In an unprecedented event, jointly organized by the state, the Union of Industries and Trades of Metallurgy (UIMM), France Travail, and the military, aimed at bringing closer industrial and military fields, following increases in the defense budget. On the occasion of this first forum, 33 companies from the sector presented their activities to about 400 job seekers and 300 high school students.
Urgent Needs
“Our department is facing a significant need for industrialization,” said Jean-Marie Girier, prefect of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. To establish this assessment, the state representative relies on a survey by France Travail from last July, conducted among 200 business owners in the Basque Country, Béarn, and Bigorre. The result: an urgent need for recruitment in the sector, with 300 jobs in the next three months, and 700 jobs in a year and a half.
These recruitment needs stem directly from global geopolitical evolutions. The state plans to order more than 40 billion euros worth of military equipment from companies across the country in 2026. In this context, the territory could be a major asset. “The Southwest plays a major role in national defense, with the excellence of its aerospace industries,” said Jean-Marie Girier, citing companies like Safran, Dassault, Thales, and Lauak.
Consequence of Geopolitical Shifts
And these industrialists are feeling the political shifts. “Since the war in Ukraine, we have seen a continuous increase in production for civilian and military programs,” said a representative of the Safran factory in Oloron-Sainte-Marie, which collaborates directly with Dassault and Airbus, manufacturing, among other things, landing gear for Rafale fighter jets. Looking ahead to 2028, our order forecasts are skyrocketing.”
From the Bayonne-based company Akira Technologies, specialized in mechanical engineering, an increase in activities related to defense is also noted. “Closely linked to geopolitics, but also since the adoption of the Military Programming Law (LPM) in 2024,” added a company representative, working with the French missile manufacturer MBDA. This LPM legislation provides for a budget of over 400 billion euros for the armed forces by 2030, “in service of a sovereign France,” as noted by the Ministry of the Armed Forces on its website.
For now, the Industry and Defense Week continues throughout the department, including visits to partner companies for mobilized job seekers.
