Why this is important to Wisconsin businesses: Wisconsin companies can help meet the demand for solutions to fight shoplifting, terrorism and cybercrime, and meet needs for airport surveillance and electronic scanning entry devices.
France’s security services sector is undergoing a complete transformation due to the ongoing threat of terrorism, as well as social unrest, which has created a need for a wide range of surveillance and security equipment and service providers. Military, civil and private entities are looking to increase their security measures against civil and terrorist attacks, with surveillance to combat cybercrime and burglaries and increase protection to buildings and property in any form. Even the nuclear industry is considered high-risk and in need of protection.
The launch in August 2019 by the Casino Group of fully automated hypermarkets for late-night shopping has opened new avenues to combat shoplifting, with a physical guard presence as well as technological surveillance and anti-theft devices.
As of 2017, there are 11,032 security firms in France with a total of 174,750 employees, generating a turnover of €7.1 billion, with 73% coming from the private sector. Following a wave of terrorist attacks that started in 2015, security was broadly expanded, and continues to grow at an average annual rate of 7%.
The biggest growth sectors within the security market are pure surveillance and intervention companies (77% of the market share with €5 billion in turnover), which have experienced growth of 42% between 2007 and 2017, and in the last two years have seen a constant 7.5% in growth—and are looking for new, improved and connected security solutions.
Tele-surveillance companies have 11.5% market share with a turnover of €810 million, with small and midsize enterprises benefiting from market growth of 16%, while larger companies the majors top 12% growth in turnover. This sector has also seen an explosion in terms of growth to 47.5% between 2007 and 2017, or an average of 4% per year.
Surprisingly, airport surveillance and security only saw turnover growth of 3.5% from 2016 to 2017, with France’s 19 specialized companies in the sector generating a total of €450 million in 2017 (corresponding to 6.5% of the total market turnover). This is may be due to the fact that the major airports have a large percentage of government ownership and thus are secured by government security forces.
Training, installation of security devices, transporting money and personal protection have seen a growth of 8% from 2007 to 2017, with an increase of +2.5% from 2016 to 2017 (totaling €180 million in turnover).
Penetration of new connected technologies remains low. Handheld security devices to calculate rounds have the greatest penetration potential, and their growth is projected to continue in the coming years. Only 287 companies are equipped with such cloud technology, according to the i+C Institute for professionals.
Electronic scanning entry devices (excluding airports) are also on the rise. The 3D scanners recently introduced into UK airports may well come to France’s airports and Eurostar train terminals soon.