President of France wants to create the high-tech champions of the future with “France 2030”
Unveiling a massive € 30 billion (U.S. $ 35 billion) development roadmap titled, ‘France 2030’, the President of France – Emmanuel Macron today, i.e., Tuesday, October 21, 2021, said he wants to create the high-tech champions of the future and reverse years of industrial decline in the country.
France 2030 will foresee investing funds over 5 years in sectors including nuclear and renewable energy sources, electric cars, semiconductors and robotics. The announcement comes 6 months before the Presidential polls in France.
The France 2030 plan outlines the 10 objectives. These include:
- To promote the emergence of small, innovative nuclear reactors with better waste management
- To become the leader in green hydrogen
- To decarbonize the industry
- To produce nearly 2 million electric and hybrid vehicles
- To produce the first low-carbon aircraft
- To invest in healthy, sustainable and traceable food
- To produce 20 biomedicines against cancer and chronic diseases including those related to age and create the medical devices of tomorrow
- To place France again at the forefront of the production of cultural and creative content
- To take full part in the new space adventure
- To invest in the field of the seabed
Launching the France 2030 initiative, Macron tweeted (translated in English), “Today is the launch of a great adventure. We prepare the #France2030.” Original tweet in French:
Aujourd’hui est le lancement d’une grande aventure. Nous préparons la #France2030.https://t.co/ZRkl4ZW4eK
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 12, 2021
He further tweeted (translated in English), “Students, researchers, teachers, entrepreneurs, investors, civil servants, politicians, everyone has a role to play so that France becomes once again a great nation, which chooses its destiny and which makes its contribution to the world to live better in the face of its challenges.” Original tweet in French:
Étudiants, chercheurs, enseignants, entrepreneurs, investisseurs, fonctionnaires, responsables politiques, chacun a un rôle à jouer pour que la France redevienne une grande nation, qui choisit son destin et qui apporte sa contribution au monde pour mieux vivre face à ses défis. https://t.co/yv5tISlFbb
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) October 12, 2021
Of the total investment, half of the money will go to small companies, with a pledge to be green. If projects fail, the funds will quickly be reallocated. As far as break-up of investment is concerned, € 8 billion will go for nuclear, hydrogen and renewable energy, including to build a new small nuclear reactor, € 4 billion will go to transport and mobility, with a target to produce 2 million electric and hybrid vehicles and the first low-emission aircraft, € 1.5 billion will be spent on food and agriculture and another € 1.5 billion will be used for moonshot projects such as virtual reality, cultural production and seabed exploration. Besides, another € 6 billion will be spent on robotics. € 2 billion will be used for trainings for booming sectors. € 5 billion will be used for supporting industrial start-ups.
France wants to be a leader in green hydrogen by 2030 and build new, smaller nuclear reactors. The plan becomes important because the share of industry in the French economy has continuously declined and France hasn’t recorded a goods trade surplus since 2002.
Addressing the country from Elysee Palace, Macron said, “I want us to look ahead and see our weaknesses and strengths.”
Macron also said that France has under-invested in education, training and higher education. Macron is under pressure to show he can bring about the much-required industrial revolution, particularly in industrial heartlands, where he struggled to win votes in 2017.
The France 2030 comes a year after the 100 billion euro “France Relaunch” program, which also aimed to go beyond crisis spending to address the country’s longer-term problems of low investment and hiring.
