Overview

• Safran CEO Olivier Andriès declared that the company will no longer invest in cities governed by ecologist majorities, citing disruptive opposition to industrial projects.
• The decision follows protests in Rennes in February 2024, where ecologist officials criticized and opposed Safran's turbine blade foundry project, even throwing tomatoes at company representatives.
• The Rennes foundry, named Safran Turbines Airfoils, is set to open in 2027, creating 500 jobs by 2029 for both civil and military engine production.
• Andriès emphasized that the boycott is not political but a defense of national economic and security interests, as well as a commitment to job creation.
• France's broader debate over reindustrialization and environmental priorities highlights tensions between strategic industrial development and local ecological policies.