France’s reindustrialisation will not mean returning to the factories of the past. Not everything will be relocated. However, the country must regain control over the activities, technologies and critical links in its industry. The goal is clear: produce more, reduce dependencies and pursue an industrial recovery that is compatible with climate challenges.
Regaining control over critical links
Rebuilding lasting industrial sovereignty does not mean producing everything in France. That would be unrealistic, and it is not the priority.
Some goods, technologies and areas of expertise are too important to depend on fragile and poorly controlled supply chains. The health crisis demonstrated this in the healthcare sector, but the same issues apply to agri-food, electronics, critical raw materials, industrial components, recycling, energy, low-carbon technologies and digital infrastructure.
An industrial sovereignty plan must focus on dependencies that could block production, weaken an entire sector or deprive companies of solutions in times of crisis. France Relance and France 2030 have therefore supported projects to strengthen or relocate the production of essential medicines, representing nearly €300 million in industrial investment. The aim is to secure national production of 42 essential medicines that are vulnerable to imports from outside Europe.
The value of factories in France lies not only in what they produce today, but also in the skills maintained on the territory and in innovation. Regaining control over critical links means creating the conditions needed to avoid suffering the next supply disruptions.
Producing in France, but producing differently
France cannot rebuild an industrial base using yesterday’s reflexes. Long value chains, production sites located far from markets and the pursuit of the lowest purchase cost have shown their limits. They weaken supply chains, extend lead times and often hide higher real costs.
Producing differently means considering the entire product life cycle: design, raw materials, manufacturing, transport, use, repair and recycling. Reindustrialisation therefore goes hand in hand with the circular economy, eco-design and the reduction of the carbon footprint.
This shift is not only environmental. It can also strengthen industrial autonomy. Recycling more, repairing better, reusing certain materials and bringing production closer to markets all help reduce dependencies while creating new activities in France.
Making industry a collective choice
Reindustrialisation also depends on those who buy, finance, train, distribute and develop local areas.
Major buyers have a direct role to play. A nearby supplier may cost more at the time of purchase, but offer shorter lead times, greater responsiveness, fewer logistical risks and better traceability. The listed price is therefore not always enough to measure the real cost of distant sourcing.
Public procurement can also have greater influence on industrial choices. It can support offers that create local jobs, reduce carbon impact, secure supply chains or preserve expertise. Distributors, for their part, understand market needs and can help manufacturers respond to them more quickly.
Finally, industrial recovery cannot happen without available skills. Local areas therefore have a key role to play in bringing training closer to business needs and making industrial professions more attractive again. Industrial sovereignty is also built within employment areas.
Modernising factories to produce sustainably in France
Robotics, automation, data, artificial intelligence, predictive maintenance… These tools make it possible to better manage production, limit defects, reduce energy consumption and monitor flows more effectively.
They also change skills requirements. Manufacturers must train profiles capable of operating equipment, using data, securing systems and adapting working methods. For every new machine, teams are needed to use it, improve it and turn it into a real lever for production in France.
Thinking about French sovereignty on a European scale
France cannot control every critical industrial link alone. For raw materials, semiconductors, batteries, hydrogen and clean technologies, the right scale is European.
The European Union has already begun to change direction. It is seeking to secure its supplies, produce more within its own territory and reduce certain strategic dependencies. Shared industrial projects also make it possible to finance sectors that each Member State would struggle to support alone.
This approach must help French manufacturers carry more weight against major economic powers. It can also bring more fairness back into trade, particularly when European companies invest to reduce their environmental impact.
Regained industrial sovereignty is not a step backwards. France will have to make strategic choices and sustain this ambition over time. That continuity is what will make the difference between a response to crisis and a genuine industrial recovery.
(1) French Government, Relocalisations de médicaments essentiels, press kit, 6 January 2025.