French Republic Presidency

Weighing up all the risks, threats and opportunities for France, two main issues underpin the work in this review:
- France clearly cannot address all these challenges on its own. Our national autonomy is real and should be as comprehensive as possible, but it is limited within a growing number of fields. This calls for a clear-sighted approach to priorities based on the geographical proximity of threats and on the interests of our national community. France’s European and American partners are essential for facing these challenges.
- France also has global interests. These relate to its status within multilateral organisations and its presence around the world (in particular in its overseas territories and exclusive economic zone), as well as the fact that the world is shrinking as globalised technologies and flows of goods and people generate more interdependence.
Within this context, its responsibility is based on its unique situation in objective terms. France is the only EU country (post-Brexit) that is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, a nuclear power, a founding member of the European Union and NATO, and that retains a full-spectrum and engaged military. As such, its ambition must be twofold: to preserve its strategic autonomy and to build a stronger Europe to face the growing number of common challenges.

In the broadest sense, the sharing economy may be defined as a community of individuals lending, renting, donating, sharing, swapping and buying goods or services.

There are currently around 300 digital peer-to-peer platforms in France, many of which have an established global presence. This study looks at the state of the sharing economy – from a qualitative and quantitative slant – and analyses supply and demand trends across the following key sectors: travel, transport and storage services, accommodation, entertainment, food, consumer goods, clothing and footwear, domestic services and finance.

The study also considers how traditional players are responding – in some cases to direct competition from the sharing economy – and dissects the positive and negative forces shaping this new phenomenon, touching on aspects such as macroeconomic factors, regulation, new technologies, consumer habits and business model viability.

In addition, the authors outline a series of scenarios depicting what the sharing economy could look like in 2020 – a transition, a partnership between traditional players and new sharing economy protagonists, and an “economic bubble” triggered by unworkable business models. The study concludes with a set of recommendations on ways to foster this emerging trend through policy-making and regulation, focusing on the need to protect consumers, bolster sharing economy initiatives, and create a level playing field.

The service providers behind this study remain exclusively liable for the research methods used, as well as the findings and recommendations detailed in this report.

The innovative power of additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, lies in the way in which objects are designed and produced. The variety of processes used means that applications can be developed for industry – such as the creation of equipment or intermediate products – as well as for consumers. The technology, which has had several decades to mature, is making leaps and bounds, and has the potential to be deployed on a much wider scale in the future.

An in-depth review examines the various parts of the market, including the different stakeholders involved, the users (manufacturers and the general public) as well as the various ecosystems that create synergy between the various initiatives. It highlights the potential of additive manufacturing, in terms of boosting the competitiveness of French companies and creating opportunities in France's regions.

The review also includes four possible scenarios that show how the market could develop, and lists the roadblocks and drivers that influence each one. They are entitled "prototyping and experimentation", "scale-up of customisation", "mass production and performance improvements" and "shifts in the value chain". The goal of the resulting recommendations is to improve the conditions for providing support for stakeholders so that additive manufacturing can reach its full potential.

The methods used, the results obtained and the recommendations are the sole responsibility of the authors of the study.

Innovation is essential for France to be in the global competition in ten years, and maintain its standard of living and social model. The report outlines seven technological and industrial goals for France for 2030: energy storage, recycling of materials, the promotion of marine resources, green proteins, individualized medicine, silver economy and promotion of massive data (Big data).