The regional economic and social council of France's Basse-Normandie region (CESR) published a study in February that brought to light the wealth of nuclear, radiation protection, materials science and biomedical know-how in the Nord-Cotentin area of France. According to the study, "The CESR decided it was the right time to bring together all of the players in this field to form a hub for manufacturing, research and training, thereby creating enough visibility to play an international role in terms of expertise and engineering". The goal is to create a "center of excellence of international stature".