“A cultural revolution is necessary, because we are in a world of shock”, according to Minister Delegate Olivier Becht

The Étincelle plan, presented Tuesday by Emmanuel Macron and Olivia Grégoire, the Minister of SMEs, aims to support French SMEs internationally. For Olivier Becht, Minister responsible for Foreign Trade, it is “a cultural revolution” necessary to make our businesses more resilient in the face of crises.

Companies must grow in order to conquer international markets. This is the wish of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, who brought together 100 promising companies on Tuesday November 21 at the Elysée. Olivier Becht, Minister Delegate, responsible for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French people living abroad, is tasked by the government with helping these SMEs develop internationally, with the aim of making them stronger.

franceinfo: Olivier Becht, why do SMEs have to grow to launch internationally?

Olivier Becht: They have to grow in general to be stronger and they have to be able to go internationally to grow too. It’s a condition. The Étincelle plan, which was presented by the President of the Republic and the Minister of SMEs, Olivia Grégoire, aims to support a certain number of SMEs in a very individualized manner to enable them to reach the intermediate size of more than 250 employees, which allows them to be stronger and above all more resilient in the face of crises.

Do you need to have a critical size to start exporting?

No, there are very small companies that are present in exports. On the other hand, to be able to grow, to reach this size of mid-sized companies, SMEs must go international. Just look at the big French groups. What allowed them to be great groups? It is precisely this ability to deploy internationally. When you look at Airbus or Véolia, number one environmental champion in the world, Vinci, LVMH, L’Oréal, Alstom or other large French groups, these are all groups that have gone international.

“We don’t have the American GAFA, the famous Google, Facebook, Amazon, but we have very large companies and companies that are world champions in their field. And they have done it thanks to the international.”

Olivier Becht

at franceinfo

But we still have the impression that there is a French specificity, French SMEs only represent 2% of the value of exports, it is 9% in Germany, 54% in Italy.

Yes, this French specificity means that our SMEs certainly feel very good in France, with a local market or a national market, but go very little internationally. I think, if you like, that France is a large market and therefore they have the capacity to do business while remaining in their market.

But Germany is a big market and Italy too.

My personal analysis is that France is a country which has a fairly pleasant geography and climate which has enabled food self-sufficiency. Other countries were not so lucky and were forced to import their food. So to import, you have to be able to export to exchange something.

“This culture of export, in Italy and Germany, is in the DNA of companies. We don’t even ask the question: you are a company, you go international. In France, it is not not the case, that needs to change.”

Olivier Becht

at franceinfo

It’s a cultural revolution. For what ? Because we are in a world of shock. And in this world of shock, you cannot depend on just one market. It’s putting all these eggs in one basket. So it is imperative to go international to diversify risks.

You launched a plan that you called “Dare to export”, which has a budget of 125 million euros. How does this help for SMEs to launch internationally translate into concrete terms?

Concretely, we have a certain number of aids, which already existed in terms of export insurance. There are public guarantees for going international. We are adding an extremely important tool, the territorial export volunteer (VTE). We place, in SMEs that wish it, a young qualified person supported 50% by the State, who will support the company in its export strategy, who will see which markets we can conquer and above all, organize the company to go international. It is financed up to 12,000 euros, half by the State.

“Business leaders often say that they have their noses in the water, that they are in the oven and at the mill, that they do not have time to think about international strategy. So the government is creating the VTE.”

Olivier Becht

at franceinfo

This VTE will complement the international volunteer abroad (VIE) who will prospect on international markets on behalf of the company. But that’s step number two. The company must already want to go international and must organize itself.

You also need SMEs to redress this trade balance, which has been in the red for 20 years, 54 billion euros in deficit since the start of the year.

It is a necessity for everyone, for the company, to resist the shocks we are experiencing. And it is a necessity for the nation not to become poorer.

“When we import more than we export, the entire nation becomes poorer. So indeed, it is a great national cause to ensure that we return to what we were in the past, a great commercial power.”

Olivier Becht

at franceinfo

If it is an opportunity for France to have large groups, it is also our task to take SMEs with us internationally today. This is what I do, I have already traveled to 55 countries in the year and a half since I was appointed. And I take delegations of SMEs with me on all my trips to ensure that they can also have this international access, be able to negotiate their contracts in the countries and thus also establish their prosperity in France. Because when we export, it creates jobs in France, in the territories, and that is obviously good for the French economy.

Tomorrow, you begin a tour of sub-Saharan Africa. Is France still present in Africa?

So France is not only still present in Africa, but it is more present than ever in Africa. When we hear some say that France is in decline or even driven out of Africa, in reality this is not the case. Some actually manipulate the information, to make people believe that France is no longer wanted. When we look at the figures, we have twice as many French companies today in Africa than ten years ago, and three times more French direct investments. So yes, French products continue to inspire dreams in Africa, they are expected. French companies are expected in Africa, it is the continent of growth of the 21st century. There are a lot of opportunities and I actually hope that French companies can go to African markets. I am here to help them and to support them.

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