French industry bounces back, with twice as many factory openings as closures in 2021

The 2021 industrial report from the weekly business magazine L’Usine Nouvelle has concluded that there have been twice as many factory openings as closures this year, following a reduction in the number of factories in 2020.

As of November 18, 2021, 53 industrial sites had been created or reopened versus 24 closures across France’s regions. The report also recorded 31 business expansions and 25 significant investments. However, the pace of the recovery in industrial activity varies, depending on the sector.

Industrial investment in France has been further boosted by the €2.9 billion in subsidies granted to all industrial sectors under the “Relaunch France” plan. These investments apply to strategic production units, logistics hubs and R&D centers. France is rich in expertise, particularly in the agri-food, energy and health sectors. It also boasts numerous innovative startups committed to the ecological transition.

One such example is Baudelet Environnement, a company originally from Blaringhem (Hauts de France region), which now operates a railway waste recovery site in Grémonville (Normandie). Not to mention Carbios, a startup which uses an enzymatic recycling process to depolymerize the polyethylene terephthalate found in various plastics and textiles, which has invested in a former Michelin site in Clermont-Ferrand (Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region).