Nexans
French multinational cable manufacturer serving energy, infrastructure, telecommunications, transport and industrial markets.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Nexans S.A. is a French multinational manufacturer of electrical and communications cables headquartered in Paris. Its activities span energy transmission and distribution, construction wiring, telecommunications, data networks, transport, renewable energy, industrial applications and specialized infrastructure. The company is one of the largest cable manufacturers globally and is commonly described as the world's second-largest cable maker after Prysmian. The modern Nexans organization emerged in 2000 from the cable activities of Alcatel, the French telecommunications group. Alcatel had assembled a substantial cable portfolio through acquisitions, and Nexans was created as a dedicated business unit to manage and develop those operations. In 2001, the business was separated from Alcatel and listed on the Paris stock exchange, giving Nexans an independent corporate identity and access to public capital markets. Nexans operates across four broad business areas. Buildings and Territories covers electrical wiring and cable systems for buildings, local infrastructure, smart cities, electricity grids and electric-mobility installations. High Voltage and Projects serves large-scale power infrastructure, including land-based high-voltage links, subsea interconnectors and offshore wind-farm connections. Data and Telecoms supplies cables and related systems for telecommunications networks, fiber-to-the-x deployments, data transmission and local-area networks. The company also supplies specialized cable products and systems for sectors such as renewable energy, petroleum, railways and rolling stock, aerospace and industrial automation. The group has expanded through both organic development and acquisitions. A notable transaction was the completion in 2012 of the acquisition of Australian cable manufacturer Olex, after which the Australian operations were associated with the Nexans Olex name. The transaction strengthened Nexans in the Australian market and added manufacturing capacity, including the Lillydale plant in Victoria. The Lillydale facility has been described as Australia's second-largest cable production plant, behind Prysmian's Liverpool, New South Wales site. Nexans has also adjusted its geographic footprint in response to market conditions. In 2020, it closed its Chester, New York factory and withdrew from the United States building-wire market. The decision illustrated the difference between the company's global presence and its selective participation in individual product segments: Nexans continued to operate internationally while exiting a particular U.S. building-wire activity. In 2021, the group launched a new facility in China, supporting its presence in the Asian market. The company increasingly presents itself not simply as a cable producer but as an infrastructure and electrification partner. Its project portfolio includes subsea and terrestrial high-voltage systems, cables for offshore wind generation, grid interconnections, communications infrastructure and electric-vehicle charging environments. In 2022, Nexans signed an agreement to supply and install high-voltage direct-current cables for the EuroAsia Interconnector, a major subsea electricity link planned between Greece, Cyprus and Israel. The project was characterized in the reference material as the longest and deepest HVDC subsea cable project of its kind, involving two 900-kilometer bipolar cable systems. Nexans' brand positioning therefore combines industrial manufacturing with engineering, installation and lifecycle support. Its customers include utilities, construction companies, telecommunications operators, infrastructure developers, transportation organizations and industrial manufacturers. The business is exposed to long-term trends including electrification, renewable-energy deployment, grid modernization, digital connectivity and urban infrastructure development. Its exact current workforce, revenue and country count are not stated here and are therefore omitted.
History
Nexans' corporate history is rooted in the cable businesses assembled by Alcatel, the French telecommunications group. During the late twentieth century, Alcatel acquired companies and operations in the cable sector, creating a sizeable industrial portfolio that covered power, telecommunications and specialized cable applications. In 2000, those activities were organized under the Nexans name as an Alcatel business unit. The creation of a dedicated cable identity allowed the business to develop a clearer strategy around energy infrastructure, communications networks and industrial connectivity. Nexans became an independent listed company in 2001 when it was spun out of Alcatel and listed on the Paris stock exchange. This separation marked a major turning point: rather than operating primarily as a division of a telecommunications equipment group, Nexans could pursue cable manufacturing and infrastructure projects as its central business. The company subsequently developed an international operating model, combining manufacturing plants, engineering capabilities and project execution in multiple regions. The group's business expanded beyond conventional electrical wiring. Its portfolio came to include cables for buildings and local infrastructure, high-voltage land and subsea systems, communications networks, data centers and local-area networks. It also developed specialized applications for railways and rolling stock, renewable energy, petroleum, aerospace and automation. This diversification reduced the brand's dependence on a single cable market and positioned it to participate in long-term infrastructure trends such as grid modernization, renewable generation and digital connectivity. A significant expansion in Australia followed the acquisition of Olex, completed in 2012. The resulting Nexans Olex business added local manufacturing and market expertise. The Lillydale plant in Victoria became an important Australian production site and was described as the country's second-largest cable manufacturing plant after Prysmian's Liverpool facility in New South Wales. The transaction illustrated Nexans' use of acquisitions to establish or strengthen regional positions rather than relying solely on exports from Europe. Nexans has also periodically reshaped its operations. In 2020, the company closed its Chester, New York factory and exited the U.S. building-wire market. The move represented a withdrawal from a specific regional product segment, not a termination of the company's global activities. In 2021, the launch of a new facility in China demonstrated continued investment in selected international markets and helped maintain the group's manufacturing presence in Asia. The company has increasingly emphasized complete cable systems and major infrastructure projects. These activities include the design, manufacture, installation and support of high-voltage connections for power grids, offshore wind farms and subsea interconnectors. In 2022, Nexans signed an agreement connected with the EuroAsia Interconnector, under which it would supply and install HVDC subsea cables. The planned system comprises two bipolar cable links of approximately 900 kilometers each and was described as the longest and deepest HVDC subsea cable project of its kind in the supplied reference material. Today, Nexans is best understood as a global cable and electrification company rather than a consumer-facing wire brand. Its customers are primarily utilities, infrastructure developers, construction firms, telecommunications operators, transportation companies and industrial businesses. The brand's strategic relevance comes from its role in connecting power generation to consumers, extending communications networks and enabling specialized electrical systems. The supplied sources do not provide a complete current chronology of corporate leadership, detailed financial history or a full list of operating subsidiaries, so those areas remain unfilled.
