By Manuel Davy, President of the Cité de l’IA (Lille)
Artificial intelligence is no longer an option. It is reshaping the global economy, value chains, and professions. By 2030, it could generate over 15.7 trillion dollars in value (PwC). But this revolution will not only be won in laboratories or the headquarters of the GAFAM. It will play out in the territories, at the heart of companies, industrial sectors, and employment areas.
This is what we observe in Hauts-de-France: according to our very first Regional AI Barometer*, nearly one in two companies (48%) have already integrated AI into their processes, and 45% have started to launch an AI project. These are not just large companies: the dynamics also concern micro-enterprises, SMEs, ETIs, and public actors. 93% of respondents state they are engaged in a path of AI adoption: the movement is underway, but remains fragile.
Cité de l’IA x Sopra Steria Barometer 2025 - AI in Hauts-de-France
A Risk of Technological Lag
Less than a quarter of French SMEs have integrated AI into the core of their business model (Bpifrance, 2024). Meanwhile, the United States and China are industrializing AI on a large scale, in healthcare, logistics, finance, agriculture. It's not just a question of competitiveness. It's a matter of sovereignty.
France lacks neither talent, nor researchers, nor political will. What it lacks are concrete places to act. Platforms where we train, test, and transform. Ecosystems where AI becomes a tool on the ground, not an abstract concept.
In Lille, We Have Made This Bet. And It Works.
Created in 2019 in Lille, the Cité de l’IA is a unique initiative in France. It brings together large groups (Adeo, Lesaffre, Roquette, Auchan Retail, Kiabi...), researchers, SMEs, startups, and communities around a simple goal: accelerate the adoption of AI in all companies, including the least tech-savvy.
This is not a showcase. It's an accelerator. A place where people train, experiment, and share. A catalyst for economic, social, and environmental transformation.
To date, 75% of companies in Hauts-de-France report offering internal AI training, and 30% have recruited specialists in this field. This dynamic reflects a growing awareness of the importance of developing skills, beyond technological experimentation.
Hauts-de-France, Future European AI Hub?
The dynamic does not stop there. In Cambrai, the E-Valley project will soon host one of the largest data centers in Europe, led by the Canadian group Brookfield. With two other planned locations in the region, this cluster will eventually represent more than 2 GW of capacity: the largest AI infrastructure hub in Europe.
Available land, decarbonized electricity, dense industrial fabric: Hauts-de-France has all the assets to become the European Silicon Valley of AI. However, the ambition must be shared, supported, and amplified.
The Challenge: Involving the Entire Economic Fabric
AI is a high-speed train. It won't pass by twice. If we want France to stay in the race, we need to involve all its companies, everywhere in the territories. This is at the heart of our mission at the Cité de l’IA. The obstacles are known: lack of internal skills (16%), resistance to change (12%), data-related difficulties (10%). But the momentum is there with 36% of regional companies planning to increase their AI budget by more than 10% by 2025. Additionally, 73% of the companies surveyed estimate having generated considerable productivity gains thanks to AI adoption - proof that investments are bearing fruit.
July 1st: A Strong Signal with the 1st Edition of the AI SUMMIT
It is in this spirit that we are organizing, on July 1st in Lille, our 1st AI Summit: a day to bring together over 1,000 decision-makers, researchers, elected officials, entrepreneurs. In the presence of business leaders and experts like GiIlles Babinet (Conseil national du numérique), Mick Levy (Orange Business), Emmanuel Vivier (HUB Institute), Morgane Dawant (ENGIE Solutions), Stanislas de Livonnière (Le Parisien), Jean-Loup Loyer (Eramet), Guillaume Lecoeur (SNCF), and many others.
Through plenaries, workshops, and a solutions village, we will talk about productivity, training, employment, but also ethics, transparency, trust. Because AI should not be imposed from above. It must seep in as close to the field as possible.