Industrial land: SOGEDI and the principle of location in a zone

The organization of industrial space relies on a central actor, the Company for the Management and Development of Industrial Infrastructures (SOGEDI), formerly AGEDI, a public establishment created by decree no. 2013-298 of May 2, 2013. SOGEDI is responsible for developing programs for the creation of industrial zones, in coordination with the ministry responsible for town planning and local authorities. It receives and processes, through the CEPICI one-stop shop, applications for land for industrial use submitted by developers, then allocates the lots. This institutional link reflected the State's desire to move from a logic of spontaneity to a logic of planning of establishments. This orientation is also reflected in stricter rules on the location of factories. A 2017 decree recalls that in principle, any industrial unit must be installed within an industrial zone defined by regulations, even if there are existing regulated exemptions. The idea is to limit isolated installations, which are difficult to connect to networks and control from an environmental perspective.