The aim of this proposal is to ensure that these activities, which are crucial to France’s sovereignty, do not come under the control of foreign players

Will France manage to keep Atos’ strategic activities, such as the supercomputers used for nuclear deterrence? The French government has offered €700 million to acquire the IT group’s activities, which are considered strategic and sensitive, in order to prevent them from being acquired by foreign players, the heavily indebted company announced on Friday 14 June. The offer, which has yet to be approved by the group, comes two days after the consortium led by Onepoint was selected to take over Atos.

“No certainty can be given as to the outcome of the negotiations and the conclusion of a definitive agreement between the parties”, Atos warned. Its Board of Directors, under the mediation of Hélène Bourbouloux, and its management “will discuss this proposal with the State”. According to the Minister for the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, the French government has “kept its word” with this offer. He told franceinfo that “other companies could be partners” in acquiring Atos’ “strategic activities”, thereby guaranteeing that they “remain under the total or partial control of the State.”

The State’s proposal concerns “the potential acquisition of 100% of the Advanced Computing, Mission-Critical Systems and Cybersecurity Products activities of Atos’ BDS (Big Data & Cybersecurity) division”. These activities include supercomputers used for nuclear deterrence, contracts with the French army and cybersecurity products.