What have been the key milestones in Business France’s development since its creation?
Business France was born from the merger of two existing agencies. We had to make that merger a reality on the ground, meaning, ensuring we had a single operator carrying both the appeal of France for foreign investors and the international expansion of our domestic companies. That was the first phase, between 2015 and 2017, which successfully established the agency’s unified identity today.
You can analyze our business through two primary indicators. The first is that our agency’s core strength lies in our intimate knowledge of foreign decision-makers. We know who invests, who buys, and who distributes. That is where our power lies: taking this deep market knowledge and transforming it into concrete projects and business. When you meet an investor, they are a potential buyer. When you meet a buyer, they are a potential investor. They aren’t always the same individuals within an organization, but the two functions converge.
The second indicator is that all these investment and export activities converge toward a single ultimate KPI: job creation in France. Business France is a job creator. Export public policy is perhaps the most cost-effective public policy when it comes to employment. We measure the jobs created or safeguarded annually, whether through our Invest or Export branches. We hover around 60,000 jobs created per year. Jobs mean tax and social security revenue. We could even add a third convergence: local communities. Exports start in France, and foreign investments land in France. This often plays out in our local territories, in towns of under 20,000 people where our teams are actively on the ground.
Starting in 2017, we moved into a new phase by proactively embracing the French regional devolution law (Loi NOTRe), which gave regional governments new responsibilities for international development. We made a very strong commitment to partnership, which birthed the Team France Export strategy. I often use this analogy: there is gray matter in France, and there is gray matter abroad. We are the synapse that allows information and momentum to flow between the two. Without us, that connection simply doesn’t exist. We created a core task force combining Chambers of Commerce, Bpifrance, and Business France, under the authority of the State and the Regions. From there, we brought in private partners, and Altios became a prime example of this highly structured collaboration.
Finally, since 2020, we have entered a third phase: dealing with the “darker side” of globalization. First came COVID, where our setup allowed us to keep operating through the Export Recovery Plan. Then, over the past year and a half, the era of unchecked “frictionless globalization” ended, replaced by the return of geopolitics and heavy state intervention. A public operator has a crucial role to play here. We have to execute highly targeted public policies (AI, Ambition Africa, Vision Golfe, France 2030 Export) while ensuring a baseline public service to meet the vital needs of businesses. The final requirement is state efficiency: being a rigorous operator that spends money as wisely as possible to maximize performance.
In numbers, this means supporting nearly 25,000 export projects a year for 11,000 companies across sixty countries. We handle two-thirds of all foreign direct investment (FDI) projects into France, and we currently have 11,500 young professionals deployed abroad through the V.I.E program (over 130,000 since the program’s inception).
On a personal note, what is your proudest career achievement, and what is your biggest regret?
My primary point of pride is having co-founded the Ubifrance agency in 2008 alongside Christophe Lecourtier. We managed to build a genuine culture of customer service and high performance within a public sector framework. I truly believe you can modernize the government through public agencies, provided you implement simple foundational keys: accountability, multi-year planning, and staying the course.
I’d add a human point of pride: working alongside people of 65 different nationalities in service to France. Seeing Francophones and Francophiles from all over the world make France “their country” to some extent is proof that our culture can resonate anywhere.
My regret is structural. I haven’t yet managed to convince the State that Business France is an investment, not a cost center. Our operating model costs the government less than €90 million a year, but we directly return over €120 million annually in taxes and VAT generated by our own revenues. Indirectly, our contribution to job creation generates between €1.8 and €2 billion in annual payroll tax revenues for the French social security system (Urssaf). We are an extraordinarily profitable tool, and it is my deep conviction, and regret, that the State hasn’t fully grasped this efficiency yet. It’s not a criticism, just a macroeconomic reality regarding how public spending is perceived. Business France isn’t just an org chart; it’s a culture of adaptability and solidarity.
How do you view the Booster program and France 2030 Export in supporting SMEs and mid-market companies?
