Following Airbus‘s decision to abandon a deal to acquire Atos’s struggling cybersecurity assets, France has pledged to safeguard the strategic interests of the company. The move comes as Atos faces consecutive setbacks, including failed attempts to raise capital through asset sales, resulting in a sharp decline in its share value.
According to REUTERS news agency, the French Finance Ministry, led by Bruno Le Maire, asserted its commitment to protecting Atos’ strategic activities, particularly its role in securing communications for the French military and intelligence services, as well as its contribution to developing supercomputers for data processing and advancing artificial intelligence.
In response to the situation, the finance ministry indicated plans to devise a national solution to safeguard Atos’ sensitive activities, emphasising the importance of ensuring the protection of strategic assets.
This marks the second time in a year that Airbus has withdrawn proposals to acquire Atos’ assets, adding to the mounting challenges faced by the company, including profit warnings, leadership transitions and failed asset sales.
Both companies confirmed the termination of talks regarding the acquisition of Atos’s cybersecurity division, signalling Atos’ intention to explore strategic alternatives while considering the sovereign interests of the French state.
