PARIS — Famous worldwide for its luxury goods, France’s specialized craftsmanship sector now generates more revenues than the pharmaceutical industry, a leading professional organization said Tuesday.
The Institut pour les Savoir-Faire Français, formerly known as the Institut National des Métiers d’Art, set out to quantify the value of manual activities via a broad survey of skilled artisans such as woodworkers, stone cutters, leather goods-makers, weavers, glassblowers and more.
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Spanning 234,000 companies, the category produces combined revenues of 68 billion euros, according to the study it published with market research firm Xerfi Specific. By comparison, the pharma sector generated revenues of 62 billion euros in 2022, according to French pharmaceutical lobby Leem.
“These figures profoundly change the way we view métiers d’art and exceptional knowhow,” said Luc Lesénécal, president of the Institut pour les Savoir-Faire Français.
“They confirm that these are much more than legacies of the past. They flow through our regions, create skilled jobs, transmit unique know-how, participate significantly in our economy and help our country shine worldwide,” he said.
The sector accounts for 500,000 workers in France, including 280,000 salaried employees, the report found.
The French government has officially recognized 198 métiers d’art and 83 specialties across sectors including luxury and fashion, architecture and interior design, performing arts and heritage restoration, among others.
Despite their significant contribution to the country’s output and exports, companies active in the field of crafts were held back by the lack of reliable figures to measure their real impact, Lesénécal said.
“This lack of data has hampered their recognition and development for too long. Without clear economic indicators, it is difficult to identify their needs, respond to their challenges, carry out effective actions, but also convince public and private partners of the weight they really represent,” he noted.
The Fondation Bettencourt Schueller — created in memory of L’Oréal founder Eugène Schueller — financed the survey, backed by French luxury association Comité Colbert, the Culture Ministry and the Terre & Fils endowment fund.
By casting a wider net than previous studies, the report’s estimate of sector revenues was twice as large as the previous figure of around 30 billion euros calculated by the Finance Ministry more than a decade ago, said Jérémy Robiolle, director of development at Xerfi Specific.