In the News — Le Progrès, September 20, 2026
"Unique in France, this state-of-the-art control room is open to visitors."
The regional daily devoted a page to the September 17 inauguration, where some 60 customers and partners from all over France took turns at the operator's console.
Read the article on leprogres.fr (subscriber access)
Places We Never Visit
Since 1975, SOA has been designing, manufacturing, and installing control and monitoring rooms for the industrial, energy, and petrochemical sectors, as well as for transportation, defense and security, urban monitoring centers, and the nuclear industry. These environments have one thing in common: they are virtually impossible to visit. They are regulated sites that require mandatory clearances and operate 24 hours a day.
Until now, our customers have explored our solutions through blueprints, 3D models, or virtual reality. The Experience Center changes all that: it’s a control room you can visit at our Saint-Symphorien-d’Ozon facility, where everything is up and running and you can try it out for yourself.
“Regulated sites, mandatory clearances, facilities operating 24 hours a day: until now, our clients have explored our solutions through blueprints, 3D models, or virtual reality. Here, they sit down at the operator console and see for themselves.”
Florent Cuculière, CEO of SOA
A Video Tour
Before visiting us in person, take a virtual tour of the Experience Center: the control room, the custom- console , and the Barco video wall , as modeled by our engineering department.
Three areas: a tour of a real control room
Things You Can Try While You're There
Nothing is just a static demonstration: everything works, just like in an actual operating room.
The Barco " video wall "
Six screens totaling nearly 5 m². It does not display demonstration content but rather live footage from the Hanwha Vision cameras installed on our premises.
The SOA Electric " console "
Height-adjustable, custom-made in our workshops, with built-in LED side lighting and controllable color themes.
Electrochromic glazing
Transparent or opaque as desired, controlled via a touchscreen tablet, just like the motorized blinds and the room's lighting.
Circadian Lighting
Lighting that mimics the progression of the day, with up to three simulated days of light over a 24-hour period to accommodate shift rotations.
Lighting that keeps pace with the teams
“Control rooms are often windowless. We’ve incorporated circadian lighting that artificially replicates the changing patterns of natural light, in order to help operators maintain a sense of the passage of time.”
Stéphane Lhomme, Project Manager at SOA
Changes in light intensity and color temperature help maintain alertness during the shift and then gradually facilitate the transition back to rest: a lighting strategy that helps align with the body’s natural rhythm and can make it easier to fall asleep after the shift.
Developed in collaboration with six industry partners
Barco (video wall , and control systems), Hanwha Vision (cameras and video surveillance), TRILUX (lighting), and Cloisor (smart partitions), as well as two companies based in Symphorino that are located in our facilities: Projectview (digital signage and virtual reality) and Good Waves (audio/video integration and home automation).
Why SOA
A French family-owned company with 50 years of experience in demanding environments.
1975
Year founded. Two locations: Saint-Symphorien-d’Ozon and Argens-Minervois.
360°
Ergonomic analysis, 3D modeling and virtual reality, manufacturing in France, installation.
Awards and Certifications
EcoVadis Gold Medal 2026, which ranks SOA among the top 5% of companies assessed worldwide; ISO 9001 certification for quality; MASE certification for health, safety, and the environment; Qualianor certification in radiation protection (ref. 369 R), which authorizes us to operate in regulated nuclear environments; and membership in the Nuclear Valley competitiveness cluster.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Experience Center
Where is the SOA Experience Center located?
At the SOA offices, located at 18 rue Jules Ferry, 69360 Saint-Symphorien-d’Ozon (Rhône), in the Pontet industrial park, about 20 kilometers south of Lyon.
How do I visit the Experience Center?
By appointment only. Please contact us using the contact form and include your company name and project details. We’ll work with you to schedule a date.
Who is this tour for?
For businesses and local governments planning a control room, urban monitoring center, or crisis management center: this tool allows you to test workstation layouts, compare display solutions, or validate lighting choices before launching the project.
What can you see and try there?
Three spaces on a 1:1 scale: an entrance lobby, a control room with a custom-built electric console e and a six-screen Barco video wall , and a crisis room. Everything works on site: the video wall displays live footage from the building’s Hanwha Vision cameras, and the electrochromic glass, blinds, and circadian lighting are controlled via a tablet.
Plan Your Visit
The Experience Center, which opened on September 17, 2026, is open for tours by appointment to companies and local governments planning to build a control room, urban supervision center, or crisis center. Tours are conducted in small groups and led by our engineering department.
Learn more: SOA Experience Center: a real-life control room to explore near Lyon | Map of our projects | Our services | Our CSR commitment