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…
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When the American media pay tribute to French-style interventionism
Posted by Invest in France Agency in France's image; March 18, 2010
France knows how to support companies during a crisis; it moves quickly and the word is getting out, even as far away as the United States. Within days of each other, two major American financial media outlets published analyses praising the relevance and responsiveness of France’s industrial policy.
A New York Times article opens with the saving of Brittany-based faïence producer HB-Henriot and applauds the speed with which the French government acted in a time of crisis. The rescue measures were particularly effective, especially for medium-sized job-creating companies. In short, France was able to provide “timely, temporary and targeted” support, in the words of French Finance minister Ms. Christine Lagarde who is quoted in the article. This approach has led France to recover from the recession faster than its European neighbors.
The global economic crisis has confirmed what many had already suspected: the future driving forces of growth will be emerging economies like China, whose economy grew by 8.7% in 2009 (1). These new economic powers are increasingly investing outside their borders, yet statistics and opinion polls suggest that decision-makers in these markets do not perceive Europe or France as a source of business opportunities. Some even believe that it is more complicated to invest or do business on the “old continent” than in other locations, such as the United States, for example.
Why are we launching a new promotional campaign?
Posted by Invest in France Agency in Country focus, France's image, Message from the Ambassador; February 18, 2010
I would like to take a look back at the press conference this morning where the Invest in France Agency’s new campaign to promote France’s attractiveness as an investment location was formally launched. The campaign will be rolled out this year in many countries around the world, specifically targeting the United States, China, India, Brazil, along with European and GCC countries.
Why then are we launching this campaign? Our aims are threefold: to take full advantage of the growing number of investments from these countries or world regions which harbor such strong potential; to correct any outdated or misguided beliefs about doing business in France where they might exist; and to capitalize on the very positive image that France enjoys abroad, thanks to the numerous reforms undertaken in the last three years, where it is seen as a responsive, dynamic and innovative country.
The campaign’s slogan – “France: Expect more” – will carry a message, from San Francisco to Rio de Janeiro, from Bangalore to Dalian, to foreign businesses everywhere: France can offer you more than you might expect; more entrepreneurial spirit, more creativity, more opportunities and visibility to develop your projects in Europe.
To reflect this, ten foreign companies who have already invested in France will relate their experiences in the Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Valor Econômico, The Times of India and China Business News, among other titles. The digital part of the campaign will offer variations on these themes. Ogilvy has been chosen as our partner, and Invest in France offices are involved worldwide.
France’s economic attractiveness can ultimately be gauged by the number of decisions taken to invest in the country: a press conference is arranged for March 9, 2010 when the IFA’s 2009 Report on job-creating foreign direct investment in France shall be unveiled.
David Appia
This is the first occasion I have had to acknowledge the new IFA website going live a few weeks ago, which we hope you will find to be:
- clearer: the new site has been expressly redesigned with this in mind and has been supplemented by a new “Daily Motion – IFA” space, where videos featuring reaction and testimonials from foreign business executives are now hosted, along with IFA productions about France.
France is the #1 investment destination in Europe
- more open: better links towards IFA partners, regional development agencies and innovation clusters in particular, offering even more insights into the wealth and diversity of France’s regions.
- more welcoming: providing information to foreign businesses interested in France is obliging us to broaden the multilingual aspect of our website as new actors on the international investment scene grow in power and stature. In addition to English, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese, content will soon follow in other languages, such as Italian, Portuguese, Korean, Russian and Arabic.
- more interactive: this blog space is an invitation to exchange views about issues relating to international investment, France’s economic attractiveness and perceptions that foreign investors may have of the country.
I hope that all our readers enjoy using our new site, particularly those in Stockholm, where I was at the beginning of last week. Sweden is an important partner: over 700 dynamic and innovative Swedish companies are already doing business in France. More generally, Scandinavian countries have an enduring interest in our country, with over forty new investment projects in France given the go-ahead last year.
