7th Annual Incubator Conference and Award

Best Practices in Science Based Incubators

For the past six years, Technopolicy have successfully organised the annual incubator conference and award on ‘Best practices in Science Based Incubators’. First established in 2002, this international conference has developed into a memorable event in which the yearly Best Science Based Incubator Award ceremony is held.

This year the 7th annual conference and award organised by the Technopolicy Network, a network on Science Based Regional Development, established and managed by Science Alliance, will take place on December 11 & 12, 2008 in Paris. It will be organised in cooperation with Genopole®, the leading French Science Park and Incubator dedicated to biotechnology.

Discover the Genopole® on econovista, the interactive economic map of Paris region.

Essonne – one of Paris Region's most dynamic departments

In September the Essonne Chamber of Commerce and Industry issued a new report on the state of the department's economy, examining the department's achievements in terms of value creation from four angles:

- Entrepreneurial dynamic: the new business start-up rate in Essonne is higher than in 2006. More than 5,000 jobs were created in 2007, a 12.5% increase compared with 2006.

- Business competitiveness: Essonne has one of the lowest business tax rates.

- Attractiveness and cohesion: the Essonne companies surveyed rated the living environment at the top of the list. Then came the benefits of being part of Paris Region: the communications infrastructure, proximity and size of the market, training and higher education. The drawbacks quoted were the lack of international awareness, taxation and real estate costs. Orly airport is considered to be a major advantage to businesses.

- Human resources: a region's wealth also comes from its human resources. The department has seen a significant increase in recruitment and businesses’ recruitment plans are more extensive than the regional average.

Photos credits : Atis - Semiconductor

To find out more: Detailed report of the economic situation in Essonne 2008

Find Essonne on Econovista, the interactive economic map of Paris Region.

Mapping the future of Paris Region's transport system

Now online is Paris Region’s interactive map of the new public transport routes due to become operational between now and 2016. Internet users can see the planned extensions to the French capital's existing light rail and metro lines as well as some new lines.
The many projects to be discovered include Arc Express, an automatic metro around Paris, which is being funded by Paris Region, the government and STIF. The aim of this service is to transport people quickly and easily between suburbs without passing through Paris itself. Demand for this type of transport has increased considerably in recent years. The Arc Express link will work on the same principle as the existing Paris Metro. The future Viroflay-Chatillon light rail line will be a viable alternative to travelling by car for 150,000 people living or working less than 500 metres from a station.
Another interesting project is the extension of the RER E "Eole" to the west to take in La Défense, which will further improve links between the eastern and western sectors of Paris Region.


To find out more, see Paris Region's transport planning map

Seine-Saint-Denis - a dynamic economy !

The department of Seine-Saint Denis has a population of 1,460,000 living in an area of 236 km², 40,300 companies and approximately 530,800 salaried workers. Air France KLM, Dassault Falcon Service, Embraer, Eurocopter, Radiall and Messier-Bugatti are some of the most prominent businesses located in Seine-Saint-Denis.
The main activity sectors represented are logistics, transport and wholesale trade centred on the Garonor platform; the automotive industry, with key players such as PSA Peugeot Citroën at Aulnay, Delphi and Bosch Braking Systems; the video industry, with 3,000 businesses to its name, is booming in Montreuil and in the Plaine Saint-Denis area.
Seine-Saint-Denis has an extensive transport infrastructure comprised of metro lines, RER, light rail, motorways and a TGV/RER interconnection soon to be underpinned by the northern Tangentielle which will open up the centre of the department. Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport and Europe's number one business airport Paris-Le Bourget generate 92,500 direct jobs between them and add considerably to the attractiveness of Seine-Saint-Denis.
The department has a particularly buoyant real estate sector with 1 million sq. metres of office space planned, including the refurbishment of the Grands Moulins de Pantin for BNP Paribas. It also has Paris Nord 2 business park and several international scale exhibition centres such as Paris-Nord Villepinte and Paris Le Bourget.

Photos credits : Plaine commune developement.

Find Seine-Saint-Denis on Econovista, the interactive economic map of Paris Region