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Rendez-vous des ESN & ICT: growth no longer measured in man-days

ESN and ICT Rendezvous
16 Oct 2025
4 minutes reading
Rendez-vous des ESN & ICT : la croissance ne se pèse plus en jours-hommes

Numeum drew a full house for its annual meeting organized with KPMG France, bringing together digital services companies (ESN) and engineering and technology consulting (ICT) firms. Around the theme of “Decline or Decline”, members were able to reflect collectively on the value proposition of digital services.

In a turbulent economic environment, digital companies are under severe pressure. Between economic uncertainties and pressure on demand, the digital services industry is facing an unprecedented slowdown in activity. Against this backdrop, Numeum has initiated a collective reflection on the transformation of the ESN and ICT business model.

The evening featured several highlights:

  • presentation of the “Grand Angle 2025” reference study,
  • Emmanuel Sardet, President of Cigref,
  • a round table with key industry decision-makers,
  • the announcement of the 2025 winners.

1. Grand Angle ESN & ICT study: AI and innovation, key levers for resilience and growth.

      Let’s remember:

      ▪️ An economic climate under pressure, a sector resilient:
      – 85% of ESN and ICT companies cite economic tensions and weak demand as the main risk factors.
      – 42% of companies anticipate a rebound in H1 2026.
      – To resist and continue to create value, companies identify three priority technology levers: innovation, talent management and CSR.
      – Their top three technology areas are AI (36%), cybersecurity (15%) and cloud (10%).

      ▪️ Talent management remains a major challenge:
      – The sector remains tight on experienced profiles, the most sought-after.
      – 63% of large groups and ETIs, and 35% of SMEs and VSEs use AI to recruit.
      – The most sought-after skills are transformation consulting (19%) and cloud (17%).

      ▪️ Environmental responsibility is becoming a structural component of performance:
      – 79% of companies are committed to reducing their environmental footprint.
      – 67% of large companies say that carbon impact is already a major factor in the selection of service providers.

      In summary, Charles Mauclair, Director and Chairman of Numeum’s ESN & ICT College, sees the current period as “a pivotal moment for digital and technology consulting companies. Against a backdrop of limited investment, the market is demanding value, and they need to transform if they are to grow again. Our role, as a trade association, is to support them in this profound transformation – technological, human and responsible – so that they find in this crisis a real wake-up call.”

      2. What CIOs expect from ESNs and ICTs: Emmanuel Sardet, President of Cigref, talks about his experience.

        Emmanuel Sardet, President of Cigref, clarified customers’ expectations. ” The value chain is shifting” towards platforms and offerings with measurable impact. “CIOs are no longer looking for catalogs of profiles, but for ready-to-deploy solutions capable of proving their effect on operations”.

        His message to ESNs and ICTs was clear: players must distinguish themselves through proven experience and the ability to operate, and not just through the promise of capacity. He proposed a number of value-creation levers: de-globalization, support for compliance with new European regulations, and digital trust.

        3. The truth behind the figures. Where does the real growth lie?

          The experts at the “Déclin ou déclic? Shift to the value proposition for a new era of growth” provided additional insights to answer the question:

          • Philippe Rambach, Chief AI Officer of Schneider Electric: Why ESNs must seize the AI turn to bring solutions to their customers? Examples from Schneider Electric;
          • Marion Soula, Associate Director, McKinsey & Company: What impact does positioning have on my company’s development? What new value propositions do I need to stand out from the crowd?
          • Michael Azencot, Partner at Cambon Partners: How can I add value to my ESN/ICT (sales model, specialization, offshore, etc.)?
          • Jean-Philippe Couturier, President of the Editeurs et Plateformes (Publishers and Platforms) college: How do ESN-Publisher partnerships create value in a native and agentic SaaS world? What are the common levers for growth?

          Watch the full interview (video link coming soon).

          The round table was also an opportunity for Numeum to reaffirm the importance of cooperation between editors and ESNs as a virtuous lever: “Our software does not produce value on its own; ESNs are essential for implementation and adoption,” explained Jean-Philippe Couturier, President of the Editors and Platforms College.

          Following on from these exchanges, it was only natural to highlight those who embody this shift towards value.

          4. Winners 2025: strategy meets results

            • Growth Strategy Trophy awarded to Audensiel.
            • OVHcloud wins the CSR / ESG award.
            • Talent Management Trophy awarded to Keyrus.
            • Innovation Trophy awarded to Alten.
            • People’s Choice” award to Numeryx.

            At the end of the evening, Charles Mauclair concluded , “There are paths to growth if our models evolve”. The industry now has the benchmarks, the figures and the case studies to follow.

            Download the Grand Angle ESN & ICT 2025 study:
            https://numeum.fr/economie-marche/consultez-letude-grand-angle-esn-ict-2025/