You have to distinguish between two types of exporters. There are those who “make” foreign trade: 10,000 companies account for 93% of our goods exports. And then there are those who “live” on exports: for them, international business is vital to their survival and payroll, even if they barely move the needle on the national trade balance.
The Booster program caters exactly to this need for intensity. We first tested it in the US back in 2010 for the tech sector. The concept is simple: prepare, project, and set up locally. In this value chain, we need private partners like Altios because we don’t pretend to do everything ourselves. We establish initial trust using the “Marianne” (the French government’s official seal of approval), and then we bring the right players to the table.
Regarding France 2030 Export, we support the winners of the national investment secretariat (SGPI) with a focus on industrial sovereignty. I often point out that judging the French economy solely by its trade deficit is like measuring temperature with a barometer. France is a champion in three areas: exporting both goods and services (we are approaching €1 trillion if you include tourism), holding the title of Europe’s top FDI destination for six consecutive years, and boasting 53,000 foreign subsidiaries (far more than Germany or Italy). That triad is the true source of our economic power.
How do you see the future of public-private partnerships looking ten years ahead?
I am convinced that French companies are not present enough abroad. Our job is to go grab these companies and say, “Let’s go together.” It’s a bit like skydiving lessons. You can convince a CEO to get in the plane, but if right before they jump you tell them, “Alright, you’re on your own now,” they’ll back out immediately! You have to be in the plane, hold their hand during the jump, and stick around for the acrobatics afterward.
We need more structured private partners orbiting us. As a public entity, we can’t just seal a deal with a handshake with anyone; we have to organize this ecosystem methodically. Sometimes we spend too much time focusing on the 10% of things we do together; I would rather we focus on the 90% of things we do differently. The future lies in this complementarity, where everyone knows their place.
Business France and Altios have been working together for a long time. How did this collaboration begin?
I was actually the one who brought Altios back into the partnership with Ubifrance in 2013. I remember it vividly. I told my directors, “I have a gold-standard partner, and it’s Altios.” Some of them looked at me wide-eyed, but I knew how good they were, particularly in Brazil. When you’re a great player, it’s easy to get drafted to the team. It is a point of pride to have re-injected Altios into our ecosystem. We don’t do the same things: Business France opens doors and makes the introductions; Altios takes over for the long-term operational setup.
What advice would you give to Altios for the next 10 years?
Three areas strike me as decisive.The first is geopolitics. Companies are going to need someone to decode a shifting world. Not abstract geopolitics, but the actionable stuff that impacts them directly: supply chain risks and the opportunities hidden within new strategic alliances.
The second is speed. Business cycles are compressing, and macroeconomic shocks are multiplying. Altios must help its clients build flexibility and resilience. There is a golden rule in business: never lose your best client and never rely on just one.
The third is Artificial Intelligence. It is going to completely overhaul our industries. The strategic challenge will be defining the human’s place in an automated chain. My conviction is that the more technology we deploy, the more a localized, human touch will be required to persuade people and guide decision-making. AI should free up time for high-value advisory work, not replace it.
Do you have 3 pieces of advice for an SME or mid-cap CEO looking to accelerate their global expansion?
A project, a team, a business plan. Those are the three pillars:
First, the Project: It can’t just be an opportunistic whim because you received an inquiry via email. You need a structured vision, a deep understanding of your market positioning, and a clear differentiating value proposition.
Next, the Team: Global business is all about cultural sensitivity and high energy. You need boots on the ground. You cannot succeed in the US without Americans. Hire V.I.E.s! It is the absolute secret sauce of exporting. You have to experience it firsthand early on to truly grasp its power.
Finally, the Business Plan: Crunch the numbers. How much will it cost? What does your financial trajectory look like if the contracts only close in two years? This forces you to ask the hard questions before a crisis forces them upon you.
Beyond these pillars, you need sheer grit, what the Brazilians call “garra”, or claws. Going global is a team combat sport. We can help sharpen your claws, but at the end of the day, they are the entrepreneur’s claws. No amount of consulting can ever replace the CEO’s own conviction.
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