- 2022
EuroAsia Interconnector cable agreement
[1]Nexans signed an agreement to supply and install HVDC subsea cables for the EuroAsia Interconnector.
- 2021
New Chinese facility opens
[1]Nexans launched a new facility in China, adding capacity to its Asian operating network.
- 2020
U.S. building-wire exit
[1]The Chester, New York factory was closed and Nexans withdrew from the U.S. building-wire market.
- 2012
Olex acquisition is completed
[1]Nexans completed its acquisition of Australian cable maker Olex, expanding its regional operations and manufacturing footprint.
- 2001
Nexans is spun out and listed in Paris
[1]Nexans separated from Alcatel and became a publicly listed company on the Paris stock exchange.
- 2000
Nexans is created as an Alcatel cable business unit
[1]Alcatel organized its cable-sector activities under the Nexans name, creating the corporate platform that would later become an independent company.
Products and positioning
A global engineering-led cable and electrification company focused on reliable energy transmission, digital connectivity and specialized infrastructure applications.
Buildings and Territories
Building and local-infrastructure cables
Nexans supplies electrical wires and cables used in buildings, local infrastructure, smart-city projects and electricity distribution environments. These products support conventional power distribution as well as newer applications such as electric-vehicle charging and connected urban infrastructure. The category covers the cabling needed to move electricity safely through construction and territorial networks.
High Voltage and Projects
High-voltage land and subsea cable systems
High-voltage cables form a core part of Nexans' infrastructure portfolio. The company supplies systems for land-based transmission, subsea interconnections and offshore wind projects. These offerings extend beyond manufactured cable to include engineering and installation for complex power links, including high-voltage direct-current systems used to connect distant generation and transmission networks.
Data and Telecoms
Telecommunications and fiber-optic cables
Nexans produces cable solutions for telecommunications networks, data transmission and fiber-to-the-x deployments. These products support the physical connectivity required by broadband networks and other communications infrastructure. The business also covers cabling for local-area networks and related data environments.
Industrial and specialized applications
Specialized industrial and transport cables
The company's specialized portfolio serves railways and rolling stock, aerospace, petroleum, renewable-energy installations and industrial automation. Such cables are designed for demanding operating conditions or sector-specific requirements, including mobility, industrial control and energy-generation environments.
Brand decisions
2022
EuroAsia Interconnector project agreementOtherBackground
The planned EuroAsia Interconnector required specialized long-distance, deep-water HVDC subsea cable systems to link electricity networks involving Greece, Cyprus and Israel.
Action taken
Nexans agreed to supply and install two bipolar HVDC cable systems of approximately 900 kilometers each.
Aftermath
The agreement reinforced Nexans' positioning in large-scale subsea power interconnection and renewable-energy infrastructure projects.
2020
Exit from the U.S. building-wire marketStrategyBackground
Nexans reviewed its North American operating footprint and decided to leave the U.S. building-wire segment.
Action taken
The company closed its Chester, New York factory and exited the relevant U.S. building-wire activity.
Aftermath
The decision narrowed Nexans' U.S. building-wire presence while the group continued to operate internationally in other cable and infrastructure markets.
Recent events
- 2022
Nexans agrees to supply and install EuroAsia Interconnector HVDC cables[1]
Product launch · Other
Nexans signed an agreement to supply and install high-voltage direct-current subsea cables for the EuroAsia Interconnector, a planned electricity link involving Greece, Cyprus and Israel.
- 2021
Nexans launches a new facility in China[1]
Other
Nexans opened a new facility in China, expanding its manufacturing and operating presence in the Asian market.
- 2020
Nexans closes Chester, New York factory and exits U.S. building-wire market[1]
Other
The company shut its Chester, New York manufacturing facility and left the United States building-wire market as part of a change to its regional business footprint.
- 2012
Nexans completes acquisition of Olex[1]
M&A
Nexans completed the acquisition of Australian cable manufacturer Olex, strengthening its Australian cable business and adding the Olex operations to its international manufacturing network.
Sources3 sources
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