The author traces the processes of industrialization and then, from the 1980s, the deindustrialization of France. She questions the reasons and the stakes of the transition from an industrial society to a post-industrial society. She bases her reasoning on the notion of the imaginary, which provides the link between the symbolic and the real. The industrial imagination is filled with myths, illusions, even utopias, but it is also haunted by fears, prejudices and simulacra.
The author analyzes the myths of industrialization, from the “catechism” of Saint Simon under the Second Empire to the challenges of reconstruction and “national champions” during the “glorious thirties”. She attributes the cause of the deindustrialization of France – which quickly became a “country without factories” – to purely economic factors, such as the relocation of production to third countries, attributable to the search for an ever more optimized value chain, but also to more cultural causes, such as the devaluation of “manual labor”, the downgrading of technological sectors and the abandonment of learning.
Anaïs Voy-Gillis then strives to recognize the ways in which to reconstruct an imaginary favorable to the reindustrialization of France. She favors new activities located in France rather than the relocation of old ones. She explores projects that promote sustainable development and environmental protection, as well as high value-added industries in the fields of high technology, the food chain, luxury and culture. She criticizes France’s “start-up nation” policy, which is more of a slogan than a strategy based on structured networks and a deep digital culture. She advocates reforming the roles of the investing state, national education, research communities and business financing channels.
The book is well documented with references to philosophy, historical reminders and practical examples.
Anais Voy-Gillis is a doctor of geography and the author of several books on industrial history.
Note by Jean-Jacques Pluchart