May 20, 2010 marked the official ground-breaking of the new Kraft Foods European R&D center in Saclay (Paris region), a symbolic investment by the world’s second largest agri-food business to bolster its innovation capacities in France. But has Kraft made the right choice in opting for the Essonne département?
Watch the interview with Chuck Davis, Vice-President of R&D at Kraft Foods Europe (video)
France: one of the world’s best locations for shooting movies
Cannes, Deauville, the César Awards… France is hardly short of names which immediately evoke the chic and glamour of the silver screen. However, France’s passion for the “7th Art” extends far beyond the red carpet and its cast of celebrities, actors and directors of worldwide acclaim. Neither is it just a giant list of award-winners. Today, cinema in France is also an important business in its own right.
In 2009, no fewer than 830 movies – 90 of which were feature-length – were shot in Paris alone, amounting to a total of 3318 days of shooting. The Bourne Ultimatum, directed by Paul Greengrass, featuring Matt Damon, and Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, featuring Brad Pitt, are just some of the blockbusters which were either partially or entirely shot on location in France, while forthcoming “made in France” releases include Inception, directed by Christopher Nolan, featuring Leonardo Di Caprio, and Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter, produced by Steven Spielberg’s Dreamwork Studios.
Why then are Hollywood producers and directors so keen to shoot in France?…
If there is one object that represents medicine throughout the world, it is the stethoscope. An instrument invented by… a Frenchman! But this is not the only proof of France’s capacity for health innovation.
Other major French discoveries include blood transfusion, morphine, the rabies vaccine and anti-psychotic drugs, not to mention the identification of the HIV virus, isolated by Luc Montagnier and Françoise Barré-Sinoussi in 1983, securing them the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2008.
This long tradition of excellence in medical research lives on today…
“Leaf on panel” by OregonDOT on Flickr
US firm First Solar has made a strong statement of intent. Its €75 million investment to construct France’s largest solar panel manufacturing site reflects First Solar’s “firm belief in the French market and its great potential. It represents a vote of confidence in the policies being developed by the French government since the Grenelle de l’Environnement to promote renewable energies.”
France’s capacity to do this is largely thanks to the €450 billion of public and private funding expected to be pumped into France’s green economy between now and 2020. A colossal sum that includes the €2.5 billion recently allocated by the State to renewable and low-carbon energy sources, via the French government’s “National Loan” bond issue…
France, a country synonymous with romanticism and culture, will be playing a leading role at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. But perhaps contrary to expectations, it will also be the occasion to highlight a lesser-known side of France, rich in technology, business and innovation. This is the France which has been attracting increasing numbers of Chinese businesses recently: with 18 investment projects announced in 2009, due to create 1,139 jobs in the long-run, France was the fourth leading European recipient of Chinese investment…
“Plug your car in here” by RachelH on flickr
Shai Agassi, the founder of Better Place and a former number two at SAP, is not one to beat about the bush: “France is going to lead the way in Europe for electric vehicles”. And all the evidence is there to support his view: electric vehicles are well on the way to becoming a part of the industrial landscape in France. The potential is huge, as electric vehicles could account for 10% of all cars on Europe’s roads by 2020.
By adhering to the guidelines set out in 2007 by France’s “Grenelle” Environment Round Table Talks, one objective of which is to reduce the average emission level of French cars from 176 g to 130 g of CO2/km by 2020, France is making great strides towards “clean” transport for private individuals…
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