French industry is resisting the rise in energy prices. Last year, 150 industrial sites with more than 10 employees opened their doors in France. There are more than 70 that were forced to close, according to the latest Trendeo study broadcast by the echoes.
A very positive balance, therefore, to which the company Vektor, which chose to establish its battery cell factory in Dunkirk, or STMicroelectronics, which has invested massively in semiconductors near Grenoble, have contributed in particular.
The energy transition has also made it possible to support this dynamic with several openings of factories specialized in waste treatment. The same observation is made in the aeronautical construction and gas and electricity production sectors.
Difficulty breathing
If France gained factories in 2022, the impact of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis was still felt. For comparison, 180 new factories were opened in 2021, 30 more than last year. Of course, there was the effect of the government’s recovery plan, but the energy crisis and the uncertain economic environment also led many manufacturers to postpone or cancel their projects initially planned for 2022.
However, the opening of industrial estates allowed the creation of more jobs last year (41,500) than in 2021 (33,700). In other words, projects have been fewer in number but larger in size in 2022. It remains to be seen if this dynamic will continue as some fear that the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will trigger a wave of relocation in an increasingly competitive environment. .
Source: BFM TV
