Mélanie Cahin, Virtuo Industrial Property’s Director of Innovation, Sustainability and Projects: “There is no copy-and-paste in logistics”

“My role is to engage the company on innovation, new products and new ways of working,” explains Mélanie Cahin, Director of Innovation, Sustainability and Projects at Virtuo, a developer specializing in sustainable, innovative logistics real estate. We have also been a mission-driven company since 2023, which means incorporating environmental objectives into our corporate bylaws and adapting the way we operate to ensure they are met.” As chair of the mission committee, Mélanie Cahin therefore helps set the direction for Virtuo’s environmental strategy. “This was of course done with the ‘environment’ department, but it involves every department across the company,” she notes. Commitments have been made with all employees as well as people outside Virtuo: “Users, investors, consulting firms... They share their needs and best practices with us, and bring a fresh perspective to the development areas we could pursue.”.

Before taking on the role of Director of Innovation—which enables her to innovate by applying sustainability principles across the company, rather than only to a single project—Mélanie Cahin was a project manager at Virtuo. In particular, she oversaw the development of a new building in 2022, a project that was especially close to her heart. “We also received the SIMI award for this project in Compans, in Seine-et-Marne,” Mélanie Cahin says. Unlike a speculative development, the investor and tenant were already known for this project. We had therefore identified the requirements and constraints, enabling us to deliver a tailored solution.” By targeting an Excellent rating under BREEAM certification, Mélanie Cahin and Virtuo’s teams were able to test new technical solutions. “For example, we tested a white roof for the first time, which reduces the tenant’s energy consumption by limiting heat absorption, and used bio-based materials.” To limit the carbon footprint, work was also carried out on rainwater-harvesting systems to supply landscaped areas and charging facilities, ultimately obtaining BiodiverCity certification. “We were able to work on reducing the carbon footprint in a very comprehensive way,” she says with satisfaction, while regretting that certain innovations could not be implemented because their specifications did not meet current regulatory requirements.

Before joining Virtuo, Mélanie was already familiar with the construction industry, having completed her final-year internship at Elcimaï, a company specializing in building engineering. “This internship was part of my engineering-school program in Nancy, which I joined after an MPSI preparatory program (Mathematics, Physics and Engineering Sciences).” While construction was already part of her world, it was at Virtuo that Mélanie discovered logistics real estate . “That was when I discovered the differences with other sectors,” she recalls. For example, there are far more administrative issues involved! It can therefore take longer to bring a project to fruition than in office or residential real estate.” She also glimpsed a fascinating world in which it is easy to exchange with one’s peers and where “each project presents a new challenge. There is no copy-and-paste in logistics.”

More generally, she views the building sector as having the greatest carbon footprint, while also being the sector most affected by the consequences of climate change. “We therefore have an important role to play, and there is still a great deal to do, especially in logistics.” Given logistics-specific constraints, new products must be found, and regulations must also evolve to make innovation and carbon-impact reduction possible. “All logistics stakeholders must mobilize in that direction.”