French robotics unicorn Exotec opens new global HQ Imaginarium in Lille, Northern France

Warehouse robotics specialist, Exotec, has announced the opening of its new headquarters in Northern France. Named Imaginarium, the inauguration also marked the first edition of Exosummit, bringing together Exotec’s customers, partners and broader ecosystem.

Developed in partnership with the BMG Group under a 12-year forward funded lease agreement (BEFA) signed in 2022, the HQ is located along the Roubaix Canal, on the site of a former office complex redeveloped for industrial and technological use. 

Spanning 25,000 square metres, Imaginarium is home to more than 700 employees from design, production and support teams on a single site. Its layout was designed to enhance operational efficiency by optimising flows, circulation and proximity between functions, supported by a central hub space connecting all areas of activity.

It includes an 8,560-square-metre production area equipped with 11 operational Exotec systems, used for manufacturing, testing and improvement of the company’s solutions. 

“Imaginarium represents a major technological and industrial investment. By integrating R&D, production and operations within our headquarters, we strengthen our ability to develop robust, scalable solutions that are closely aligned with our customers’ requirements,” says Romain Moulin, CEO and Co-founder at Exotec.

“Imaginarium reflects our commitment to building in Europe, and our decision to invest for the long term. This headquarters has been designed to support Exotec’s technological roadmap and industrial ambitions over time, while remaining firmly anchored in our local environment,” says Renaud Heitz, CTO and Co-founder at Exotec.

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Supply chain technology will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards will open for entries in April. They celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.