Airbus is reportedly in discussions to acquire the cybersecurity division of Atos, the troubled French technology group, for a sum of up to €1.8 billion. Atos's cybersecurity business, known as BDS (Big Data & Security), has been open to offers, given its parent company's ongoing debt restructuring of €3.65 billion, which is due to mature next year.
Daniel Kretinsky, a 48-year-old international investor with a substantial shareholding in Royal Mail, has been contemplating a potential takeover of Atos. This has led to demands from French politicians in the autumn for the company to be nationalised instead of falling into foreign hands.
In the UK, Atos plays a crucial role as an IT contractor for the government, serving both the central government and the devolved administrations of Scotland and Wales.