Defense, tourism and JO 2030, concrete opportunities
At the risingSUD general assembly, François de Canson, vice-president of Région Sud, praised the courage of entrepreneurs facing challenges.
It was during the closing of the general assembly of the economic development agency risingSUD, on May 21, that François de Canson, mayor of La Londe-les-Maures and vice-president of the Région Sud, painted a portrait of an economic world in full mutation, while paying a strong tribute to the business leaders navigating it daily. From the outset, he praised the results of the agency, chaired by Bernard Kleynhoff since 2020. With more than 400 companies supported each year, including 125 in exports, and the attraction of 150 foreign projects annually, risingSUD stands as a pillar of the regional strategy.
“When we look at the results of risingSUD, one thing is clear: the mission is accomplished,” he stressed, describing these performances as “remarkable” in the current period.
BENCHMARK AND CERTAINTY Echoing the theme of the Rencontres Économiques d'Aix-en-Provence, “Navigating in a world without reference points,” the elected official depicted an environment where uncertainty is becoming the norm. “Economic reference points are shifting. Certainties are shrinking.
Cycles are accelerating,” he noted, pointing to the growing pressure on business leaders.
“This diffuse impression sometimes sets in: that of having to decide faster... with less visibility. Investing more... with more risks.” For him, this complexity directly hits businesses in their order books, margins, and investment strategies.
François de Canson particularly emphasized the human dimension of this economic pressure, speaking of a “silent fatigue” among entrepreneurs. “To be a business leader today often means moving forward in a thick fog — with this immense responsibility that is too rarely mentioned: that of carrying more than just one's business. Carrying employees.
Families. Know-how,” he recalled.
Citing the figure of 66% of business owners declaring themselves exhausted, he preferred to see it as proof of courage. “A boss does not always share his worries. He absorbs.
He reassures. He takes the blows,” he explained, asserting that “this boldness deserves something other than speeches. It deserves respect.
Consideration. And solid partners.”
REGIONAL SUPPORT It is precisely this role of partner that the Région Sud, driven by its president Renaud Muselier, intends to play. The risingSUD agency is its operational tool. “In a more complex world, we need players capable of simplifying. Who open doors. Who build trust,” the regional vice-president hammered home.
He paid a personal tribute to Bernard Kleynhoff, who turned the agency into “a recognized partner of regional businesses. An agile agency. A committed team.” The objective is to transform global uncertainties into local opportunities, by making local territories stable and proactive “anchor points.”
To illustrate this strategy, François de Canson detailed three major areas.
The first concerns the defense sector, stimulated by the update of the Loi de Programmation Militaire adopted on May 19, which injects an additional 36 billion euros. The Opération d'Intérêt Régional (OIR) Défense & Sécurité, led with risingSUD, aims to structure the ecosystem so that regional SMEs can capture these new markets.
Tourism, the primary regional economy, will also be the subject of a new OIR launched this year to support its upmarket shift and its preparation for major events, notably the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Finally, regarding the JO 2030, he recalled that tangible opportunities already exist. “On March 25th, during Meet the Buyers, nearly 2 billion euros of contracts were opened to our regional businesses thanks to the Games,” specified the mayor of La Londe-les-Maures.
“No abstract promises. Contracts. Calls for tenders.”
In conclusion, he sent a message of confidence and mobilization. “We will not always choose the headwinds. But we can choose our way of navigating. Retreat or movement,” concluded François de Canson, thanking entrepreneurs for continuing “to invest and believe in the future of a territory that believes in you.”
Photos DR
Photos DR.