The French government has made an offer worth €410 million to acquire a strategic division of technology company Atos, which includes supercomputers used in nuclear deterrence, the company said.

Atos, a partner of the Olympic Games, which also has contracts with the French army, is seeking to sell assets as part of a restructuring plan to reduce its debt.

The company said it had received an offer from the state for its advanced computing business, AFP reported.

The offer “is an important step towards securing the strategic supercomputing activity,” Finance Minister Eric Lombard said in a separate statement.

“It is the responsibility of the state, when justified, 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 began exclusive talks in November. It no longer includes Atos' artificial intelligence-based video analysis business, Vision AI.

“I hope to conclude this acquisition process as quickly as possible to secure the future of these activities, which are critical for France,” Lombard added.

The advanced computing division, which employs more than 2,500 people mainly in France, develops high-performance servers and supercomputers with critical applications in defense and industry.

Atos expects the division to generate nearly €800 million in revenue in 2025.

A binding agreement is expected to be signed in the coming weeks, with the transaction expected to close in 2026. | BGNES