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.
Investing in safe and trustworthy AI: a European imperative, a French opportunity
AI is a unique opportunity for France and Europe to position itself as a leader in safe and trustworthy AI.
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.
Digital infrastructures are crucial to French sovereignty and competitiveness, in the face of American and Chinese domination. Institut Montaigne proposes 9 strategic recommendations for structuring cloud, 5G and data processing, focusing on energy, talent and targeted funding.
Cross-border data flows govern almost everything we do today. States are facing a dilemma between protection of their data and benefits from free-flow. Europe faces a challenge from the US, the dominating actor in the digital world, and a threat from China’s authoritarian model. Europe must make choices to strengthen its position in the digital field.
Europe faces a long-term resilience and competitiveness challenge, for which it has two main tools to act: industrial policies and controls over technology transfers.