Business opportunities in France
The French government has initiated a series of reforms designed to boost economic growth, stimulate investment and create and develop business activities. France positions itself actively as an open economy towards foreign investment, start-ups, scale-ups and SME’s. As a result, doing business in France has become more attractive and France has become a competitive international key business partner, located in the centre of Europe with easy access to (Northern) Africa.
In particular, innovation plays a major role in French economic policies and initiatives: the internationally recognized FrenchTech initiative, major research and development tax treatment, the quality of personnel, the proximity of French innovation clusters and the potential for research partnerships with French academia are structural advantages of the French economy.
At the end of 2019, France became the leading destination for international investment in Europe. The main sectors for foreign investment were the manufacturing sector (machinery and mechanical equipment, textiles, clothing and accessories, chemicals, plastic, automotive, naval and aerospace) and the service sector (software and IT services, wholesale and retail, consulting, engineering, transport and storage). Foreign companies with subsidiaries in France employed 2 million people in the last year, and were accountable for 31% of France’s export.
In addition to the above-mentioned sectors, the Dutch government has identified several specific attractive sectors for Dutch SME’s in France.
Through their economic network both in the Netherlands and France, they actively assist Dutch entrepreneurs seizing possible opportunities in the following markets:
- Fashion industry;
- Health and life sciences;
- Digital opportunities in health, energy, e-commerce, connected objects and digital transformation;
- Olympic games 2024 in Paris;
- Innovation in smart and green mobility, aerospace, sustainable energy, AI and blockchain.
