2030
Digital
Decade
Annex
France
Report on the state of the Digital Decade 2023
EN
DIGITAL SKILLS
Digital Decade Country
Report 2023: France Slightly more than three out of five people in France have at least basic digital
skills. Nonetheless, scientific, digital and media literacy in all subjects at all levels
of formal education needs particular attention. The share of ICT specialists in total
France has untapped digital potential to contribute further to
employment is stable at 4.3%, slightly below the EU average (4.6%). The share of
the collective efforts to achieve the EU’s Digital Decade
women among ICT specialists is, at 19%, very close to the EU average of 18.9%.
targets. Given the size of the French economy and its population,
However, despite ambitious positive measures (Pix, Skills and Jobs of the Future),
current and future actions are expected to contribute significantly to
France has increased less than the EU average, and the country’s prospects are
such efforts. France has several digital strategies, broadly aligned
undermined by low rates of ICT enrolment and low numbers of graduates.
with the objective of the Digital Decade Policy Programme. France is
Significant efforts to improve digital skills are therefore crucial for the EU to reach
doing well as regards connectivity and start-ups and shows positive
the Digital Decade target on basic digital skills and ICT specialists.
trends in digital public services and human capital. However, the
digital transformation of the economy is uneven. In particular, whilst
the top innovating companies use and deliver advanced digital
technologies, there is not widespread use of basic technologies by
small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
France should accelerate its efforts in the area of digital skills.
France is collaborating with other Member States in exploring the In particular, France should implement measures to address all levels
possibility to set up a European Digital Infrastructure of education, especially the fundamental level in mathematics. In
Consortium (EDIC) on an Alliance for Language Technologies, to addition to boosting the investment for ICT specialists, particularly ICT
develop a common infrastructure in the field of natural language graduates, France should continue to upskill and reskill the workforce.
processing and large multi-language models.
Digital Decade Country Report 2023: France
DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE DIGITALISATION OF BUSINESSES
France has a strong performance in digital infrastructure. France should already achieve Digitalisation of businesses is an area where France needs to contribute more
full fibre roll-out in 2025. In 2022, there was particularly good overall coverage for fixed substantially. In 2022, 64% of SMEs used digital technologies, while the EU average was
fibre connections, reaching 73% of households, and the rural/urban divide has been 69%. SME use of digital technologies in France is still far from the Digital Decade
narrowing. However, efforts to continue fibre roll-out need to be maintained in France’s objective of 90% and the pace of progression is still insufficient to foster its achievement.
outermost regions and in rural zones. Thanks to the ‘New Deal’ plan, mobile coverage in 4G Likewise, France businesses have an untapped potential when it comes to uptake of
covers all populated areas and 5G roll-out is going well for voice and internet applications, advanced digital technologies, although for several years the France Num initiative has
covering 88% of populated areas. New 5G applications are being tested in pilot projects. been delivering training and support to SMEs for using digital technologies. Further,
The environmental aspect of digital sectors has been the focus of several laws.
France participates in the Next Generation Cloud Infrastructure and Services.
Cybersecurity is increasingly being addressed but still needs to be stepped up in support of As regards establishing technology start-ups and scale-ups, France has succeeded in
SMEs. A strategy for semiconductors, including public funding, is supporting French and EU nurturing a very favourable ecosystem, considered to be the second best in Europe. 36
industrial sovereignty: it is in line with the EU Chips Act. The country participates in the companies are considered unicorns in France (a sharp increase from 22 the year before)
Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) on Microelectronics and and 82 companies reached a market valuation of between EUR 100 million and EUR 1
Communication Technologies with 15 direct participants focusing on a wide range of areas billion. International attractiveness is high for entrepreneurs and they are able to access
including substrates, power, sensing, packaging, automotive, photonics, telecom, aerospace finance. European Digital Innovation Hubs have been selected, and most are expected to
and defence. France aims to become a key player in quantum computing and plans to be deployed by early 2023.
deploy Euro quantum communication infrastructure. It also participates in the European
programme for high-performance computing (EuroHPC).
France should step up its efforts in the area of digitalisation of
businesses. In particular, it should take specific action to improve SME rate
of digitalisation, including in advanced technologies.
France should continue implementing its policies on digital infrastructures. In particular
France should further improve its 5G spectrum readiness making the remaining priority bands
available. France is also encouraged to continue its activities regarding the environmental
aspect of digital sectors, as well as in the areas of quantum and semiconductors in order to help
the EU become a strong market player in these areas.
Digital Decade Country Report 2023: France
DIGITALISATION OF PUBLIC SERVICES Digital in France’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP)
Access to public services in France is slightly below the EU average both for
citizens and for businesses. However, there are many projects underway to
The French RRP amounts to EUR 40.3 billion, with 22% of it (i.e., EUR 8.1 billion)
address this. France has put in place an observatory concerning people’s
allocated to digital transformation, of which EUR 7.7 billion will be spent on
digital practices and has started efforts to use cloud more systematically.
efforts to achieve the Digital Decade targets 10. On 19 August 2021, the
Electronic identification is in place for several services and the use of the
Commission disbursed the pre-financing of EUR 5.1 billion. In the context of the
European solution is considered and would need to be accelerated. The Inter-
first payment request, France achieved 38 milestones and targets, leading the
ministerial Direction of Digital (DINUM) provides a platform for open data
Commission to disburse 7.4 billion in Q1 2022. Some milestones were related to
(data.gouv.fr) and follows concrete actions in 15 ministries. Additional
measures in the digital area, such as accelerating six key digital technologies
measures are needed to support users who have difficulties to access digital
(quantum, cybersecurity, education, cultural industries, 5G and cloud) and
public services, in particular health records.
increasing the resources of France Compétences. The French RRP also includes
measures to address the public health sector (EUR 2 billion), training and
education (apprentice contracts, training for digital skills, digital learning contents,
and a plan for remote learning), digital public services (EUR 500 million), the
‘France Très Haut Débit’ plan (EUR 240 million) and digital devices for schools.
France should accelerate its efforts to digitalise public services. In
particular, it should complement the RRP funding of hardware equipment
in hospitals with measures to involve users and adapt the organisation to
the new data flows. Public authorities should take measures to further
strengthen the alignment of the different administrative levels involved
and to improve the interoperability, effectiveness and availability of online
public services, in particular in the healthcare sector.
1 Based on Annex VII of the RRF Regulation. Furthermore, a qualitative assessment of the
data took place to allow for an estimation of the possible contribution of RRF measures to the
Digital Decade targets and the remaining part is also supporting the general objectives of the
Digital Decade. This applies to all descriptions of the RRPs included in this Annex.
The information provided refers to the Recovery and Resilience Plan as adopted by the Council
before 1 September 2023, without prejudice to potential ongoing revisions of the plan.
