Econovista, the Paris region economic map

Meeting ‘Cluster Cooperation across Europe’, July 13, 2011.

2011-07-04T17:25:00.002+02:00

The meeting ‘Cluster Cooperation across Europe’ will take place on July 13th in the Genopole premises in Evry (south of Paris). This meeting is one of the Dissemination events of the EU project Bio-Common Tools-Bio-CT (Regions of Knowledge).

This meeting, hosted by the BioCT consortium and Genopole, its Coordinator, brings together key clusters in Europe to discuss and agree on how formal partnerships can be created around key biotechnology support topics ; Sharing Facilities, Technology Maturation and Developing talent.

VENUE :

Genopole GIP

5 rue Henri Desbrueres

Genopole Campus 1

91000 Evry

France

+33 (0)1 60 87 83 00

The agenda for the day includes :

Keynote presentation : The future for cluster partnerships in Europe - the need and the pathways

Plenary discussion panel : Finding maximum points of benefit for cluster partnerships

Plenary round table 1 : Sharing facilities - Presentations and discussion

Plenary round table 2 : Maturing technologies - Presentations and discussion

Plenary round table 3 : Engaging talent- Presentations and discussion

Full meeting details are available online here.

Business tours. A tour for the delegation from Campinas, the “Brazilian Silicon Valley”

2011-06-30T18:36:00.000+02:00

Following a request from the Commercial Section of the Embassy of Brazil (SECOM), the Invest in France Agency (IFA), Paris Développement and PREDA hosted a delegation of Brazilian companies on April 11th, 12th and 13th, 2011 and organised a tour of places symbolising research and innovation in the Paris Region.

Delegation in front INRA research centre in Versailles-Grignon

The tour was intended for a Brazilian delegation from the Campinas region in the State of Sao Paulo, led by José Luis Guazzelli, Honorary Consul of France in Campinas and Director of Techno Park Campinas. The delegation comprised over twenty participants, including officials from the Town Halls of Campinas, Vinhedo and Jaguariuna, and representatives from the University of Campinas and the Institute of Technology of Araraquara, the CPqD Cluster and the CIATEC technology incubator, as well as business leaders from the fields of ICT, telecoms, biotechnology, health, cosmetology and energy.

The tour included a visit of symbolic places in the Paris Region (the Biocitech Science Park, the INRA Research Centre in Versailles-Grignon), presentations of Paris Region and Brazilian clusters, and it concluded with the signing of an agreement at Paris City Hall.

Read full article on PREDA website.

Paris Region mapped out for you :

Find the Biocitech Science Park and the INRA Research Centre on Econovista.com, the interactive economic map of Paris Region :

Event. 16th International Conference on 3D Web Technology, June 20-22, 2011, Paris.

2011-05-10T11:30:00.001+02:00

The annual Web3D ACM Conference is a major event which unites researchers, developers, entrepreneurs, experimenters, artists and content creators in a dynamic learning environment. Attendees share and explore methods of using, enhancing and creating new 3D Web and Multimedia technologies such as WebGL, X3D, VRML, Collada, MPEG family. U3D, Java3D and other technologies. The conference also focuses on recent trends in interactive 3D graphics, information integration and usability in the wide range of Web3D applications from mobile devices to high-end immersive environments.

More information and registration on : http://web3d2011.org/

Paris Region mapped out for you :

Discover the key players of competitiveness clusters in Paris Region using specific maps on Econovista.com :

Key figures. The Paris Region, the leading French region in terms of incoming foreign businesses

2011-04-06T15:14:00.001+02:00

Photographer Stéphanie Rivoal

In 2010, the Paris Region welcomed 243 foreign companies, up an outstanding 27% as compared to 2009, and to 22% for the rest of France.

This new production potential will generate over 8,400 jobs in the next three years, against 8,300 in 2009, which also puts the Paris Region ahead of its French counterparts.

Despite a tough economic outlook, the Paris Region remained attractive, securing its leading position in France as a host to new foreign businesses. Just by itself, the Paris Region in 2010 received over 30% of foreign company settlement projects recorded in France and 26% of the jobs created by those companies.

In all, there are 17,400 businesses and 700,000 wage earners who depend on a foreign group in the Paris Region, representing 18% of the region's total, making the region the French leader in the hosting of foreign companies.

Two days of visits organised for an official delegation from the city of Seoul.

2011-04-05T11:35:00.002+02:00

On March 10 and 11, 2011, the Paris Region Economic Development Agency (PREDA) staged a regional healthcare tour in partnership with the Medicen Paris Region competitiveness cluster, the city of Paris, and the IAU Ile-de-France (Paris Region urban planning institute).

Two days of visits were organised for an official delegation from the city of Seoul: the director of Seoul Business Agency's Digital Media City, the director of the investment promotion department at Seoul's City Hall, and the director and commercial director of the French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The tour introduced them to the wealth and diversity of Paris Region's healthcare sector offer, focusing on some of the region's flagship sites: the Institut Pasteur, Sanofi-Aventis and the Institut de la Vision (Vision Institute).

The delegation's first visit was to the Institut Pasteur, in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, on March 10. The Medicen competitiveness cluster also presented its activities and the wider Paris Region biocluster as a whole. After this the delegation visited Sanofi-Aventis' R&D facility in Chilly-Mazarin (91 - Essonne).

On March 11, after meeting representatives of the city of Paris, the Korean delegation was welcomed by Professor Sahel who offered a guided tour of the Institut de la Vision. This introduction to one of Europe's leading integrated research centres for vision disorders showcased the excellence of healthcare research in Paris Region.

To find out more about upcoming regional tours please contact Hélène Tinti or Marie Bahsa.

Profiles of Institut Pasteur, Institut de la Vision and Sanofi-Aventis are available on Econovista.com.

Locate these facilities on the following Paris Region maps:

* Institut Pasteur on Spot talents/Public research centres

* Institut de la Vision on Spot talents/Public research centres

* Sanofi-Aventis on My map/pharmaceutical company

Introduction to eco-certified business parks in the Paris Region

2011-03-29T15:28:00.009+02:00

On March 7th and 8th, 2011, the Paris Region was pleased to host its Interreg Ecrein+ Programme European partner regions.

This Paris Region's stage in the programme (led by the Rhône-Alpes Region) was devoted to the issue of business parks inside and around European metropolitan areas. It provided an opportunity to present the region's initiatives in favour of business parks, using a variety of tangible examples of Paris Region eco-parks (Vaux-le-Pénil, Sénart, Paris Nord2 and Les Portes du Vexin), as well as putting forward the perspective of eco-certified business park enhancement via the Econovista mapping instrument, using a method that was developed by PREDA together with its partners.

A very attentive audience appreciated the region's unique approach, which uses requalification and organisational instruments to focus on improving existing conditions in order to provide a wide range of businesses with fully renovated places to settle in.

