French state offers to buy Atos nuclear tech
Atos has sought to sell assets as part of a restructuring plan to reduce its debt load. (RFI pic)
PARIS : The French state has made a €410-million (US$468 million) offer to acquire a strategic division of tech firm Atos that includes supercomputers used in nuclear deterrence, the company said today.
Atos, an Olympics partner which also has contracts with the French military, has sought to sell assets as part of a restructuring plan to reduce its debt load.
The company said it received an offer from the state for its advanced computing business.
The offer 'is a major step toward securing the strategic supercomputing activity,' finance minister Eric Lombard said in a separate statement.
'It is the state's responsibility, when warranted, to ensure the continuity and development of the country's most strategic industrial capabilities,' he said.
The scope of the government's offer has changed since the two sides entered exclusive talks in November.
It no longer includes Atos' artificial intelligence (AI)–powered video analytics business, Vision AI.
'I hope to conclude this acquisition process as swiftly as possible to secure the future of these critical activities for France,' Lombard said.
The advanced computing division, which employs more than 2,500 people mostly in France, develops high-performance servers and supercomputers with critical defence and industrial applications.
Atos expects the unit to generate nearly €800 million in revenue in 2025.
A binding agreement is expected in the coming weeks, with the deal closing in 2026.
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