The 17th edition of the Estates of France is being held this Tuesday in Paris. Twenty pieces of advice will be debated before being sent to the government.
To be attractive in 2030, France will have to be “innovative, sustainable and inclusive“: the tone is set for this 17th edition of the States of France, launched this Tuesday at the Palais d’Iéna in Paris. During this day, several debates will focus on the attractiveness of the country, the reindustrialization of the territory and the ecological transition.
Many leaders will be present, like Eric Lallier, CEO of Lenovo, Francesco Tramontin, vice-president at Ferrero, Olivier Rouvière, CEO of Otis France or Doris Birkhofer, president of Siemens France. In addition to the thirty or so decision-makers, other figures are responding to the call, such as Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, president of Medef, as well as Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for the Digital Transition and Telecommunications, who will deliver the closing speech of the ‘event.
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More than twenty recommendations will be announced at the opening and will feed the round tables throughout the day. 65 French managers of foreign companies worked on this subject during the Bercy Conference on August 29th. Objective: to face the new challenges threatening the French economy, including ecology, inflation, rising interest rates, the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis.
Once amended at the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), this advice will then be given to Emmanuel Macron as well as to the members of the government concerned. “The attractiveness of France in terms of foreign investment is still topical, but it is never certain. This is why it is important that we, the foreign companies, continue to make recommendations to the government to maintain this attractiveness and the economic influence of France.“, explains Caroline Gaye, general manager of American Express.
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Stimulating innovation from an early age
The 24 tips are divided into several categories, the first of which concerns energy and the climate issue. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, leaders recommend the introduction of simplified contracts and one-stop shops to incentivize business investment in energy efficiency. Tendering procedures also benefit from being simplified to allow the deployment of electrification or decarbonization projects. “My conviction is that it is our collective responsibility to accelerate the deployment of existing digital solutions and technologies allowing a more intelligent use of energy (a building management system makes it possible, for example, to achieve up to 30% energy savings) and to make decarbonization a lever to help the reindustrialization of France“, details Doris Birkhofer, president of Siemens France.
Another example, at European level, one of the proposals refers to “the importance of France and Germany both affirming their support for the Commission and expressing their willingness to play an active role in the European Solar Industry Alliance“. Yet another suggests increasing the price of carbon, a “strong financial lever that can act effectively to generate a reaction and an adaptation of production methods“.
Innovation and modernization are also at the heart of the recommendations. Concretely, the leaders suggest to “sustain a significant portion of French GDP devoted to research and development (R&D)“. Start-up incubators are also vectors for discussion and reflection. The ultimate objective is to duplicate the Station F model, based in Paris, in order to “facilitate access to foreign groups“. But there is no question of forgetting the SMEs and ETIs which must be helped to “modernize their industrial and logistical tool“.
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Young people are the spearhead of all these advances. The participants recommend raising the awareness of guidance counselors and encouraging company visits from middle school. Emphasis should be placed in particular on the variety of professions in the industrial sector, in particular with “profiles young, female, disabled, from underprivileged backgrounds and often little associated with the industry“. In addition, learning must be democratized “from 16 years old with a target of 300,000 additional apprentices in this age group“. Financial incentives could be created for setting up apprentice training centers (CFA) in the regions. However, seniors are not left out: keeping them employed and promoting the transmission of knowledge is essential. From the age of 57, a part-time “transmissioncould be put in place, accompanied by public co-financing, say the participants.
The decision-makers hope to convince the government of the merits of their proposals, which aim to strengthen the country’s resilience and attractiveness, at a time when the French economy is facing a “series of shocks“. It remains to be seen whether the authorities will hear and take up their suggestions.