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Published on 03.08.2026 
Horiba has invested €20 million in its Loos site in order to further develop and industrialize a new generation of smart industrial sensors and advanced analytics systems.
These will combine industrial Raman spectroscopy, advanced photonics, artificial intelligence and embedded software.
The sensors produced in this way can be directly integrated into industrial production environments, enabling real-time analysis without interrupting processes.
This dual-scope project enables the Loos site to:
Raman spectroscopy is a type of optical analysis technology that uses light to instantly identify the molecular composition of a material without having to take a sample or destroy it.
When combined with miniaturized sensors and artificial intelligence, it enables real-time analysis and decision-making on production lines.
This new generation of analytical instruments addresses the growing needs of the healthcare, pharmaceutical, chemical, battery and semiconductor industries, facilitating real-time quality control and process optimization for a net gain in industrial efficiency.
With this project, Horiba hopes to build a world-class industrial and technological ecosystem centered around the Loos site that is focused on Raman spectroscopy and smart analytical instrumentation.
The Hauts-de-France region, which is located in the heart of France’s leading industrial hub and in close proximity to major European markets, offers businesses exceptional access to an ecosystem that combines:
These distinguishing factors position Loos as a pilot site for this new technology, thereby confirming the industrial relevance of the developments that have taken place over the past few years.
This industrial investment in the Hauts-de-France region confirms the region’s ability to attract high value-added technology projects and support their long-term development.
The site’s projected employee numbers—from 192 in 2025 to 342 in 2032—clearly reflect this ambition.
The jobs created by this project—in engineering, R&D, software development, and precision manufacturing—are skilled positions that cannot be outsourced, as they rely on technological expertise that can only be developed in close collaboration with a center of excellence of this caliber.
🔎Recruit employees easily in the Hauts-de-France region
The development of this groundbreaking innovative technology further strengthens France’s expertise in key tools for several strategic value chains:
These tools play a direct role in industrial decarbonization: they enable real-time optimization of energy consumption, the monitoring of recycling processes and the management of new energy sectors such as batteries and hydrogen.
🔎Decarbonization: an environmental challenge and a factor in competitiveness
The Hauts-de-France region is home to key industry players in the battery, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, chemical, hydrogen, recycling and advanced materials sectors.
These sectors share a common set of requirements:
The technologies developed in Loos are specifically designed to meet these requirements as process control directly determines product quality and compliance:
As a result of this investment, Horiba is further strengthening France’s expertise in key tools for several strategic value chains.
These instruments play a direct role in industrial decarbonization by enabling:
HORIBA’s decision was made easier thanks to a collective effort spearheaded by the Region and carried out in coordination with the State and the Métropole Européenne de Lille, which will result in total financial support of €4 million and assistance in establishing connections with the regional industrial and academic ecosystem.
Nord France Invest is proud to have contributed, alongside the Region and all of its partners, to the completion of this project, which symbolizes the region’s industrial transformation. It also reflects the long-term partnerships we have built with overseas companies—particularly those based in Japan—to support their development over the long term.
Luc Doublet, Chairman of Nord France Invest
The HORIBA Group was founded in Kyoto in 1945. It is one of the world’s leading companies in analytical instrumentation and scientific measurement.
The company employs 9,000 people in over 30 countries and reported net sales of €1.8 billion in 2025.
Its equipment is used in the laboratories and factories of stakeholders in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, semiconductor, energy, mobility and research sectors.
France is one of the company’s key markets, with the sites in Paris-Saclay, Loos, Lyon, Grenoble and Montpellier accounting for 11% of the workforce worldwide.
Christelle
Arthur
Nord France Invest supports French and international companies in their plans to establish or expand operations in the Hauts-de-France region.
Christelle and Arthur are your direct points of contact in the healthcare and e-health sectors.
Contact them to learn about business development opportunities in the Hauts-de-France region and get started your personalized, confidential support right away!
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