Cherbourg

The Communauté Urbaine de Cherbourg, also known by its acronym CUC, is the intercommunal structure bringing together the city of Cherbourg-Octeville and some of the towns nearby. Cherbourg is located in northwestern Normandy in France, in the Manche Departement. With 88 209 inhabitants, it is the biggest urban centre of the Manche Department. Cherbourg is a maritime city located at the entrance of the English channel. The port of Cherbourg is inside one of the world’s largest artificial sea defences. It concentrates a lot of military and civil activities, such as sailing, cross-channel traffic, cruises, or trade. The maritime side of Cherbourg also expresses itself in La Cité de la Mer, a unique complex dedicated to the deep sea and its conquest, which is located in the old transatlantic harbour terminal. The Urban Community also boasts a university area as well as research laboratories, commercial and industrial areas, and a science and business park (Technopole Cherbourg Normandie). The economy relies mainly on major sectors like nuclear or maritime industries, even though new activities are emerging like tourism, creative industries, and green technologies. ESIMeC main contact: Website:

The city of Cherbourg has faced economic challenges since the nineties with the restructuration of the military defence base, the closure of businesses and the loss of companies in the commercial harbour. The recent economic crisis has accelerated the decline of traditional sectors such as defence, fishing, and cross-channel traffic but also high tech manufacturing.

The major challenge for Cherbourg will be to strengthen its economic mutation based on the developpment of new sectors (tourism, green technologies, creative industries, products linked to the sea) in order to limit its dependence on major sectors like defence, nuclear, or shipbuilding. Cherbourg is a maritime economy in restructuration following a structural crisis.