Key reasons to look at France as the stepping stone to Europe
- 2nd largest market (64.7 million inhabitants) in Europe : the European Single Market has over 500 million consumers
- Support for R & D: France offers the best research tax credit in Europe. 71 innovation clusters are stimulating R&D through public-private partnerships. Tech startups can benefit from the “Young Innovative Entreprise” status
- Accessible startup funding: OSEO, the government funding agency, awarded €650 million of funding for innovation in 2010. There is a growing number of business angels investors. Modernized venture capital instruments now exist through the introduction of a new category of private equity funds subject to French law
- Organizations supporting startups at every stage: French Incubators, Business Innovation Centers & Science parks, members of the RETIS network, provide office space highly subsidized, coaching (legal-marketing-financial-business advice), and network facilitation for innovative entrepreneurs
- Business setup , operating costs*, and average labor costs per employee are lower in France than in Italy, the US, and Germany (Source: Competitive Alternatives, KPMG’s Guide to International Business Location, 2012)
- Sustainable growth: The “National Investment Program” represents €35 billion of funding for 5 strategic areas: Higher education and training (€11 billion), Research (€7.9 billion), SMEs and the industrial sector (€6.5 billion), Sustainable development (€5.1 billion), Digital economy (€4.5 billion)
Invest in France Agency publications
Videos about Entrepreneurship & Innovation in France
- Did you know?
- Laws Allowing France’s Entrepreneurs to Thrive (Ben Barnier, GlobalPost)
- How European governments support startup ecosystems (LeWeb, Silicon Prairie News)
- France: Open (Invest in France Agency)
- Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s speech: 4 main points concerning Google in France
- Discover the RETIS Innovation Network
- Startup café videos to help you find the best resources and institutions (Platform provided by Google France, the Business Startup Agency (APCE), and several business schools.
Leading non-agricultural sectors considered to offer “best prospects” for U.S. business in France are (in order of market size):
Computers and software (CSF, CSV), Aircraft and Parts (AIR), Travel and Tourism (TRA), Safety and Security Equipment (SEC), Computers and Peripherals (CPT), Telecommunications Equipment (TEL), Medical Equipment (MED), Automotive Parts and Equipment (APS), Plastics (PMR), Cosmetics(COS), Textile (TXT), Educational Services (EDS), Direct Marketing and E-Commerce, Business to Consumer (ECC). Source: Doing Business in France, 2012 Country Commercial Guide for U.S. Companies
France’s sectors of Excellence (Invest in France Agency)
For more information about France,
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