Cadeaux D Entreprise

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Royal manufactories in France during the 17th and 18th centuries were privileged establishments benefiting from a royal charter, meaning they operated under special regulations granted by letters patent. These privileges allowed them to bypass certain restrictions imposed on traditional trade guilds. For example, they were not subject to verification by guild inspectors, could employ many journeymen and apprentices than was typically allowed, could combine multiple trades under one roof, or even hold exclusive monopolies. These regulations, often comprising dozens of articles, replaced the traditional guild statutes and effectively created a separate legal framework for the manufactories. These manufacturing centers often received state support through financial aid, technology transfers, public contracts, and protectionist measures such as temporary monopolies. They are generally associated with the policies of Barthélemy de Laffemas, a minister under Henry IV, who in 1596 issued a General Regulation for Establishing Manufactories in This Kingdom, and of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, minister under Louis XIV from 1661 to 1683. Colbert implemented a state-driven industrial policy, founding manufactories in textiles, ironworking, ceramics, tobacco, shipbuilding, and glassmaking. The most famous was the Manufacture des Glaces de Miroirs, which supplied mirrors for the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles. During the 17th century, the number of manufactories continued to grow in an environment favorable to the spread of knowledge. This period saw the publication of the Descriptions des Arts et Métiers by the Royal Academy of Sciences (founded by Colbert), followed in the mid-18th century by the first Encyclopédie by Denis Diderot and Jean Le Rond d'Alembert. The historical legacy of Colbert's industrial policies is significant. Several major French companies trace their origins to former royal manufactories, such as Saint-Gobain (formerly the Manufacture des Glaces de Miroirs), Balsan (formerly the Châteauroux Cloth Manufactory), and the Baccarat Crystalworks. This tradition of state-driven industry continued into the 20th century with the creation of major state-owned enterprises like SNCF (French National Railways), Électricité de France, France Télécom, Sud-Aviation (which became Airbus Industrie in 1957), and SEREB (which became Ariane Espace in 1959). This trend was described by economist Élie Cohen as "high-tech Colbertism", in homage to Louis XIV's former minister. However, the long-term impact of Colbert's industrial policies remains controversial. Some liberal economists and historians argue that this interventionist approach was inefficient or even harmful compared to the economic liberalism that emerged in Great Britain by the late 18th century, paving the way for the Industrial Revolution. Others, however, praise these interventionist and protectionist measures, advocating for their revival, especially in light of France's significant deindustrialization since the late 20th century.

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Article title : Royal manufactories in France
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