The Réunion Region has signed the Digital Sector Contract 2026-2028, a three-year programme aimed at making the digital sector a genuine economic pillar of the island and positioning Réunion as the leader of digital transformation in the Indian Ocean. An ambitious bet on a sector that already generates €1.4 billion in annual revenue and 3,500 direct jobs.
A Sector Delivering on Its Promise
With around 1,500 active digital companies on the island and 600 positions open every year, Réunion's digital sector shows remarkable vitality for a territory of 870,000 inhabitants. In January 2026, the island recorded 9 new IT company creations, a 28.6% month-on-month increase. The contract signed by Regional President Huguette Bello builds on this momentum to go further.
The Sector Contract is organised around four strategic pillars: reducing the digital divide (target: 10,000 residents towards digital autonomy), supporting 8,000 small and micro-enterprises through digital transformation, developing responsible digital practices, and mastering data and artificial intelligence.
France 2030 as Backbone
The programme draws on €5.4 million mobilised through France 2030 between 2022 and 2026, including a €2.4 million boost announced in April 2026. These funds target innovative SMEs in digital, green economy and sustainable health. Meanwhile, 'La Réunion Connectée' — the new name for La Réunion THD since April 2026 — has broadened its mission beyond broadband to become a comprehensive digital support gateway for businesses and residents alike.
Why It Matters
Réunion faces structural high unemployment (19.6% in Q1 2026) and an economy heavily dependent on public transfers. The digital sector is one of the few areas where the island can build genuine regional competitiveness, leveraging its assets: intermediate time zone between Asia and Europe, a qualified diaspora and submarine connectivity via the METISS cable. If Réunion can deploy its digital ambitions at a regional scale — also supporting SMEs in Mauritius, Madagascar or the Comoros — the return on investment could extend well beyond island borders.