Jean-Paul Planchou - 3rd Vice-Chairman of the Île-de-France Regional Council in charge of Economic Development, Employment, New Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Tourism, Innovation and Social and Interdependent Economy - closed the session by repositioning this topic within the range of issues to be addressed in preparing the future SRDEI (Regional Strategy on Economic Development and Innovation).

Photo credit:

Ecopôle de Sénart © EPA Sénart Communication
Paris Nord2 © Seine-Saint-Denis Avenir

Paris Region mapped out for you:

Discover the interactive map of Paris Region eco-certified business parks on Econovista.com, the interactive economic map of Paris Region.

Event. "Automotive Power Electronics" Conference and Exhibition, April 6 & 7, 2011

2011-03-28T11:45:00.006+02:00

April 6 & 7, 2011. Paris, France.

SIA is launching the 4th edition of APE “Automotive Power Electronics” Conference and Exhibition.

Automotive world is facing an amazing revolution coming through power electronics, to bring a new generation of affordable green cars. APE conference is involving both communities of automotive power R&D and industry power R&D (as well as leading labs involved !) to get the best on this strategically increasing domain.
It focuses on “in-car” systems & components, dealing with all aspects of related power electronics and electrification of vehicles targeting very low CO2 emissions.

A wide range is concerned:

Applications for passenger vehicles, buses, and light duty vehicles,
Innovative technical / technological solutions and new dedicated development tools solutions,
Power levels: from 100 W up to 100 KW,
Applications for Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles (ICEV), hybrid vehicles (HV & PHEV), and electrical vehicles (EV),
Ambitious mitigation of automotive stresses: Electrical, Thermal, Chemical, Mechanical, EMC and most effective combinations of them, bringing always more reliable products.

APE will offer you in one location: high level scientific and technical conferences, a unique platform for top-level engineers/researchers exchanges, and an exhibition covering a wide range of products and services in the field of automotive power electronics.

Download full program.
More information.

Paris Region mapped out for you :
Map innovating companies and research centers in Paris Region using the thematic map "Innovate" on Econovista.com, the free interactive economic map of Paris Region.

Econovista.com update. Find Fortune 500-2010 located in Paris Region.

2011-03-25T16:36:00.007+01:00

Fortune Global 500 is a ranking of the top 500 corporations worldwide as measured by revenue. The list is compiled and published annually by Fortune magazine.

In 2010, Paris Region remains Europe's first and world's second largest concentration of Fortune 500 headquaters, after Tokyo and ahead of New York or Greater London.
39 French companies appear in the ranking, among which 37 are located in Paris Region. The 8 first are: Axa, Total, BNP Paribas, Carrefour, GDF Suez, Crédit Agricole, EDF and Société Générale.

See the full 2010 ranking on Fortune Magazine's website.

Paris Region mapped out for you:
Find the updated list of Fortune 500 located in Paris Region and map them on Econovista.com, the interactive economic map of Paris Region.

Event. IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence 2011

2011-03-24T16:12:00.006+01:00

April 11-15, 2011 - Paris, France

This international event promotes all aspects of the theory and applications of Computational Intelligence. With its hosting of over thirty technical meetings in one location, it is bound to attract lead researchers, professionals and students from around the world. The venue for this 2011 edition is located in Paris, France.

Read more about the event.
See the full program.
Learn more about IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).

Did you know?
The range and high level of ICT activities in Paris Region have led to the creation of two complementary world-class competitiveness clusters: System@tic for complex systems and software and Cap Digital for digital technologies and applications.

Read more about Paris Region's excellence in ICT.

Paris Region mapped out for you:
discover the players of computational intelligence in Paris Region through thematic maps on Econovista.com, the Paris Region free interactive economic map :

PRIME and Arts et Métiers ParisTech announce a partnership with UC Berkeley, CA

2011-03-23T12:04:00.006+01:00

Arts et Métiers Paristech has finalized an exchange agreement for graduate students and researchers with the University of California Berkeley.

The agreement will enable the exchange of graduate students, researchers, and faculty between the institutions. Arts et Métiers students are renowned among our faculties for their scientific excellence and their strong motivation. On the other hand, UC Berkeley graduate students will have the opportunity to enroll in one of Arts et Métiers ParisTech Master's programs and to work on high-stake applied research projects in France thanks to Arts et Métiers ParisTech's strong connections to industry.

The partnership is also mutually beneficial through the development of joint research projects. It strengthens both institutions international posture by enabling research collaboration between world-class research teams.

PRIME, an agency that promotes Paris Region's innovation abroad, is working in tandem with Arts et Métiers ParisTech and the Office for Science and Technology at the Consulate General of France San Francisco on this partnership. The Paris Region aims at transitioning its economy towards sustainability. Cross fertilization and technology and researcher exchange are essential to achieve this goal.

Read more.

Paris Region mapped out for you :
Seek out the centers of intelligence and excellence throughout Paris Region using the thematic map "Spot talents" on Econovista.com, the interactive Paris Region economic map.

Paris Region Key Figures – 2011 edition available

2011-03-23T11:22:00.012+01:00

The 2011 edition of Paris Region Key Figures has just been published, presenting key information on all aspects of the Paris Region economy.

This document is produced using the latest available published data. It provides a comprehensive synthesis of the key figures relating to the region's economy: population, employment, education, R&D, transport, real estate, corporate events and tourism, quality of life, etc. It also shows how Paris Region is positioned in its wider national and European context.

The Paris Region Key Figures are produced by PREDA, the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CRCI) and the Paris Region Urban Planning & Development Agency (IAU île-de-France). More information.

Here are some of the tables and graphs available in the document:

Download "Paris Region Key Figures"

Discover more PREDA publications

Hubstart Paris®, partner in the Global Security Process forum - March 29, 2011

2011-03-09T15:54:00.003+01:00

Global Security Process – a European forum on security and safety in large infrastructures and financial centres – will be held on next March 29th at the Orangerie in Roissy, near Charles de Gaulle airport.

Hubstart Paris®, following a collective approach towards promoting Greater Roissy on an international level, is involved in promoting the competencies and the players in numerous key business channels in the area, including the Security / Safety channel. Accordingly, Hubstart Paris® will be a partner in this event, alongside Pays de Roissy, the S2R2 network, the Val d'Oise Economic Expansion Committee (CEEVO), Air France, Sud Oise Développement and others.

Held within the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle hub, this meeting place for technology relating to security, safety, risk management and organisational methods will be gathering a community of 300 to 400 Safety and Security Managers intent on identifying technology, innovations, and experts able to provide them with support in conducting their projects.

Experts attending the event will include Alpha System, Arjowiggins Security, Arc Informatique, Epsilon, Icade Suretis, Ip Open Video, Gunnebo, HGH Systèmes Infrarouges, Honeywell Security Group, Htds Hi-Tech Detection Systems, Hymatom, Mesa Gastop, Sick, Wonderware France, Siemens and more.

