France 2030: the first results of the investment plan

Launched by the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron at the end of 2021, the France 2030 investment plan, intended to promote economic growth, was also thought of as a key lever for the reindustrialization of the country. In June 2023, nearly twenty months after its launch, the first results were unveiled. So, France 2030, where are we?

"Building the France of tomorrow": this is the main ambition of the France 2030 plan, put forward by the Government. To this end, ten objectives have been set, based on three challenges: to produce better, to live better and to better understand our world . The objectives, on the other hand, relate to decarbonization, the improvement of our quality of life or the deepening of our knowledge. 54 billion euros have thus been invested so that companies, research organisations, schools and universities can move forward with their transition projects. With a very precise distribution: half of this envelope should be devoted to the decarbonization of the economy, and the other half allocated to emerging players who bring innovation.

Concretely, this budget therefore serves the reindustrialization of France, but also makes it possible to invest in technologies and to support the ecological transition. The “First Factory” call for projects, for example, supports start-ups in moving from the innovation stage to that of industrialisation. Last May, 13 winners were selected, bringing the number of projects currently supported by “Première factory” to 31. In addition, two calls for projects were also announced by the Government this summer to "support innovative and sovereign equipment in robotics".

More than simply catching up with France on all of these subjects, France 2030 aims to make France a major player on the international scene. At the end of the day, several promises, starting with a strong increase in GDP and the creation of new jobs.

France 2030, first encouraging results

On June 30, the first results of France 2030 were presented to the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, by Patricia Barbizet, president of the Monitoring Committee for Future Investments. This evaluation report provides an update on the progress of the various projects undertaken. At the end of April, 13.8 billion euros had been used, almost a quarter of the total budget allocated.

The evaluation report is rather positive regarding the potential impact of France 2030 on GDP. Indeed, according to Le Figaro, the document would report an "increase in GDP of between 40 billion euros and 80 billion euros by 2030". Rather promising results, therefore, in terms of the country's economic growth thanks to the actions of the investment plan. Similarly, encouraging results have been observed for work related to reindustrialisation. The Monitoring Committee considers that “the setting in motion of the economic sectors is obvious”, with projects – and progress – in hydrogen, the automobile or even space, for example.

From innovation to industrialization: supporting the players of tomorrow

This progress is due in particular to the various calls for projects carried out by the France 2030 plan, which intends to support the selected players at “each stage of the innovation cycle – including up to industrialization”, as the Government specifies. As part of the 2022-2023 innovation competition, 237 innovation players have been rewarded by the Government, in three sections. The first, i-PhD, supported research work aimed at creating start-ups with a technological breakthrough. The second, i-Lab, focused on public research projects linked to the creation of innovative companies. The third section, i-Nov, promoted innovation projects led by start-ups and SMEs.

But, in total, more than 1,900 projects have been supported by the State as of April 30. Work that has led to the filing of 2,000 patents, but has also enabled the creation or maintenance of 40,000 jobs. While the vast majority of projects are carried out in Ile-de-France, the entire territory is mobilised. In the regions, researchers, start-ups and other SMEs are working on innovative solutions, together redesigning the French ecosystem.

Pursue efforts: areas for improvement

However, the Supervisory Committee warns on certain points. Among them, the fact that half of the funds devoted to research projects should be dedicated to emerging companies, whose creation date does not exceed twelve years. However, this proportion is currently only 38%. The Committee also estimates that 23% of the projects supported have a “limited transformative scope”, even though they aim to transform the French economy. The procedural delays of the support mechanisms should be reduced, according to the report. In certain sectors, such as artificial intelligence or agriculture, investments could also be greater, in order to make France progress on these themes.

One thing is certain: for France 2030 to bear full fruit, efforts must be continued, taking into account the recommendations of the Committee. So that the France of tomorrow lives up to the ambitions set today!

The actions carried out within the framework of France 2030 are real development opportunities for SME managers, who have every interest in responding to the various calls for projects. For more information, consult the calls for applications.