62% increase in production site projects in 2021 in France

French consulting firm Ancoris recorded 323 new openings at manufacturing sites in France in 2021, up 62% year-on-year, hereby confirming the trend seen in the 2021 industrial report produced by the weekly business magazine L’Usine Nouvelle. These projects were mainly new factories and expansions of existing sites and stood out in terms of their scale: 20% of manufacturing projects accounted for at least 50 jobs.

This acceleration of the reindustrialization of France was also evident in Business France’s “2021 Annual Report: Foreign investment in France”, which featured 460 foreign industrial projects (up 50%!), generating more than 15,000 jobs.

Ancoris’ findings also revealed that the sectors relating to the ecological transition were growth engines, with projects in this sector up 19% last year. They benefited from the new provisions of the “Climate and Resilience” Act and the “Relaunch France” plan. What’s more, many projects focused on the recovery of industrial waste, urban agriculture, hydrogen production and green chemistry. The setting up of new projects depends on R&D ecosystems and training as well as proximity to suppliers. Businesses are looking for a workforce that is qualified and available within close proximity to training centers. The importance for them is being surrounded by the best people to anticipate market developments.

Reindustrialization must respect new environmental standards and local authorities are often faced with a land crisis. Many rehabilitation projects, particularly of former industrial wastelands, are being carried out in parallel. The “wasteland” fund, which is a part of the “Relaunch France” plan, has been a resounding success. The third scheme, launched on February 15, 2022, was allocated €100 million. 

Ancoris is a consulting firm specializing in the economic development and attractiveness of local authorities. It was formed by the merger of Acsan (sold by Axtom) and Regional Partner.