François de Canson: 'There is no sovereignty without industry, nor without innovation'
At i-Naval, François de Canson reaffirmed his desire to make Var a center of excellence in defense technologies.
On June 11, on the occasion of the i-Naval event held at the Tour Royale de Toulon, François de Canson, vice-president of the Région Sud, reaffirmed his commitment to making the territory a center of excellence in defense technologies.
In his speech, he insisted on the need for France to maintain a technological edge to guarantee its sovereignty in an unstable international context.
From stone ramparts to technological ramparts
Drawing a parallel between the military fortress and contemporary challenges, François de Canson highlighted the changing nature of protection and power.
"Yesterday, the ramparts were of stone and cannon. Today, they are called artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, drones, quantum technologies, autonomous systems, data control, disruptive innovation," said François de Canson.
Faced with the return of high-intensity conflicts, he recalled that superiority is no longer measured only by the volume of resources, but rather by the ability to innovate quickly and integrate new technologies at the heart of defense systems.
He asked himself: "How do we keep a step ahead? How do we protect our interests? How do we guarantee our ability to decide for ourselves in a more unstable, fragmented, and conflict-ridden world?".
A Toulon ecosystem at the heart of the national effort
For the regional vice-president, sovereignty is a concrete responsibility built within the territories: "The Région, and more particularly Toulon, Europe's leading military port, plays a central role in this national effort. The local ecosystem concentrates exceptional assets: the Marine nationale, the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), large industrial groups, research centers, and a dense network of innovative SMEs."
This proximity between research, industry, and the armed forces justifies the support of the Région for events like i-Naval, which foster "meetings, cooperation, concrete innovations."
Under the leadership of its president, the Région has made strategic technologies and the defense economy major priorities.
"We deeply believe that there is no sovereignty without industry. No sovereignty without innovation. No sovereignty without the capacity to produce, here, the technologies on which our security and strategic autonomy will depend tomorrow," he hammered home once again.
The company Astraea, the embodiment of regional ambition
Highlighting that strategies are only as good as their concrete results, François de Canson presented, on behalf of the Région, an award to the company Astraea.
He praised a company that embodies the regional vision: "An innovative company, anchored in its territory, capable of developing high-potential strategic technologies and deeply committed to our regional defense and innovation ecosystem."
Extending his congratulations to the Astraea teams, he added: "Your success honors our territory. And your ambition contributes, very concretely, to strengthening our country's innovation capacity and sovereignty."
As the Marine nationale celebrates 400 years of history, the regional official concluded: "This prestigious heritage is not to be contemplated. It is about making our region a reference European territory for sovereignty, defense, and maritime innovation technologies."
Photos Philippe OLIVIER.