Groupe BPCE steps up its commitment to financing defense companies and its support for the sector’s technological and industrial base
Groupe BPCE is reasserting its commitment to financing companies operating in France’s defense sector. It actively supports the sector’s technological and industrial base and has multiplied its commitments to the industry by 2.5 (to €7.3bn) and its support for the export of French defense products by more than 7 (to over €1.2bn) over the last three years.
Already in 2024, as part of the Vision 2030 strategic plan, Groupe BPCE made the defense sector one of its priority vectors for bolstering the competitiveness of France’s regions and responding to sovereignty issues. All in all, the Group’s companies, and particularly the Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne banks, and Natixis, already finance 20% of the defense sector in France.
In response to the new geopolitical environment, Groupe BPCE is stepping up its support for its defense sector clients at a time when their order books are filling up and their financial needs are consequently multiplying.
First of all, by updating the Group’s policy of support for defense sector financing - which applies to the whole of the Group – and thereby reasserting its commitment to the sector.
Next, by offering a range of financing solutions suited to the defense sector’s needs.
Groupe BPCE works to an equal extent with large defense contractors – to help them adapt the industry’s manufacturing capacities to the rapid increase in business expected to flow from the acceleration in orders - and with the SMEs and intermediate-sized enterprises that make up the French defense sector’s technological and industrial base - to whom the Group will provide factoring solutions suited to their cash flow needs.
In addition, Groupe BPCE will support all companies in the French defense sector’s technological and industrial base by distributing the solutions of the European Investment Bank Group, its longstanding partner, particularly in the area of working capital financing.
Lastly, in investment terms, BPCE Assurances will double its exposure to the defense sector to €500m.
For Nicolas Namias, CEO of BPCE: “Financing the country’s essential equipment and infrastructure needs is our job. We will be there to respond to the issues of France’s defense industry. With all our companies – and particularly the Banque Populaire and the Caisse d’Epargne banks, and Natixis - Groupe BPCE already finances 20% of the defense sector in France and we are committed to stepping up our support further, both for large contractors and for the SMEs and intermediate-sized enterprises that make up the sector’s technological and industrial base. We will do this by providing products and solutions suited to the industry’s needs, both in financing terms – particularly by assisting with their cash flow needs – and by investing in the equity of these companies.”