To get the programme of this event and to sign up, please visit:
http://www.globalsecurityprocess.com

Upcoming event. Innovation Cloud Summit, Paris March 17-18.

2011-03-07T18:00:00.006+01:00

Are you looking for partners and customers to develop your business in Europe? Do you need help to support, localize or to specialize your solution for the European market? Come and present your technology.

The goal of the Cloud Computing Summit is to gather technology vendors and potential partners/customers looking for cloud computing solutions.

Many French CIOs are considering cloud computing technologies. They are looking for guidance, technologies and innovative solutions. The Innovation Cloud Summit will gather cloud technology providers, local system integrators and potential customers. Top high level executives from Cap Gemini, Atos Origin, Bull and Altran have already confirmed their participation.

More info.
Register.

Paris Region mapped out for you:

Map the Paris Region players in the field of Digital content using the "Cap Digital" map on Econovista.com, the free interactive economic map of Paris Region.

Econovista.com puts a map of the sustainable districts of Paris Region online

2011-02-25T11:44:00.009+01:00

This new map identifies urban planning projects which aim to integrate sustainable development objectives and to reduce the ecological footprint of the region. These districts were the winners of a competition organised by the Île-de-France Regional Council to attribute a seal of quality to “New Urban Districts”, and by the State for their designation “Eco-district”. They had to comply with strict specifications regarding energy conservation, density and urban requalification.

Econovista.com puts this map of Île-de-France's sustainable districts at your disposal in both French and English. This new map identifies the 29 urban planning projects chosen by State and Regional Council competitions, as well as projects backed by the Regional Office of infrastructure as part of the State-Region Projects Contract 2007-2013 (CPER), of which the 'Big Project' (GP3), called “Intensify the attractiveness of Île-de-France”, is aimed at sustaining urban development operations.

By clicking on the + tab of the picto you are taken to a presentation of Île-de-France's sustainable districts, complete with a definition of the criteria behind the labels “Eco-district” and “New Urban Districts”, as well as a description of the 29 districts being developed in Île-de-France (labels, number of dwellings, web links ...).

Three types of sustainable districts are identified on this map:

The “New Urban Districts”, stemming from the Regional Council competition, which respect a minimum density of 1500 dwellings in the “heart of the built-up area”. They favour brownfield sites or areas that are hardly urbanized in order to avoid encroaching on agricultural land or nature thus facilitating soft transport options. The chosen projects benefit not only from financial subsidies but also from contractual support, complete with concerted optimization of the project. I8 of these sites are listed in Île-de-France.

“Eco-districts” and “Eco-towns” are the result of State competitions. An eco-district is officially defined as an “urban planning project aimed at integrating sustainable development objectives and reducing its ecological footprint. In this way, it must insist on taking into account the entire environmental issues at stake and set ambitious levels of strictness.” Launched at the same time, the Eco-town project rewards bigger scale sustainable urban planning strategies. 4 eco-districts and 1 eco-town have been designated in Île-de-France.

The eco-district projects backed by Île-de-France's Regional Office of infrastructure. 12 in number, they are spread over 6 regional and national areas (OIN (National urban development schemes), new towns,...) considered important for the region's development : Plaine de France and the Roissy area ; Seine Aval and Cergy-Pointoise ; the whole of Marne-la-Vallée up to Meaux ; Orly Rungis and Seine Amont ; the Massy-Palaiseau/Saclay/Versailles/St-Quentin-en-Yvelines area ; the whole of Melun and Sénart.

Click here to go directly to the map in English.
Click here to go directly to the map in French.

This work was undertaken by the ARD (Paris Region Economic Development Agency) in association with the Île-de-France regional council, in a move to promote and develop the Île-de-France eco-region.

Econovista.com is a free mapping tool which shares economic intelligence about Île-de-France. Backed today by more than 20 regional and county partners, the site Econovista.com offers 12 topical maps showcasing Île-de-France's wealth and economic potential.

Browse the site now and discover the different sides to this area … sites perfect for business accommodation with model transport infrastructure, sectors of expertise, research centres, implantation support organizations and Île-de-France's cutting edge clusters.

Finally, Econovista.com holds all the keys to making the right choices regarding your implantation: find the business contacts you want by using the different levels of zoom on the map, download contact numbers and addresses of the right people, find the links to their websites, etc

Upcoming event. Space Access International Conference, organized by ASTech Paris Region.

2011-02-23T15:57:00.013+01:00

The first Space Access International Conference, organized by the ASTech Paris Region competitiveness cluster, will be held in Paris September 21-23, 2011.

This First Conference on Space Access will provide a dedicated forum to all stakeholders in the sector, addressing the following themes:

• Markets, mission requirements, new payloads and services
• Systems, concepts and design methodologies
• Business and programmatic aspects
• Technologies and subsystems
• Regulations and standardisation (including environmental aspects)
• Synergies with other sectors (spin-offs, spin-ins, common methodologies...

Call for papers: deadline to submit your abstracts, March 4, 2011.

Learn more about the Space Access International Conference.

Learn more about the ASTech Paris Region competitiveness cluster.

Paris Region mapped out for you:
Map the Paris Region players in the field of aeronautics, space and defence using the “ASTech map” on Econovista, the free interactive economic map of Paris Region.

Awarded business locations for international companies in Paris region

2011-02-17T16:37:00.004+01:00

On the 7 December 2010, the Paris Region Economic Development Agency awarded ‘Paris Region International Business Location' status to thirteen business premises.

This initiative was launched by the Paris Region Economic Development Agency and the Paris regional council, in cooperation with their partners, following a study conducted in 2009. The award concerns public and/or public-funded business locations that are best adapted to the needs of international companies.

Several key criteria were taken into consideration for the award.

Accommodation: the capacity to give quick approval for the company's accommodation (contracts).
Support: provision of a dedicated, English-speaking contact able to support the company in the various aspects of its business creation project.
Accessibility of the business premises.
Rates

The Paris Region International Business Location award will give winning companies access to a host of shared services: increased visibility of the locations in the promotional material of development agencies, and particularly the Paris Region Economic Development Agency; and free access to information resources provided by the Paris Region Economic Development Agency and its partners (information extranet, support services and aftercare provided by the Paris Region Economic Development Agency, information and training seminars, etc.).

Read more and find out the list of awarded business locations.

Econovista.com launching online map of eco-qualified business parks in the Paris Region

2011-01-25T09:32:00.007+01:00

This new map shows the business parks in the Paris Region that meet sustainable development criteria in terms of their management, their activities & resources, their urban planning and the facilities available to businesses and employees.

Econovista.com is making the map of eco-qualified business parks in the Paris Region available in French and English. This new map shows 35 business parks which demonstrate the approach that Paris Region business park planners and managers are committed to.

