Maritime transport and routes, innovation and naval technologies, submarine cables, digital data management, yachting - these are the major themes of the maritime economy that should have taken the participants in the 6th national session on "Maritime Issues and Strategies" (ESM) at the IHEDN to Marseilles and Toulon for a two-day seminar. However, because of the COVID 19 pandemic, they found themselves confined to the Ecole Militaire during an alternative stopover in Paris, where their ship flew the yellow flag in strict compliance with health protection measures.
On the morning of Friday 5 February, listeners had the opportunity to debate with Aurore Neuschwander, Director of Strategy at Naval Group, Nicolas Ciaravola, Director of R&D and Experimentation at Naval Group and Emmanuel Chiva, Director of the Defence Innovation Agency. The auditors were given an insight into this group of players, which is at the heart of France's sovereignty activities, while at the same time facing stiff international competition. They also saw for themselves the extent to which innovation in research and technology is the key to business competitiveness, the foundation of the French Navy's efficiency and the guarantee of France's strategic autonomy.Â
In the early afternoon, Philippe LOUIS-DREYFUS, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Louis Dreyfus Armateur (LDA), presented the major challenges of the maritime economy for France's sovereignty. Discussions with the audience clearly highlighted the need for a long-term vision, the social role of the company and the importance of solidarity, on which the prosperity of our societies depends.
At the end of the day, Martin Motte, Senior Lecturer and Director of Studies at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, analysed with the audience the historical fundamentals of maritime power and showed its inseparable link with the notion of sovereignty, how closely the history of navies was linked to that of merchant navies and the multiplier role of the maritime economy in the development and resilience of societies.
After a particularly busy day the previous day, the auditors met again on Saturday 6 February morning to present Professor Olivier Schmitt, Head of the IHEDN Studies and Research Department, with the progress of their work in committee. The presentations highlighted the important work carried out on the study theme of "sovereignty", which was assigned to the auditors by the Prime Minister, and which has been broken down into three subjects in the maritime field: cognitive capabilities, economic control, and the ability to intervene on the international stage, particularly in the diplomatic and military spheres, to preserve the oceans, a common asset of humanity, and maintain France's freedom of action there.
The end of the morning was devoted to a round-table discussion on "Sovereignty issues linked to submarine cables and data centres" with Jean-Luc VUILLEMIN, Executive Vice-President International Networks at Orange; Didier DILLARD, CEO Orange Marine and Fabrice COQUIO, CEO Interxion, all three of whom had attended a previous session on "Maritime issues and strategies". Participants were able to discover these information superhighways - of often little-known strategic importance - which concentrate more than 99 % of the world's Internet communications. They were also able to appreciate the equally strategic role of data centres such as the MRS3 recently installed by Interxion in Marseille in the former submarine base built by the Germans during the Second World War. These veritable digital hubs are at the heart of the world of information, which now governs the lives of every citizen in the world.
Finally, on Saturday afternoon, the auditors were able to return to their committee work, to take into account the observations made in the morning and to start preparing the prospective scenarios that would enable them to identify the political objectives to be pursued, and the strategies that could be implemented to achieve them. The day ended with the regret of saying goodbye after two days that had gone by too quickly, but also with the prospect of getting together again as soon as health conditions permit.
