We’ve already learned that the French are keen on going “green”. But less well known is their passion for new technology. This market has already achieved a degree of maturity and could open up a number of opportunities for foreign companies. In fact, the ICT sector generated turnover of €110.6 billion in 2009, or 15.5% of the entire European market, making France the third-largest market on the continent after Italy and Spain. The EITO[1] also estimates that the development of the telecommunications market in France is much stronger than the European average, primarily because of the boom in mobile data services, up 20% in 2009…
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France, a very real “virtual” market
Posted by Invest in France Agency in Sectors of excellence; June 22, 2010
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Video games in France: abundant creativity serving a long-established market
Posted by Invest in France Agency in Sectors of excellence; June 18, 2010
Photo credit: XiXiDu on Flickr
Imagine a game with as many plots and endings as there are players. “Heavy Rain”, the brainchild of French designer David Cage and his Paris-based studio Quantic Dream, is a ‘perfect storm’ that asks players to serve as the hero in a film-noir styled interactive drama. Players actually determine the dénouement through the choices they make, amid footage to rival a blockbuster movie. This budding industry is going through a mini-revolution, underlining the creative talent of French developers.
In a constantly changing sector, with 3D, real-time games and increasingly immersive gameplay, it is crucial to stay ahead of the pack and to react to market trends which were unveiled last week at the glittering E3 2010 exhibition, the biggest video game trade show in the world. While France abounds with game titles that have put it on the map, like “Flashback”, “Alone in the Dark”, “LBA” and “Trackmania”, it is no less competitive when it comes to today’s innovations. It is no coincidence that the video game spinoffs of the planetary success Avatar have been developed by Paris-based Ubisoft…
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?…
France inventing the future of medical science
Posted by Invest in France Agency in Sectors of excellence; May 21, 2010
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…
Electric vehicles in France change up a gear
Posted by Invest in France Agency in France and its regions, Green, Sectors of excellence; May 6, 2010
“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…
France: a paradise for data centers
Posted by Invest in France Agency in Sectors of excellence; April 19, 2010
Today, 25% of growth worldwide lies in the digital economy. As ‘virtual’ as this economy may seem, it depends on very real physical infrastructure: data centers. Trade associations in telecommunications and electrical equipment engineering came together in 2009 to form “France for data centers”, seeking to prove that France is in fact an ideal host country.
‘Virginia Tech - data center’ by cbowns on flickr
These large metal cabinets house crucial components of the global economy. The internet would simply not exist without them. Every financial transaction for banks, stock markets and companies travels through them. It goes without saying that choosing where to locate data centers is a matter for serious consideration…
Setting up shop in Paris: attractive real estate deals
Posted by Invest in France Agency in Sectors of excellence; April 7, 2010
Paris, the City of Light. Paris, the most popular tourist destination in the world. Yet Paris is also irrefutably a business destination and proof of this was published in February in the 2010/11 issue of fDi Magazine’s “European Cities & Regions of the Future” rankings. Paris came in second place in its Top 25 list as a city offering numerous benefits for anyone looking to make foreign investments.
One of its many advantages is real estate, a major factor in the capital city’s attractiveness to investors. Paris offers a wide range of modern properties at competitive prices…
