Brittany wants to strengthen its economic attractiveness

The question of the attractiveness of territories is at the heart of current events. To maintain a strong Europe internationally, we must invest in the regions of each country. Brittany is part of this strategy with its Breton Economic Forum, 5th edition which is held for two days.

The regions participate, at their level, in the attractiveness of France and in the West, the Breton Economic Forum is held for two days, Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 September in Saint-Malo.

The question of the attractiveness of territories is topical, because this week, the report by the former president of the ECB, Mario Draghi, calls on Europe to invest massively to maintain its rank on the international scene. Investments that go through what are called “territories”. Thus, maintaining regional sovereignty within Europe will be much discussed during these two days, where 4,500 decision-makers are expected.

To be part of this strategy, Brittany must promote its assets. The unemployment rate in Brittany is 6% of the working population, which places the region at the top of the best performers, in first place nationally in job creation, according to INSEE. A growing number of service and construction companies, as well as laboratories, are moving there. Many positions are thus created, even if the offer concerns increasingly qualified jobs, which creates an imbalance between white-collar workers, executives, and blue-collar workers, manual workers.

However, a survey by the Banque de France shows that the Breton economy is not spared by the general wait-and-see attitude of entrepreneurs. Without mentioning a recession, the Central Bank predicts that this year 2024 should mark a pause in investment by local businesses.

In fact, Brittany has opted for a specific tactic. The emphasis is on relocations. But rather than attracting production sites and reindustrializing already well-supplied areas, it prefers to convince companies to choose the region to make part of their purchases. Public aid is, for example, easier to obtain for regional companies that source locally. Being Breton and sourcing in Brittany has social and environmental advantages, with short supply chains.