By clicking on the pictogram's + tab, you will be directed towards an ID card of the area in pdf format listing for each park precise information about what kind of project is underway, what companies are there, as well as the park's objectives and services.

At this time, there are three business park categories shown on the map:

Ecoparks, which comprehensively provide a management scheme, a range of activities & resources, a selection of services and quality urban planning.
Eco-friendly business parks, in which sustainable development initiatives are focused around exemplary urban planning.
Business parks Under conversion, where an ecopark deployment process is underway.

This work has been conducted by PREDA in association with its partners, as part of an approach to enhance and promote the quality venues provided by the Paris Eco-region to host its businesses.

For direct access to the map in French, please click here.
For direct access to the map in English, please click here.

Econovista.com is a free map application for the sharing of business information about the Paris Region. Currently supported by over 20 regional and departmental partners, the Econovista.com website now has 12 theme maps illustrating the wealth and economic potential of the Paris Region.

Don't wait any longer to check out the area's various facets as you surf... from exemplary business-hosting sites to transport infrastructures, business sectors of excellence, research centres, organisations to help businesses get established, not to mention the cutting-edge clusters in the Paris Region.

Lastly, on http://www.econovista.com you will find all of the functionalities needed to help you assess your choices in getting established: using different zoom levels, locate the business players you wish to see appear on the map, download the address and details of the right contacts, use the links towards the players' websites, etc.

Hubstart Paris, a new brand for the Paris Charles de Gaulle airport area

2010-11-07T20:29:00.005+01:00

The large area around the international Airport of Paris Charles de Gaulle is now branded by an alliance of 21 public and private players : the HUBSTART PARIS(r) alliance. This area is one of the most dynamic in France.

The goals of Hubstart Paris(r) are to promote this area abroad and to help foreign investors.

Please, visit the website of HUBSTART PARIS(r)

Download the first brochures of Hubstart Paris : air cargo and business aviation.

Foreign investment. Paris Region is the leading region in France for inward investment by foreign companies

2010-09-17T09:57:00.005+02:00

Foreign companies are responsible for 18% of jobs in Paris Region. The main investors in the region are from Europe and the USA, and the sectors in which foreign companies are most prevalent are industry and commerce. Jobs dependent on foreign companies are mainly located in the heart of the Greater Paris area, giving Hauts-de-Seine a particularly strong international orientation.

These findings are the result of a study produced by the Paris Region Economic Development Agency in partnership with the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Regional Centre for Commerce, Industry and Services Observation (CROCIS) and the Regional Directorate of the Paris Region National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE).

Download the study

Paris Region mapped out for you:

Are you interested in investing in Paris Region? Assess your location options with Econovista, the free interactive economic map of Paris Region

Airports. Satellite 4, a new passenger terminal extension at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport

2010-09-15T17:26:00.002+02:00

On 3 June 2010 Pierre Graff, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aéroports de Paris, unveiled plans for the future Satellite 4 at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Aéroports de Paris says the new facility is intended first and foremost to improve passenger service: it will take passengers less than 3 minutes to reach Satellite 4 from Terminal 2E via automatic light rail. The departure lounge will match the highest international standards in terms of passenger service quality.

“We designed the passenger route to Satellite 4 to resemble a stroll through the city of Paris. Travellers arrive at an elegant metro station and then walk through a shopping mall, modelled on the department store and featuring France’s most iconic brands, before reaching a showcase of European technology, the departure lounge, that offers an unrestricted view of Airbus A380 aircraft. The passenger experience will be one of the city, culture and modernity,” explains chief architect François Tamisier.

More information

Paris Region mapped out for you:

Use the Datagora map to learn more about the infrastructure of the area surrounding Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Are you interested in investing in Paris Region? Assess your location options with Econovista, the free interactive economic map of Paris Region.

New map. Econovista.com putting a new map online in partnership with the ‘Systematic’ competitiveness cluster

2010-09-13T11:09:00.002+02:00

Econovista.com has just provided you with a new map, “Systematic’s Ecosystem”.

This new “cluster” map features competitiveness cluster member-SMEs listed by theme (Automotive & Transport, Freeware, System Design and Development Tools, Security & Defence, Telecoms) as well as major Groups and Research and Higher Education facilities.
Beyond cluster members, Systematic nurtures close relationships with over 650 players in optics, electronics and software channels, also featured on the map. As a genuinely integrated ecosystem, the Systematic cluster represents a competitive world-class territory in the market of complex systems design, production and control.

At this time, the following are featured on the map:
• Systematic cluster members:

- SMEs broken down into five categories matching the cluster’s 5 theme groups: (Automotive & Transport, Freeware, System Design and Development Tools, Security & Defence, Telecoms)
- Research and Higher Education facilities
- Major Groups

• A wider selection of players, completing the cluster’s ecosystem:
- SMEs, broken down into three categories: Software, Optics, Electronics

Check out the Systematic map on Econovista.com

Lastly, www.econovista.com provides you with all of the functionalities you need to help you assess your options in getting established: zooming in and out at will, you can locate the business players you wish to see featured on the map, download the address and contact details of appropriate contacts, get the links towards the players’ websites and much more.

Social networks. Paris Region Economic Development Agency (PREDA) opens a Twitter account

2010-09-01T14:08:00.003+02:00

As of 1 June 2010, you can follow PREDA on Twitter, which now delivers Paris Region’s economic news in English. Intended for a broad, English-speaking global audience, the tweets provide fast information to international investors, the media and anyone else with an interest in Paris Region, its diversity and its wealth.
Keep abreast of all the issues related to the attractiveness of France's leading region in terms of foreign investment: newly established companies, Paris Region’s international ranking, trade shows taking place, key figures and Agency news.
Catch up, too, with the latest developments at Econovista: new maps, updates to existing maps, new pdf files for download, new listings, etc.

As a provider of breaking news, Twitter is an ongoing, instant source of information for more than 7 million users.
To check out PREDA on Twitter, click here.

Paris Region mapped out for you:

Would you like to see the main economic areas of Paris Region? Plot the region’s economic potential on Econovista, the free interactive economic map of Paris Region

Are you interested in investing in Paris Region? Assess your location options with Econovista, the free interactive economic map of Paris Region

Competitiveness cluster. Advancity – the green technologies and sustainable cities cluster

2010-08-19T10:30:00.003+02:00

Advancity is a competitiveness cluster serving sustainable cities and green technologies, formed to enable businesses and research organisations to cooperate and undertake collaborative projects. The cluster is organised around seven strategic committees:

• Urban Environmental and Energy Technologies
• Ground-level / Sub-surface Infrastructures and Networks
• Building Energy Environment
• Efficiency of Public Transport
• New Applications and Mobility
• Accessibility and Urban Health Environment
• Eco-friendly Urban Organisation/Systems

The cluster’s primary aim is to stimulate innovation and to irrigate Paris Region’s industrial landscape with new competencies and innovative projects. The rapid deployment of eco-technologies for sustainable urban regeneration draws on a range of fields across fundamental research, technological development and engineering: a spectrum only a network can encompass in its entirety.
Advancity’s strength lies in its ability to nurture synergies between different players, helping collaborative projects to fruition and facilitating concrete, commercially viable outcomes.

