The Réunion Region signed a Digital Sector Contract 2026-2028 on February 18, 2026 — a landmark collective commitment to the island's digital transformation. The agreement mobilizes €5.4 million over the period, supplemented by an additional €2.4 million from France's « France 2030 » plan announced in April. The stated goal: support 8,000 micro-enterprises and SMEs and 10,000 users toward digital autonomy.
Four Strategic Pillars
The contract, signed by Regional President Huguette Bello alongside Réunion THD, La Réunion Développement, Solidarnum, Digital Réunion and France Travail, rests on four axes:
- Reducing digital divides and improving access to digitized public services;
- Growing the local digital economy through innovation and SME competitiveness;
- Supporting ecological transition with a responsible-digital approach;
- Mastering AI and data challenges, including sovereignty over data generated in Réunion.
Early Results Already Showing in Employment
According to Bpifrance Création data, Réunion's digital sector created 500 additional jobs between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025, including 300 in the private sector. New company registrations in computer programming jumped 50% between August 2024 and August 2025. The rebranding of Réunion THD as « La Réunion Connectée » in April 2026 reflects the island's ambition to become the Indian Ocean region's digital benchmark territory.
Why It Matters
In a context where 30% of business failures recorded across France's Overseas Territories involve Réunion, digital transformation is no longer optional for small businesses — it's a survival imperative. The Digital Sector Contract aims to accelerate this transition by giving small businesses easier access to digital tools, training and funding.
For President Huguette Bello, the message is clear: « I prefer we master the technology rather than be mastered by it. » An ambition that resonates all the more as AI restructures value chains across every economic sector.
Sources: Centre Inffo, Outremers360, Megazap, Info Outre-mer — February–August 2026