Overview

• The tribunal de commerce de Lyon approved the sale of Vencorex to Wanhua's subsidiary BorsodChem for €1.2 million, with a pledge to invest €19 million by 2027.
• Only 54 of the 450 jobs at the Pont-de-Claix plant near Grenoble will be retained under the new ownership structure.
• An alternative employee-led SCIC proposal, supported by local authorities to save more jobs, was rejected due to financial and operational viability concerns.
• Vencorex is a strategic player in France’s chemical sector, producing materials critical for nuclear power, aerospace, and defense, fueling fears about foreign control over sensitive industries.
• The French government previously ruled out temporary nationalization, intensifying criticism over its handling of industrial decline in the region.