Three vectors of excellence lie at the heart of the cluster’s strategy, contributing to the large-scale regeneration of urban environments:

- instrumentation, engineering and urban management systems;
- urban environmental efficiency through the management and development of ground-level and sub-surface networks and infrastructures, sustainable construction, urban planning and transport;
- urban quality of life and services, especially applied to mobility and the urban healthcare environment.

In France, cities account for 90% of GDP, 80% of the population, 75% of energy consumption and two thirds of greenhouse gas emissions. Restoring an urban metabolism that’s more resource-efficient and more environment-friendly while remaining active, attractive and open, is one of the major challenges of the 21st century – with green technologies as one of its primary components.

Source: Advancity

Paris Region mapped out for you:

Map the Paris Region players in the eco-business sector using Econovista, the free interactive economic map of Paris Region

Looking to invest in Paris Region? Assess potential locations using Econovista, the free interactive economic map of Paris Region

Regional news. Hauts-de-Seine – the second most popular location choice for businesses in Paris Region

2010-06-21T18:09:00.010+02:00

Located directly adjacent to the La Défense business district and boasting an exceptional economic environment, the département of Hauts-de-Seine is one of the most attractive locations within Paris Region.
Outside the capital itself this is the region’s leading area for company start-ups, and today hosts 99,052 businesses, with 825,000 employees and a total population of 1.55 million.

This is also the no.2 area for international company location in Paris Region, hosting 2,500 international businesses, one third from the USA.
Hauts-de-Seine offers optimum conditions for hosting businesses, with a dense, high-quality real estate offering totalling 11.7 million sq.m, concentrating nearly half of all office premises marketed in Paris Region as a whole.

Hauts-de-Seine is located at the hub of a dense transport network, with Metro, RER and motorway connections ensuring easy accessibility to all the key regional, European and international economic centres.

Key sectors:
-Digital and ICT (23,600 companies, 276,100 jobs)
-Healthcare and biotechnology (5,300 organisations, 25,000 jobs)
-Finance and insurance (3,000 organisations, 78,000 jobs)
-B2B services (30,000 companies, 338,000 jobs)

Research – key figures:
300 research centres
15,000 researchers
77,000 students

La Défense – key figures:
-Europe’s no.1 business district
-160 hectares
- 3 million sq.m of offices
-3,500 companies, 1,500 head offices, 170,000 employees
-Europe’s no.1 public transport network
-230,000 sq.m of local retail outlets

Sources: Les Hauts-de-Seine, un territoire à vocation internationale; Enjoy La Défense Seine-Arche
Photos: © ARD/Michel Derouault

*******************
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Economic data. The Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry publishes economic scorecards for the individual départements that make up Paris Region

2010-06-09T09:56:00.003+02:00

CROCIS, the CCIP’s regional observation centre for commerce, industry and services, has published economic scorecards for the individual départements within Paris Region.
These scorecards – which are available online (in French only – provide key economic data on:
- business demographics (business start-ups / failures)
- employment (salaried employment, unemployment rate)
- tourist activity
- real estate

Detailed economic profiles are available for the following départements:

• Paris
• Hauts-de-Seine
• Yvelines
• Seine-Saint-Denis
• Val-de-Marne
• Val-d’Oise

English-language information is available in the 2010 edition of Paris Region Key Figures.

To find out more about the economic potential of Paris Region:

Econovista.com is a free economic mapping tool for sharing information about Paris Region supported by more than 20 partners at regional and departmental level.
11 themed maps are available at econovista.com to help you explore the wealth of potential Paris Region offers. Each map shines the spotlight on a different facet of the region, from transport infrastructures to sectors of excellence, including leisure facilities and competitiveness clusters.
Find out more by visiting www.econovista.com

Regional news. Plaine Commune celebrates its tenth birthday by launching an ambitious development plan.

2010-06-07T14:27:00.003+02:00

Plaine Commune, the second-largest agglomeration community in Paris Region, is celebrating its tenth birthday by launching an ambitious development plan. The eight towns belonging to the intercommunal structure – Aubervilliers, Epinay-sur-Seine, La Courneuve, L’Ile-Saint-Denis, Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, Saint-Denis, Stains and Villetaneuse – recently approved a five-year investment plan (2010-2015) as part of the sustainable development plan approved in 2007 (the ‘Plan d’Aménagement et de Développement Durable’, abbreviated as PADD). One of the flagship projects covers public planning schemes, including urban and residential development projects like the Ecoquartier (eco-neighbourhood) on Ile-Saint-Denis in the Seine river, the ZAC-Canal (Canal business park) in Aubervilliers and Campus Condorcet (see article (in french only)

To find out more, read the Plaine Commune sustainable development plan in full (French only).

Plaine-Commune in brief:
Dynamic economic sectors:
Banking/insurance
ICT
Energy (EDF)
Aerospace (Eurocopter, Delage Aéro, Précilec)

Transport links
Extension of two Metro lines (12 and 13), two RER (high-speed metro) lines (B and D), light railway, two motorways (A86 and A1), three planned light railway links and a proposed TGV (high-speed rail) station.

Teaching and research:
Plaine-Commune has a total of 1,500 university research/teaching staff, divided between three institutions (Paris 8, Paris 13 and CNAM) and 40,000 students. The community also has two technology platforms – focused on engineering/production materials and art/science/technology – whose role is to forge links between the research centres and innovative businesses.

Real estate:
In 2009, the agglomeration community offered 1,400,000 m² of office space, with plans for a further 926,000 m² to be developed.

Source: Les Echos du 17/02/2010; www.plainecommune.fr

© Plaine Commune/DMS

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Meeting. Innov'eco turns the spotlight on bioenergy and biomaterials

2010-06-02T14:28:00.004+02:00

PREDA, the Paris Region Economic Development Agency, invites you to the next session of INNOV’ECO, dedicated to bioenergy and biomaterials, which takes place at the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine from 8.30 am to 1 pm on 17 June 2010.

How and to what extent can biomass – plant-derived materials – be used to replace fossil energy for transport, insulation, construction, chemicals and even the production of heat and electricity?
At a time when we are rediscovering wood and its derivatives for use as fuel and materials, how are the relevant sectors and professions responding?
What are the consequences in terms of regional planning and how can industry be transformed to create a circular, regional economy?
Do green biotechnology and biochemicals offer an alternative to petrochemicals as we move towards a low-carbon economy?

