DÉCRYPTAGE – Requested by the state, the automotive sector, including Renault, is studying how to work for defense. The aerospace sector too. But there are obstacles.
France is not at war, but conflicts are multiplying at the borders of Europe. The focus is on rearmament. For this, the country can rely on its defense industrial and technological base, which includes 9 major groups and around 4,500 subcontracting SMEs. But the civil industry is also called upon to support this escalation. Particularly those in the automotive sector.
The main objective of the government? To catch up with its delay in drones, both aerial and land-based, which have become essential in modern conflicts. The state hopes to create a sovereign sector where critical components would be supplied by French or European companies. With their radars, lidars, technologies in autonomous driving, as well as their ability to mass produce and at a lower cost, automotive manufacturers like Renault and Stellantis, equipment suppliers (Valeo, Forvia, OPmobility), and their suppliers have a lot to offer.
