Every year, the State spends billions of euros on the purchase of digital services and technologies. But this expense is much more than an act of management: it is an industrial and strategic choice. Each public market strengthens an ecosystem, accelerates learning and brings out references. The United States and China have made it a powerful lever for competitiveness. France and Europe have the same advantage; they must now consider public procurement as an investment in their digital sovereignty.
It is not a question of giving in to protectionism, but of recognizing that no great technological power has been built without mobilizing its public procurement. Choosing a French or European solution when it meets the need is not about favoring a supplier: it is about investing in the technological capabilities that we will need tomorrow. This also applies to projects developed internally by the administration, such as the Digital Suite, which questions the choice of not having mobilized our business ecosystem, which could have on this occasion gained know-how, references and exportable solutions.
However, public procurement has already demonstrated its effectiveness. The great French successes in defense, aeronautics, transport, telecommunications, space and energy are the result of a close partnership between the State and businesses. Digital today deserves the same ambition.
Public procurement represents between 170 and 400 billion euros per year in France and nearly 2,000 billion on a European scale. Even if digital technology only constitutes a fraction, directing part of this expenditure towards efficient French and European solutions would constitute an unparalleled lever for strengthening the technological capacities on which Europe will be able to rely tomorrow. There is no shortage of needs: cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud, data, business software.
Encouraging developments are already underway. The circular published at the start of the year by the Prime Minister marks an important shift: when an efficient French or European solution exists, it is not necessary for the administration to develop an equivalent technology. The upcoming creation of ARIANE and the ambition to constitute a Digital Industrial and Technological Base reflect this same awareness: digital sovereignty is built over time thanks to a demanding dialogue between the State and businesses.
As the next electoral deadlines approach, this subject will have to find its place in the public debate. Because political courage consists of recognizing that each public contract contributes to strengthening the technological capabilities which underpin our sovereignty. In an economy where value is created through innovation, data and learning loops, public procurement is no longer just a purchasing tool: it is a strategic investment.
