France is looking to supercharge its electronics industry
In 2024, the French government – as part of the France 2030 investment plan – is looking to create 18,000 jobs in the electronics sector as the country is looking to address the economic consequences of COVID-19.
As French President Emmanuel Macron stated in November 2022, France 2030 is all about creating a turning point – a response to a changed world. The programme, which was launched in 2021 and has a budget of EUR 54 billion, is looking to boost strategic sectors within the country’s borders, among them the electronics sector.
France 2030 has stepped up its deployment to shape our ecosystems and sustainably transform key sectors of our economy through innovation, industrialisation and research. This priority government policy has one clear ambition: “to position France not only as a player but as a leader in the world of tomorrow.”
To reach this goal, the French government lists 10 objectives and 6 conditions for success to achieve them. which covers everything from developing small nuclear reactors in the country to becoming a leader in green hydrogen, develop cutting-edge renewable energy technologies and producing low-carbon aircrafts.
To reach these 10 objectives the government has determined that a secure access to strategic components, including electronics, robotics and smart machines is a must. Therefore, France is looking to double its production capacity of advanced electronic components; positioning itself at the forefront of global research (THz components, etc.) and training the necessary talents at all levels of qualification.
France 2030 will finance semiconductor component production plants, most notably in Crolles (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), with the aim of doubling the country’s production capacity. In robotics, a scheme has been opened to identify potential solutions for the “industry of the future”.
There is currently a lot of movement within the French electronics industry. The domestic electronics industry continues to expand and has numerous strengths that will allow it to continue growing rapidly, which is why Evertiq is bringing its Expo to France in 2024.
Ready, Set and Ramp
According to data published by electronics manufacturer Lacroix Group, the French electronics sector generates around 300,000 jobs and EUR 15 billion in revenue in France. 80,000 direct jobs, 170,000 indirect jobs, and 8,000 opportunities for public researchers are generated by this sector alone.
The “Electronique 2030” programme, part of the France 2030 investment plan, aims to keep France in a leading position and address current and future challenges in electronics – from upstream research to applications.
Within its 2030 plan, the French government is looking to create 18,000 new jobs in the electronics sector by 2024. 10,000 additional people trained in electronics and robotics are also deemed as needed. Under the programme, France is investing EUR 5.4 billion to decrease its dependency on a handful of foreign giants – as well as doubling the country’s semiconductor production capacity.
The French government says that it will prioritise securing a technological head start for new manufacturing technologies and developing its production capacities by attracting large installations to overcome current dependency.
As a tangible example the government points to the future megafab in Crolles – spearheaded jointly by STMicroelectronics and GlobalFoundriers – for the production of electronic components using FD-SOI technology, an area of excellence of the European research and industry ecosystem.
Join us at Evertiq Expo Sophia Antipolis on February 8, 2024, as we dig deeper into the French market, investments and the competitive landscape of the European electronics industry.
