The Michelin Corporate Foundation supported the organization of l’Usine Extraordinaire, a landmark exhibition which took place from November 22nd to 25th at the Grand Palais in Paris.
This event sets out to give young people and the general public a positive image of industry by highlighting its
inclusive approach in recruiting from wide social backgrounds, opening positions to women and giving access
to handicapped people. It was set up by the Usine Extraordinaire Foundation under the supervision of the FACE
Foundation whose purpose is to fight against exclusion.
Within a total floor space of 13,000 m², visitors were encouraged to discover the rich diversity of industry through guided tours, deep-dives, active discussions with technicians, engineers and plant managers and thought-provoking
lectures.
Designed like a full-size manufacturing plant, the exhibition was organized around four realms: inventing, making, connecting and sharing.
• Inventing: a journey through time showing in pictures the evolution of the manufacturing plant, the organization of labor, production systems and social changes.
• Making: a visit to show the life of a factory from the inside and bring across the ingenuity and the range of expertise
behind the processes and stress the importance of working collectively. There were spaces for children to express their creativity with fi ne-tuned automated assembly devices, robotic arms, precision metal-working and machining tools and the tour of a production line.
• Connecting: a discovery tour of manufacturing jobs reveals the factory as a space for living and interacting socially as well as a means of creating wealth, value and employment.
• Sharing: a visit based on lectures and meetings to share the experiences of men and women shaping industry.
The exhibition was a success, with more than 40,500 visitors (among them 10,000 school students). 13 government ministers attended and there were over 200 citations in the media.