The Code Revolution

In a converted warehouse in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, Leila Amari debugs code for her AI startup that helps doctors diagnose rare diseases. Her team of twelve includes a mathematician from École Polytechnique, a designer from Senegal, and machine learning engineers from Tunisia and Vietnam. Across the Seine at the headquarters of a CAC 40 company, Chief Digital Officer Marc Pellerin struggles to transform a 150-year-old industrial giant into a data-driven enterprise. Meanwhile, in rural Corrèze, retired teacher Jacques Moreau attends his first smartphone class at the local library, determined not to be left behind by the digital revolution.

These three scenes capture France at a digital crossroads. A nation that gave the world the Minitel—an early online service that prefigured the internet—now races to catch up with digital leaders while leveraging its unique strengths in mathematics, engineering, and creativity. This chapter explores how digital transformation reshapes every corner of the French economy, from startup ecosystems to industrial giants, from metropolitan hubs to rural villages, examining both remarkable successes and persistent challenges in building a digital future.