Source: www.paris-region.com
To register for the event (French only)

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ICT. Spotlight on 3D technologies in Seine-Saint-Denis, from 1 to 3 June

2010-06-01T11:37:00.003+02:00

From 1 to 3 June 2010, for the second year running, Seine-Saint-Denis will be hosting Dimension 3 at Dock Pullman – an international forum dedicated to S-3D technologies, augmented reality and virtual reality.

The forum, which is co-organised by the agency Avance Rapide Communication and the economic development agency Seine-Saint-Denis Avenir, comprises three main strands:
-A three-day programme of talks and workshops for professionals in the sector
-An exhibition area for demonstrating and showcasing products
-A film festival, Dimension 3 Festival, the first international festival presenting feature films, short films, documentaries and event broadcasts using 3D technologies.

With Dimension 3, an event designed to promote economic, professional and international development in the technical, economic, scientific and cultural issues relating to S-3D imaging, the Seine-Saint-Denis region is positioning itself in a highly dynamic market – as Marie Hélène Tramus, a lecturer at Paris 8 University in Seine-Saint-Denis and leader of the digital imaging and virtual reality research group in the imaging arts and technologies laboratory, confirms: “For us, Dimension 3 is an opportunity to showcase our expertise and our scientific research in the fields of synthetic and high-tech imaging. We are especially delighted that this year the département of Seine Saint-Denis has given us free rein to celebrate 25 years of our course and our research laboratory as part of this international forum”.

Source: seinesaintdenisavenir.fr

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Trade shows. Business aviation in Paris Region the focus in Geneva

2010-05-18T15:39:00.007+02:00

Paris Region’s business aviation and aeronautical sector had been represented at the 10th European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE), from 4 to 6 May 2010 in Geneva. This year, the Seine-Saint-Denis Avenir Economic Development Agency coordinated the presence of the following Hubstar Paris® partners: Paris Region, Seine-et-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val d’Oise and Paris Airports.

The “Hubstar Paris®” group presents the advantages of the Paris-Le-Bourget platform and surrounding areas, which are key European locations for business development and economic activity. For the economic development agencies of Val d'Oise, Seine-et-Marne and Seine-Saint-Denis Avenir, the Paris Region Economic Development Agency and Paris Airports, this industry trade show was an opportunity to promote business aviation in Paris Region from the standpoint of activities, businesses, services and local areas.

Contact: ebeaufils@ccip.fr

Source: www.hubstar-paris-blog.com

© Dassault Aviation

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Competitiveness cluster. Medicen, a cluster for innovative therapies and advanced technologies in healthcare

2010-05-17T14:14:00.007+02:00

At the heart of the Paris Region, first-ranking economic area in Europe, the cluster Medicen brings together the largest drug and health technologies companies, the strongest concentration of researchers, hospitals and universities in France, and benefits from the commitment the State and regional/counties authorities. It takes advantage of all the assets that a metropolis can provide in terms of financial, real estate and transportation infrastructures.

Initiated in 2005 as a result of the remarkable collaborative dynamism that united businesses, clinicians and academics in their response to the French government's call for proposals, the Medicen Paris Region cluster unites all the key life science and healthcare players in the Paris metropolitan area. Located at the heart of Europe's leading regional economy, the Cluster constitutes the highest concentration of healthcare expertise and resources in Europe.

With strong support from the French State, the Paris Region Regional Council, local authorities and economic development organizations, Medicen Paris Region is determined to reinforce the international competitiveness, visibility and attractiveness of the Paris region in life sciences and make it one of the world's top metropolitan areas for therapeutic innovation.

The cluster uses dynamic collaboration and networking to organize the very numerous regional health players around priority themes, in order to build a true cluster, innovate more effectively and boost the region’s national and international attractiveness. Its location in the Paris Region must be considered as a key success factor in the health care and pharmaceutical technology sectors, whether it be for an innovative start-up, a small business or a major company.

Source : Medicen Paris Region

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Regions. Val-de-Marne, a place of excellence for imaging and healthcare technologies

2010-05-12T15:20:00.005+02:00

With a surface area of 234 km2, Val-de-Marne is one of France’s smallest regional departments, yet in terms of population it ranks 10th in the country. Its proximity to Orly, France’s second airport, the Ports of Paris and the Rungis International Market makes the region both attractive and dynamic. It currently has 200,000 m2 of office space, with another 340,000 m2 planned over the next five years, and its high-quality transport infrastructure includes five RER lines, three metro lines and the A86 motorway link between the A6 and A4.

Its economic sectors
Imaging:
This sector, which has grown up around the INA (French National Audiovisual Institute), Société Française de Production and French National Geographic Institute, represents an area of future growth. Val-de-Marne is also home to some of the biggest names in the industrial world, such as Kodak, Nikon and Olympus, as well as Le Monde’s printing facility and XD Production. The department boasts Europe’s largest imaging and sound training centre, INA Formation, as well as schools of graphic design (École européenne supérieure d’animation and the national training and applications institute) and engineering (École française d’Électronique et d’informatique - French school of electronics and computer science).

See who is a member of the digital sector’s cluster Cap Digital on Econovista, the free interactive economic map of Paris Region

Healthcare:
Val-de-Marne is home to five university hospitals, two faculties of medicine (Paris XI and Paris XII), the Institute of Bioscience, the Paris Institute of Biotechnology and the Institute of Higher Education in Biomedical Science. Major international corporations have chosen Val-de-Marne as a location, including Sanofi-Aventis, Essilor, L'Oréal, Setpodont and Boiron Menarini.
In numbers, Val-de-Marne has 33 biomedical companies, 23 pharmaceutical companies, 10 clinical trial companies, 2,000 researchers, 74 government research laboratories, and 30 technology platforms.

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Food industry:
One of the department’s largest business platforms is Rungis International Market, a critical component of the food distribution industry that groups together more than 1,300 businesses (wholesalers, brokers, producers/sellers, import/export companies, service providers and accessory suppliers). Val-de-Marne is also home to major groups such as Danone, Lavazza and Nestlé Waters.

Eco-technologies:
Val-de-Marne is where the educational and research cluster based at Paris XII University conducts its research on air, water, soil and thermal power.

Plot the stakeholders in the eco-technology sector on Econovista, the free interactive economic map of Paris Region

© CNRS Thiais

For more info, visit Agence Economique du Val-de-Marne

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Upcoming event. Insight into digital simulation at the Ter@tec Forum on 15 and 16 June at the École Polytechnique

2010-05-10T15:28:00.006+02:00

The Ter@tec Forum bringing together leading international experts in digital design and simulation is one of biggest events of its kind in France and Europe. It underpins the sector’s importance in developing a company’s competitiveness and innovation capabilities, as was clearly demonstrated by the 2009 event, which attracted more than 600 attendees. The 2010 Ter@tec Forum at the École Polytechnique will focus on the very fast development of HPC usage.

