The Alcatel Submarine Networks site in Calais employs 600 people. – credit: Radio6
Sebastien Foissel
4:20 p.m. – June 27, 2024
The Minister of the Economy Bruno Lemaire announced that France will buy 80% of the shares in the capital of Alcatel Submarine Networks from the Finnish Nokia. France considers this to be a strategic undertaking. Specializing in the manufacture of submarine cables, the Calais site employs 600 people.
The takeover of the French State was welcomed by Mayor Natacha Bouchart who, according to her, “will bring the necessary stability to this sector”.
On the union side, we are not very talkative. No official statement. In any case, they hope for better dialogue with the future new management. But there has been no official announcement from within the company.
According to a press release from the Ministry of the Economy:
Bruno Le Maire, Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty signed a promise to purchase by the State on June 26, 2024 with a view to acquiring 80% of the capital of the holding company of the company Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) to the Nokia group.
ASN, which has a turnover of more than one billion euros, develops activities in the design, manufacturing, maintenance and installation of submarine cables. ASN is one of the world leaders in the submarine cable market and a unique company of its kind in Europe. This operation, led by the State Participation Agency (APE), demonstrates the State’s capacity to invest in French companies in order to support and develop their strategic activities, as well as the relevance of the APE as a tool. defense of the fundamental interests of the Nation.
ASN has unique industrial and technological skills implemented by nearly 2,000 employees (including 1,370 in France), spread across several sites in France and abroad (notably in the United Kingdom and Norway).
ASN operates in the telecommunications infrastructure sector which is experiencing strong growth with the global development of the Internet and a growing demand for connectivity. Submarine cables operate using fiber optic technology and allow 99% of transcontinental data traffic to be transmitted. Mastery of the manufacturing processes and production units of these essential infrastructures contributes to the resilience of France and the European continent.
The agreements discussed with Nokia provide, in the long term, for the State to acquire 100% of the company’s capital. Nokia will remain a minority shareholder in an initial phase to facilitate the transition.
This operation will be subject to the usual regulatory authorisations, in particular the information-consultation procedures of the relevant staff representative bodies.
