I don’t have an answer to this question. On the other hand, I know that the number of engineers available or in training in the so-called developed countries won’t be enough to meet their resource needs. Offshore outsourcing could become so common that the words “offshore” and “nearshore” will have completely disappeared.
Germany is looking for 200,000 engineers and scientists before 2014. This will be a massive appeal that could destabilize certain economies. Therefore, in this context of declining demography, of inexplicable abandonment of scientific and technical professions and of near deflation, the use of offshore resources could witness a dramatic increase. Countries like Germany, Canada, the USA or others will be looking to “import” these highly skilled emigrants.

Almost two years ago, Eric, Virginie and I met in Brasov for 36 hours of reflexion on Pentalog’s potential progress before 2010 and from now until 2013. Two plans were developed. The 14-2010 plan is in its final months. It has proven our ability to conceive a near future, to understand our strengths, our qualities and to implement series of rational actions in order to achieve an objective. We will exceed it by 15-20% in terms of sales figure. Leaving figures aside, we are satisfied with our good shape because JVs are reinforced, Pentalog Deutschland is a reality and is performing very well and with the fact that our strategy in Germany is recognized by the most important companies. 60 Romanian engineers are already providing services to our German clients on a daily basis. Very prestigious projects are being prepared. We had also decided there to open our Vietnamese office which now has 55 collaborators, provides services for 5 French clients and takes over a part of Pentalog’s internal developments.

The 30-2013 plan was a different and very innovative exercise for us. We listed growth concepts that could be taken into account in order to reach this figure, among others the launch of new JVs. We also enumerated our long-term weaknesses and started to work on them. Training witnessed a great boom, especially for management staff, in countries that are often criticized for their poor management abilities.

We have reassessed our former long-term plan, which therefore becomes our short-term plan. This means that we must consolidate it, materialize the actions to be carried out and recalculate it. I would like to let you know that by 2013 we will have opened at least one more office in Romania, one undoubtedly in Maghreb, a second one in Vietnam and will have made commercial propositions in new target countries. Among others, we must absolutely include the high German demand into our growth plans. Thus, we could soon have to open offices in Poland, Estonia or elsewhere. The current French and German offshore market is still in its early stages. I have been stating for a long time that the offshore volume in outsourcing will easily exceed 15% and could even reach 30%. Demography and abandonment of the scientific field will play a much more significant role than cost reduction in this process. We confirm our intention to continue to grow by 30% a year while making as few acquisitions as possible.

What about 2016? A change in methods, financing, products and services, in identification, briefly – in strategy. Acquisitions could play a greater role. Like offshore, the word “cloud” will have almost disappeared… because we will find ourselves surrounded by it. The Pentalog Group will still have to have a future. Will it reach a sales figure of 50, 75, 100 million or 1 billion euros? Virginie, Eric and I are going to present our thoughts to the Board of Directors. It is up to the members to offer their feedback.

What I can say is that growth and profitability will continue to be our main preoccupations. In the context of a European resource shortage, we will therefore have to rely more than ever on our productivity and more and more on innovation.