Bertin and his teams made a series of discoveries and innovations, particularly in the nuclear, defence and transport sectors. The company designed several hovercrafts: the Terraplane, the Naviplane and that which would mark the history of technological innovation and transportation, the Aerotrain. A real revolution in the transport industry, the Aerotrain was a project ahead of its time. In 1974, it even set the world speed record on a Paris-Orleans line, with an average speed of 417 km/h and a peak speed of 430 km/h. Even though it would never go on to be commercially developed, the project will go down in History as an extraordinary invention that has inspired the most daring visionaries.

In 1998, the company became Bertin Technologies, oriented itself towards consulting and manufacturing of prototypes and developed niche expertise in the highly technological sectors of aeronautics, defence, the environment and health.

In 2008, Bertin Technologies joined the CNIM Group. The company is developing a genuine recurring industrial business, supplying components, products and instrumentation systems. This represents a significant change in the history of Bertin Technologies, which for a long time had been perceived solely as a design office.

Between 2015 and 2017, the company developed an external growth strategy, acquiring specialized companies to complement and strengthen its offering: Saphymo for the radiation protection market, Exensor Technology, a world leader in the manufacture of Unattended Ground Sensors systems (UGS), and Winlight System, a specialist in very high-precision optical instruments.

Dynamic, ambitious and supported by talented teams, Bertin Technologies intends to position itself as the European leader in scientific instrumentation for critical or scientific applications. Bertin Technologies retains its design office capacity to develop systems from a blank sheet of paper, but also embarks on product industrialization. These products and systems incorporate a high proportion of added value, often at the cutting edge of technology, and are used by its customers to help them carry out difficult missions, either because they are at the limit of the current state of the art in science and technology, or because the conditions of use are severe for both the equipment and the operator.

On April 22, 2022, Bertin Technologies is sold by the CNIM Group to the FCDE (Fonds de consolidation et de développement des entreprises). FCDE and BNP Développement became the majority shareholders in what became the Bertin Technologies Group. This new phase in the company’s development confirms its strategic independence and industrial dimension.

At the end of 2022, the Bertin Technologies Group acquires the Finnish company Environics Oy, previously owned by Verso Capital, enabling the company to become the European leader in CBRN detection, identification and surveillance equipment and systems.

In 2024, the Group continues to grow and acquires the Limoges-based start-up Icohup, founded in 2017, which offers connected instruments for detecting ionizing radiation. This offering fits in perfectly with that of Bertin Technologies, and opens up new prospects for Bertin Technologies. The integration of Icohup’s technology will optimize its product range, while accelerating the commercialization of new solutions.

ALPAO, a Grenoble-based company and one of the world leaders in adaptive optics, also joined the group in 2024, marking a new milestone in its development and consolidating its position in the photonics market.