Dunkirk embodies France's industrial revival: a strategic region where decarbonisation, reindustrialisation and public-private investment come together. This report by the Institut Montaigne identifies the conditions that have enabled this momentum and proposes 10 concrete recommendations to sustainably strengthen national and European industrial ambition.
The Chips Diplomacy Support Initiative (CHIPDIPLO) is an 18-month project led by the Institut Montaigne and co-funded by the European Commission. It aims to strengthen Europe's semiconductor strategy in the face of geopolitical tensions. Its objectives are to anticipate industrial risks, coordinate member states' policies and develop international partnerships. The consortium brings together experts, industrialists and researchers to analyze the challenges and provide recommendations to the EU. CHIPDIPLO supports the EU Chips Act and promotes Europe's attractiveness for innovation and investment.
Europe stands at a critical turning point in its clean-energy transition. Its dependence on Chinese-controlled value chains for batteries, solar, wind and other core technologies threatens long-term competitiveness and industrial sovereignty. This paper argues that market access should require strong local value chains through EU-majority joint ventures and tailored local content rules. It identifies gaps in the EU framework and presents concrete recommendations and a 2026–2035 roadmap to secure Europe’s technological autonomy.
China’s Stockpiling: Domestic Resilience, Global Influence
China is massively expanding strategic reserves of food, energy and critical minerals to shield itself from global shocks, stabilise prices and build geopolitical leverage. For Europe, this stockpiling strategy is a wake-up call. The EU must prioritise which materials to secure, decide how to share costs, and choose whether to act at national or European scale. Doing nothing may leave Europe dangerously exposed.
Amid US-China rivalry and Russia’s war, Europe’s semiconductor sector faces uncertainty beyond Wassenaar. CHIPDIPLO outlines four scenarios to 2029, guiding EU strategies for tech transfer and competitiveness.
The EU is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050, but remains dependent on critical materials dominated by China. This note explores the geopolitical challenges and the levers for sustainable European industrial sovereignty.
Faced with the US trade offensive, China is resisting by rapidly diversifying its markets and moving upmarket in key sectors. Its dependence on exports remains a risk, underlining the importance of a united and strengthened European response.
Despite India's robust economic growth—8.4% in the last quarter of 2023—the economic relationship between Europe and India remains underwhelming. How can France and Europe fully capitalize on the "Indian moment" that is shaping the 21st century?
Xi Jinping’s era is marked by centralized power and surveillance, with China aiming for “socialist modernization” by 2035. While pursuing tech self-sufficiency and national security, challenges like demographic decline and economic strain persist. Taiwan's "reunification" and a zero-sum trade approach drive tensions. Four scenarios for China’s future emerge: dominance with minimal foreign pushback, fragmented resistance preserving balance, a unified global challenge, or a major conflict over Taiwan reshaping global power dynamics. Global unity will be crucial to influence China’s trajectory by 2035.