During the plenary sessions on Tuesday, 15 June, industry players will share their experiences of HPC technologies, which today extend to all economic, industrial and service sectors as a result of more powerful systems (1,000 times more powerful in a matter of years) and the performance of software tools in simulation and design as well as in the complete digital creation of objects and materials, media or services.
Workshops will be held throughout the day on 16 June to address major HPC topics and provide an opportunity for delegates to review the numerous collaborative projects linking industry and research.

For more information or to register for the Forum, click here

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Rankings. London and Paris – leading the European cultural industry

2010-04-28T09:42:00.004+02:00

The figures contained in the European Cluster Observatory’s report on the cultural industry speak for themselves: in 2006, cultural and creative industries provided 6.5 million jobs in Europe. These activities are typically concentrated in the larger cities, but it was London and Paris which stood out the most, followed by Milan and Amsterdam.

Paris Region employs more than 300,000 people in the cultural industry, compared with 235,000 for London. Berlin trails behind with just 60,000 jobs in the cultural and creative field. Paris Region is the leading European employer in advertising, literary creation, museum activities and the preservation of historical sites. London, on the other hand, leads in the field of radio and television.

The study also illustrates the link between high concentrations of cultural industries and a region’s prosperity. “The increase in the number of businesses involved in culture is fuelled by our thirst for cultural products, new forms of entertainment, distraction, and inspiration,” such as computer games and web design, reports the study.

Source: innocity.fr

Photo : Versailles

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Competitiveness cluster. SYSTEM@TIC PARIS REGION, the cluster at the heart of the digital revolution

2010-04-26T14:47:00.007+02:00

SYSTEM@TIC PARIS REGION develops key tools and technologies in the field of software-dominant systems, focusing its activities on three application markets with a strong social dimension: transport, telecoms and security.
The cluster is based on an ecosystem comprising some 900 SMEs, dynamic drivers of innovation representing more than 35,000 jobs related to the cluster’s core specialisms: software, electronics and optics. They all share certain defining characteristics which mark them out as:

• Innovative – dedicating a significant proportion of their revenues to R&D
• Prioritising a path to growth based on a collaborative approach
• Positioned in the cluster’s target markets and technologies.

Advantages of cluster membership:
• Access to and participation in strategic and specialist projects in each of the working groups
• Participation in R&D projects
• Visibility
• Building contacts (R&D, business, finance, etc.)

In order to help innovative Paris Region SMEs to maintain a global standard of competitiveness and to optimise their innovative capability, SYSTEM@TIC has set itself the mission of supporting SMEs operating in the high-tech fields of software, systems, electronics and optics. The ability to innovate is the key challenge currently facing SMEs in order to maintain their competitiveness in the global marketplace and offer an alternative to delocalisation.

The “AMBITION PME” programme
SYTEM@TIC has been appointed by Paris Region and the French government to lead a programme of initiatives in Optics and Complex Systems, in partnership with the Paris Region network of regional chambers of commerce and industry (CRCIs) and Opticsvalley.
“Ambition PME”, supported by the state and by the regional authorities, aims to help create optimum conditions for the development of innovative Paris Region SMEs with high growth potential working in high-tech sectors: software, systems, electronics and optics. This programme represents an exceptional opportunity to capitalise and showcase one of the region’s key strengths, to support the growth of high-tech SMEs and to raise Paris Region’s profile in the global high-tech sector.

Source: www.systematic-paris-region.com

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Trade shows. Paris and its region welcome the world

2010-04-21T10:56:00.005+02:00

As the European leader in trade shows and events, the Paris Region can rely on an extraordinary level of expertise, an impressive logistics capability and the amazing cultural and tourist attraction exerted by this region worldwilde. The Paris Region has the largest exhibition capacity in Europe, with a total floor area of 620 000 m², as well as many more extensions and new construction projects in the pipeline. That’s certainly the case with the new hall now under construction at the Paris Villepinte xhibition Center, which, at 36 000 m², will increase the total covered exhibition area to 236 000 m².

The region has long been the world capital for international conventions, and will be increasing the number of options available over the longer term, with the construction of brand-new convention centers. Projects include Eurodisney, where the opening of a new center covering more than 20 000 m² will be accompanied by additional accommodation capacity in the shape of a totally new hotel, and Orly airport, which is bulding a facility of equivalent size.

The seconde great strength of our region is the fact that it hosts such an impressive number of major exhibitions: more than 400 every year. The other great attraction of Paris Region trade shows and convention is, of course, the economic power and international image of Paris an its surrounding region. As Europe(s largest marketplace, this is the preferred hub from which 490 million European consumers.

Finally, the sheer organizational quality of the trade shows and conventons held here is another powerful advantage for the region. In terms of venues, the choice on offer is very easy to understand and interpret, and has been further simplified with the grouping together under the Viparis indetity of ten major venues previously managed separately by their two owners.

Source : Paris-Region Magazine, issue 9, march 2010 www.paris-region.com

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Business parks. Sénart, an outstanding place to live and work

2010-04-19T15:13:00.005+02:00

Bordered by the forests of Sénart and Rougeau, and set alongside the winding course of the River Seine, Sénart offers an unspoilt environment for living and working in. Businesses located here – in immediate proximity to Evry, Corbeil-Essonnes and the Carré Sénart retail park – have within reach all the services and facilities they need to grow.

Greenparc
Bordered by the Greenparc golf course, this business park boasts an outstanding location, offering fast access to the Francilienne ring road and the A6 and A5 motorways, with Paris-Orly airport just 20 minutes away. Greenparc offers development sites suitable for premises of 500 to 2,500 m², for the use of high value-added service-sector and high-tech businesses.

Les Vergers
Plots available for the development of 5,000 m² premises for the use of manufacturers, distributors and trading companies seeking to benefit from an upmarket image and a prestigious landscape setting fronting the Francilienne ring road.

La Clef de Saint-Pierre
This mixed-use 28-hectare business park will offer 15 hectares dedicated to businesses, combining an eco-neighbourhood with a range of services. It will offer real-estate opportunities enjoying an exceptionally good location, linking the centre of Saint-Pierre-du-Perray with the Carré Sénart complex at the heart of Sénart new town.

Le Gravois
A prestigious location bordering Sénart forest, reserved for large-scale projects with more than 50 hectares available as a single unit.

Le Carré Sénart
The Carré Sénart complex effectively forms the hub of Sénart new town, hosting many retail and leisure facilities and administrative services. This urban centre continues to grow steadily with development projects including offices, retail outlets and leisure facilities.

Source: “Votre entreprise à Sénart en Essonne”, EPA Sénart (Sénart development agency)

© EPA Senart - Philippe Caumes

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Competitiveness cluster. ASTech Paris Region, at the heart of aerospace research

2010-04-07T15:22:00.008+02:00

The ASTech Paris Region aerospace competitiveness cluster is France’s leading employment hub in the field of aeronautics, space and embedded systems, concentrating more than 100,000 people and the majority of R&D personnel in this field in France.

