exploitant

Exploitant is a French noun referring to the operator or manager of an enterprise, facility, or resource. The term is used in contexts where a person or organization is responsible for the day-to-day running of a project under an agreement, concession, lease, or license. It emphasizes the activity of exploitation and service delivery rather than ownership of the asset.

In agriculture, the expression exploitant agricole denotes the person who runs a farming business. This may be the landowner, a tenant, or another operator who conducts agricultural activities on the farm. The term helps distinguish the operator of the enterprise from the landowner or investor.

In industry, utilities, transport, and public services, exploitant commonly refers to the entity that operates a facility or service under a contractual framework. For example, the exploitant of a power plant, a railway line, a port, or a water utility is the party responsible for ongoing operations, maintenance, and service provision, possibly under a concession or public-private partnership. The precise meaning can vary with the context, and the role may align with related terms such as opérateur, concessionnaire, or prestataire, depending on the contractual arrangement.

In English, exploitant is often translated as operator or, in concession contexts, concessionaire. The term remains a neutral designation of the operational role rather than of ownership or capital stake.