Elcimaï is supporting Sanofi in the development of its pharmaceutical manufacturing facility
To expand its site in Tours, Sanofi chose to renew its trust in the Elcimaï Group, one of the leaders in industrial real estate serving the pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors. This complex integration project was successfully completed without interrupting production.
Built in 1967, Sanofi’s site in Tours is a historic location for the company and one of the first industrial sites in the Indre-et-Loire department. It produces 3 billion capsules and tablets per year and packages 69 million boxes across 542 product lines. 93 % of this production is exported. The site includes two production workshops, as well as packaging and storage areas.
As a long-standing partner of Sanofi, the Elcimaï Group had already designed an initial module at the site about ten years ago, whose flexibility allows for a configuration tailored to production needs. To meet future requirements, the manufacturer commissioned the group to design a solution to expand this manufacturing workshop, located at the heart of the plant.
Elcimaï proposed a second 1,000 m² structure as an extension of the first module, fully connected on both levels and equally flexible to adapt to various usage scenarios. On the ground floor, the solution connects to the cleanroom manufacturing workshop, integrating equipment while streamlining the management of material and personnel flows. On the first floor, it enables the connection of all utilities and systems : air treatment, dust removal, purified water, etc.
“The interior layout of this modular structure took shape when Sanofi sought to increase its capacity and improve its productivity,” explains Rémi Hardiviller, project manager at Elcimaï Ingénierie. “Half of the extension designed by Elcimaï will be dedicated to a new granulation line and an additional coating line. The second half of the building will initially be kept in reserve, but the entire structure has been designed for optimal use.”
Elcimaï’s scope of work covers six packages : building envelope, electrical, HVAC/air handling, purified water, sprinklers, resin coating, and cleanroom panels. Work is currently underway and proceeding without interrupting production, with commissioning scheduled for early 2025. To date, the project is on schedule ; the building is expected to be airtight by the end of March, a critical phase before work begins on the technical systems.
“The first module designed by Elcimaï met Sanofi’s expectations in terms of flexibility,” recalls Hervé Marcastel, Sales Director at Elcimaï Ingénierie. “We are delighted that the manufacturer has renewed its trust in us for this new phase of development at its site.”
