Invest in France
France is one of the most open countries in the world. It has been one of the top host countries of foreign investment for years. Why choose France? Not only to taste the "French way of life" but also because France, source of innovation and creativity, benefits from geographical, human and sectorial assets.
A competitive economy
International companies choose France because of its strategic position at the heart of Europe, the largest market in the world with 500 million consumers, and because of its membership of the euro zone, which offers the advantages of a single currency in 13 different countries. With 65 million inhabitants, France is the second-largest consumer market in Europe after Germany and the fifth-largest economy in the world, with a GDP of US $2,490 billion in 2009. 80 million tourists visited the country in 2008.
While this makes France the leading tourist destination in the world, it was also the second-leading recipient of foreign direct investment in 2008, according to UNCTAD, receiving US $117.5 billion in foreign investment flows, second only the United States (US $316 billion).
Transportation
France is the only European country to offer such easy and quick access to neighbouring countries, with key destinations within a 2,000-km (1250-mile) radius of Paris reachable in just a few hours. France has one of the longest and safest road networks in Europe. TGV high-speed trains greatly reduce journey times between French and European cities, in safety and comfort. Paris to London takes only 2 hours and 15 minutes!
France’s Atlantic, Mediterranean and North Sea coasts link the country to other continents. Five of Europe’s main ports are in France and each of them is easily accessible by road or by rail. They can also be accessed via highly efficient waterways centralized on the rivers Seine, Rhône and Rhine.
With airports at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly, Paris is a key airline hub, leading the way in Europe in terms of cargo traffic and mail, while it is the continent’s second busiest in terms of passenger numbers.
Skills, qualifications and expertise
France is the world’s third leading country in terms of hourly productivity (ILO). Productivity per worker, on both an hourly and an annual basis, is 20% higher than the European average. The French labour force is highly qualified and versatile and adapts easily to new methods of working.
France is a career destination of choice, continuing to attract more and more students from across the globe each year. It is the world’s fourth largest host country for foreign students, with 270,000 incoming students in 2008.