Troisième édition des Rencontres Numériques de Strasbourg

Cigref and Numeum present their roadmap to Anne Le Hénanff for developing and financing Europe’s technological autonomy

Cigref and Numeum announce the complete success of the third edition of the Rencontres Numériques de Strasbourg (RNS). The event, which has become the benchmark meeting place for digital decision-makers in Europe, attracted almost 200 executives. Through these Rencontres, the digital industry comes together to define a common path in the face of technological change and the major challenges shaking up our economy and society, including competitiveness and resilience.

“Digital change: from ambition to action“. At the end of two and a half days of high-level exchanges on this theme, the concrete recommendations of the RNS community were officially presented to Anne Le Hénanff, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Economy.

Collective intelligence for European competitiveness

At the heart of the RNS community’s work, ten collective intelligence workshops were held during the seminar. At the end of these workshops, the strategic reflections were translated into actionable recommendations for public authorities and economic players on critical issues such as the deployment of agentic AI, the transformation of skills management, resilience in the face of hybrid threats, and European strategic autonomy.

These recommendations will be developed and discussed in the third edition of the Cahiers des Rencontres Numériques de Strasbourg, to be published in the coming weeks. By way of illustration, the roadmap submitted to the Minister is structured around three strategic priorities:

• Simplify and unify the European regulatory framework: accelerate towards a harmonized digital single market, in order to remove barriers to scale-up and transform compliance into a genuine competitive advantage.
• Financing technological autonomy through savings: massively channel European savings into our infrastructures and digital industry, an essential condition for building a technological powerhouse capable of competing with the world leaders.
• Guarantee sustainable AI: make deployment conditional on a triple requirement of economic efficiency, energy sobriety and preservation of skills transfer.

In addition to the dynamic workshops, four inspiring plenary sessions helped to decipher the main strategic issues for the medium and long term. Participants benefited from the forward-looking analyses of a panel of leading experts, on the digital economy with Nicolas Bouzou (Director of Asterès) and researcher Adrien Peneranda (Deputy Director of Sciences Po Toulouse), on geopolitical issues with Thomas Friang (Director of the Geopolitics & Business Institute at ESSEC) and Maxence Brischoux (Deputy Secretary General of ESSEC). Business Institute at ESSEC) and Maxence Brischoux (Deputy Secretary General for European Affairs), on AI-induced ruptures with Yves Caseau (CDIO of the Michelin Group and member of the Académie des technologies) and sociologist Yann Ferguson (researcher at INRIA and Scientific Director of LaborIA). The European Commission also contributed its strategic vision through Matthew King, Head of Unit at the Joint Research Center.

Institutional and economic support at the highest level

Digital challenges now transcend our technology sector. If proof were needed, this third edition was marked by the presence of Patrick Martin, President of the MEDEF, guest of honor at the RNS gala dinner. On this occasion, he reaffirmed the urgency of digital competitiveness for the entire French economic fabric.

The European strategic dimension of the RNS community’s work was further underlined by the message of support and commitment addressed to participants by Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.

The maturity of a singular, demanding format

This 2026 edition marks a decisive step in the maturity of the Rencontres Numériques de Strasbourg. It offered leaders from the digital industry and major user organizations a unique space for reflection that goes beyond the traditional relationship between customers and suppliers, in order to develop a shared vision and concrete proposals for the responsible digital future we want for our continent.

The choice of Strasbourg, the capital of Europe, as the venue for the Rencontres is not insignificant: only the European level can effectively meet the challenges of competitiveness and resilience facing our economy. It is for this reason that most of the work of the RNS community is hosted in the prestigious and highly symbolic setting of the European Parliament.

Chairmen’s statements

• Véronique Torner, President of Numeum:

“With the Rencontres Numériques de Strasbourg, the French digital ecosystem has come together to address the major transformations currently underway, and to put forward a strong vision of competitiveness, resilience and responsibility. The Rencontres confirms that it’s by playing together that our industry can make a difference in Europe. This commitment to the collective game guides our action today with the French Digital Team. “

• Emmanuel Sardet, President of Cigref:

“In just three years, Rencontres Numériques de Strasbourg has gone from being a daring gamble to a veritable institution, a strategic rallying point for our ecosystem. We are here to exercise our collective responsibilities in a singular era of profound change, where the lightning speed of technological innovation and the fierceness of economic competition are major pivots of global geopolitical balance, and where every hesitation pays off in lost points of strategic autonomy, digital resilience and competitiveness. “

Statement by Anne Le Henanff, Minister for Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Economy :

“The Rencontres Numériques de Strasbourg is the embodiment of a collective determination to unite a French digital team, determined to turn ambition into action. Digital sovereignty rests first and foremost on a shared need to identify our dependencies, strengthen a competitive European offering and defend our values. Your recommendations will enrich our priorities, for it is together that we will build a sovereign, responsible and innovative digital industry. “

About Cigref :

Cigref is an independent, non-commercial association founded in 1970, which supports its 160 members – major French companies and public administrations that use digital solutions and services – in all their reflections on their collective digital challenges. Our association works on behalf of its members to promote a sustainable, responsible and trusted digital environment. More information on https://www.cigref.fr

About Numeum :

Numeum is the employers’ association and leading organization for digital professionals in France. A member of the Syntec federation, the second largest branch of the MEDEF, it represents digital services companies (ESN), software publishers, platforms and engineering and technology consulting (ICT) companies.Numeum’s 2,500 member companies account for 85% of the sector’s total sales, which in turn represent 70 billion euros in sales and 670,000 employees in France. Chaired by Véronique Torner since June 2023, Numeum is implementing an impact project to raise the profile of the industry and federate the ecosystems of Digital professionals in France and Europe. The presidency has set itself three main priorities: the regions, to support members throughout France; skills, to meet the challenges of attractiveness and gender diversity; and responsible digital, to support and sustain the development of a digital ecosystem on a trajectory of positive economic, social, societal and environmental impact. To find out more: www.numeum.fr

Press contacts :

• Numeum: idh@isabelledhalluin.com
• Cigref: hdagrain@cigref.fr