What assessment for reindustrialization in France?

The health crisis and the availability of raw materials and energy have reignited the debate on the importance of relocating part of industrial production for strategic sectors, such as the food industry. Today, there are many relocation and reindustrialization projects in France.

• In 2021, France saw an increase in the establishment of new factories. Among them, the agri-food sector represents 97 takeover or relocation projects in mainland France and in the DROMs. This increase receives 132 million euros from the State to finance them.
• In April 2022, BpiFrance launched a call for projects of 300 million euros, “France 2030”, aimed at agrifood and agricultural companies to supplement the war in Ukraine and reform a strategic industrial network.
• The objective is to :
  • Reduce our dependence on extra-European imports
  • Meeting the food challenges of the future
  • Develop the energy transition
  • Support the resilience of agricultural value chains

85% of French industrial SMEs and ETIs declare that they have all their production sites in France. Among them, 1 in 5 companies declares that they want to open their new sites on the national territory.

For 58% of respondents, the current situa. tion of supply chains is a key factor in the choice to relocate production sites. Indeed, 82% of agri-food companies are affected by raw material shortages. National preference is the 2nd reason, followed in 3rd by environment and ecological transition. 

Finally, relocating also means transforming factories to make them more efficient through robotization and AI. Thus, the jobs generated are therefore positions specific to this sector or even “new professions”. 94% of leaders say digital helps them continue and grow their business. However, half of them say that digital has had a hard time taking hold, due to lack of internal skills. Also, it is necessary to recruit the right people to initiate the change and bring about the transition.

Leaderia welcomes this revival of the agri-food industry and offers to connect executives and managers through permanent recruitment or transition management to accelerate the relocation of our know-how.