Axens, a leader in energy transition and decarbonization, establishes operations in Lyon

The Axens Group, a leading developer of low‑carbon technologies, opened its first decentralized offices in Lyon in May 2024. The move reflects the Group’s commitment to decentralization and marks an important milestone for the company. It also responds to employees who wished to relocate to the Auvergne–Rhône–Alpes region. The project was supported by the Lyon Metropolitan Area and facilitated by ONLYLYON Invest.

Axens was founded in 2001 following the merger of Procatalyse (a subsidiary of the French Institute of Petroleum and Pechiney) and the Industrial Division of IFP Energies nouvelles. Since then, the mid-sized company has expanded its activities across multiple stages of the energy value chain. Axens operates in the refining, petrochemical, gas processing, and renewable energy markets. The company is present in nearly 15 countries and has its headquarters in France, in Rueil-Malmaison.

Axens at a glance

• The Axens Group is a subsidiary of IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN),
• €1 billion in revenue in 2023,
• More than 2,200 employees worldwide in 2024,
• Operations in 13 countries,
• Headquarters in Rueil-Malmaison (Île-de-France),
• In France, the company operates its headquarters, a plant in Salindres (Occitanie), and has recently opened sites in Lyon and Nantes.

Axens: Longstanding Expertise Combined with a Recent Energy Transition

Axens’ activities are built around three historic core businesses. First, process engineering for refining and water treatment. Second, the production of catalysts and adsorbents designed to accelerate chemical reactions. Third, the construction of industrial furnaces used to heat fluids in preparation for chemical reactions.

Since 2019, the Group has undertaken a strategic shift and now offers a comprehensive range of solutions for converting oil and biomass into cleaner fuels, producing and purifying key petrochemical intermediates, chemical recycling of plastics, natural gas treatment and conversion solutions, water treatment, and carbon capture. Axens has thus become a new player in the energy transition and decarbonization.

Lyon: a strategic choice driven by Axens teams

Choosing Lyon was a deliberate decision. Axens is facing recruitment and retention challenges in the Paris region and wants to offer its employees an alternative. An internal survey showed that around 150 of the company’s 1,500 employees in France were interested in joining the Lyon site. According to Axens, this is only the beginning of the relocation wave.

The company plans to recruit 200 people in Lyon, particularly chemical engineers.

By choosing Lyon for its first location outside the Île-de-France region, Axens acknowledges the area’s recognized expertise in innovation. Its establishment in the heart of the Gerland district—home to numerous energy-sector players and located at the gateway to the Chemical Valley—further strengthens an industrial and R&D ecosystem where the challenges of the energy transition are critical.

An expansion supported by the Lyon Metropolitan Area and facilitated by ONLYLYON Invest

Together with economic stakeholders, the Lyon Metropolitan Area aims to transform the metropolitan territory and move toward a development model aligned with climate challenges and public health imperatives. To support business establishments that are essential to the region—particularly in the strategic field of the energy transition—it provides financial backing to the ONLYLYON Invest program.

This support enabled the Axens Group to benefit from expert services from the earliest investigation phases through to its establishment in the Lyon metropolitan area.

In practical terms, the company first received a tailored presentation for its executive management, highlighting opportunities in the Lyon region, its specific strengths, and the support schemes offered by ONLYLYON Invest. A group discovery visit to Lyon was also organized, showcasing office environments and nearby solutions. Experts then assisted with employee mobility for Paris-based staff interested in relocating to Lyon, including presentations and interviews in Rueil-Malmaison, as well as housing support. Finally, ONLYLYON Invest mobilized its human resources services to support Axens’ recruitment projects in Lyon.