Carole Ferry, edited by Gauthier Delomez 11:11 a.m., February 23, 2022

Although many factories have closed their doors in recent decades, France still has industries of excellence that are reinventing themselves to continue to evolve.

France also welcomes companies that have decided to repatriate part of their production.

TO ANALYSE

France's industrialization is one of the keys to reducing the country's trade deficit, as several factories have closed in recent decades.

Industry accounted for 25% of national wealth 40 years ago, compared to 13% today.

However, some regions of France are pulling the industrial branch upwards.

Hauts-de-France, for example, attracts the automotive sector, with the Renault group which wants to open a battery production plant for its electric vehicles in Douai, in the North.

Europe 1 takes stock of the situation of the industry in France.

>> "Reindustrialize France": Europe 1 dedicates a special day

Toulouse, Clermont-Ferrand, Sochaux: these strongholds of French industry

In the south-west, in Occitania, there is of course the region of Toulouse with the aeronautical company Airbus.

France also has Michelin, the world leader in tires, which has been based in Clermont-Ferrand in Puy-de-Dôme for 130 years.

However, for the latter, the tires are almost no longer manufactured on site.

We have gone from 28,000 employees to 10,000 today, and professions have completely changed.

There is a research and development (R&D) center, a 3D printing factory...

In Clermont-Ferrand, there will soon be a university to train in industrial trades.

In reality, it is the industry that is changing.

In the other regions, there is Stellantis, the former Peugeot, in Sochaux, which made a huge profit in 2021. There are also the Atlantic shipyards in Saint-Nazaire.

Industrialization can be difficult, but a few industrial groups keep the French regions alive.

Why companies repatriate part of their production to France

Other companies are trying to relocate part, and not all of their production, to France.

Indeed, reindustrialization is not factories that are closed in China and opened in France.

The factories in Asia must stay there because the groups have markets.

In fact, companies decide to repatriate part of their production so as not to find themselves again with paralyzed cargo ships stranded in China.

These companies also choose "Made in France", which sells better.

Finally, there are new sectors that we are creating, such as hydrogen, electric batteries or medicines, which are the strategic sectors.