Specialisms:
• Vehicle architecture and equipment
• On-board energy
• Employment, training & research
• Testing & instrumentation
• Aeronautical maintenance
• Materials and processes
• Propulsion

ASTech Paris Region helps SMEs position themselves more effectively within the industrial landscape of the region’s aerospace sector by:
• enabling them to participate in collaborative projects such as those supported by the FUI (Fonds Unique Interministériel – Single Interministerial Fund), the ANR (French National Research Agency), and the Framework Programs for Research and Technological Development;
• raising their profile with the technical departments of client operations;
• offering them opportunities to upgrade their expertise (e.g. through EN 9100 accreditation);
• facilitating access to training providers, to the world of science (internships, doctoral research), and to the many, diverse testing facilities in Paris Region.

Beyond questions of market positioning, within the ASTech Paris Region cluster SMEs can find a network of experts, systems for monitoring market developments and economic intelligence empowering them to devise and develop projects capitalising on technological innovations in partnership with other manufacturers and research laboratories.
Thanks to its network and the opportunities offered by state departments, ASTech Paris Region offers its member SMEs the opportunity to develop their commercial activities for export markets. Finally, strong support from the local and regional authorities for the ASTech Paris Region cluster is a major advantage driving the expansion of the region’s aerospace industry, offering unique growth opportunities to innovative SMEs based in Paris Region.

Source: www.pole-astech.org

© Dassault - Falcon

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Region. Essonne, an outstanding location for research

2010-04-06T14:09:00.004+02:00

Essonne is a uniquely dynamic and attractive region located south of Paris. It has a highly qualified labour pool, accounting for 25% of all researchers in Paris Region and including 45,000 graduates from many of the region’s top universities (Polytechnique, Supélec, Télécom Paris Sud, the universities of Orsay and Ivry, etc.).

Businesses here benefit from the proximity not just of higher education institutions but also of public research laboratories including the CNRS (the French National Centre for Scientific Research), INRIA (the French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control), CEA (the French Atomic Energy Commission) and INSERM (the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research). The area also hosts the Synchrotron facility and Génopole, a campus pooling cutting-edge biotechnology research equipment ¬– giving it genuine added value in terms of research and development.

Today Essonne is home to more than 30,000 SMEs and 400 corporations with more than 100 employees, including very large groups like Sanofi-Aventis, Safran, Danone, Thalès, Ericsson, Renault and Motorola. These companies frequently work with SMEs within the System@TIC Paris Region, Médicen, Astech Paris Region, Mov’eo and Cap Digital competitiveness clusters – groupings which help companies pool their expertise in joint projects, combining their strengths to boost their international attractiveness.

On the infrastructure side, Orly airport, the A6 and A10 motorways and three RER (high-speed metro) routes make Essonne a highly attractive location for companies seeking access to the French and European markets. Essonne’s facilities for hosting businesses include three start-up centres, 14 business incubators, five business hotels and 36 business centres.

© C.Kermarrec - SOLEIL

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Information and Communication Technologies. Digiteo, a leading world-class research park

2010-03-30T15:17:00.003+02:00

Digiteo, Paris Region’s research park in the field of information and communication science and technology (ICT), will concentrate the expertise of 1,800 researchers in the Plateau de Saclay campus with effect from this year. The park is focused on excellence, setting itself the goal of becoming the leading international ICT research park. Its fields of excellence are the design and development of software-intensive systems, from system-on-a-chip to supercomputing and major software infrastructures, including embedded systems and robotics.

In terms of the research institutions involved, founding members CEA (the French Atomic Energy Commission), CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research), École Polytechnique (France’s premier engineering school), Supelec (engineering school specialising in energy and information science), INRIA (National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control) and Université Paris Sud 11 were joined by ENS Cachan, Université de Versailles St-Quentin and École Centrale Paris in 2008. “Institut Telecom should also be included as it will be moving a large part of its research to the plateau in five years’ time, as part of the Campus plan,” explains Digiteo’s Director Maurice Robin, “as well as Mines Paris Tech and ENSTA-ParisTech which are also planning to locate here. Digiteo’s priority is to facilitate the pooling of expertise as well as providing support and additional resources to finance the implementation of specific research projects.”

Building a bridge between fundamental research and industry, and accelerating technology transfer, are core concerns. “Each Digiteo member has its own technology transfer operation and so Digiteo adds value by focusing on activities relating to joint projects involving at least two research laboratories, in order to build synergies and generate projects while creating quantifiable economic value,” notes Digiteo’s Director.

New facilities which will accommodate around 1,000 additional researchers are currently under construction in order to enable Digiteo to continue its expansion and to fulfil its immense potential as a key research hub. Planning permissions have been granted for three Saclay projects: at the CEA site, on Plateau du Moulon and at Palaiseau. These projects are being financed partly by Paris Region, by the Essonne Conseil Général (district council) and the Communauté de Communes du Plateau de Saclay (community of Plateau de Saclay town councils), as well as by the research park’s founding institutions.

Source: RÉUSSIR No.120, January/February 2010

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Commercial real estate. River Ouest, an outstanding location just 15 minutes from La Défense

2010-03-29T16:40:00.004+02:00

The French subsidiary of EMC Computer Systems, one of the global leaders in IT, has opted to locate to Bezons, occupying 8,000 of the 64,000 m² of floorspace available in the new River Ouest development. The choice of River Ouest, a commercial development meeting the highest standards in terms of both prestige and sustainable development, reflects the company’s commitment to building its business in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

EMC’s arrival gives a further boost to the new business district located on the Seine riverside – a project launched by the Argenteuil-Bezons district authority. Alongside River Ouest’s 64,000 m², a further 67,000 m² of new offices are scheduled for development here. As well as offering an outstanding location on the Seine riverside and office facilities with “high energy performance” (HPE) rating, the area will also benefit from a new T2 light railway station opening in 2011 – making it just a 15-minute journey to La Défense.

Source: L’économie en Val d’Oise, no.16, [Q1 2010]

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Transport networks. Paris Region, a major logistical hub in Europe

2010-03-24T17:09:00.005+01:00

Its geographical location, at the crossroads of Nothern, Southern and Esatern Europe, the richness of its communication networks and multimodal platforms, and their environmentally-focused development combine to make the Paris Region a major European logistics hub. Few areas in the world can boast as many logistical assets as the Paris Region.

Firstly, its geographic position
Located at the crossroads of European and world exchanges, this region, which totals 11.5 million inhabitants and play host to more than 600,000 companies, is the second business cluster of the 500 leading companies. Secondly, the multiplicity of its transportation modes is remarkable. Its two main international airports – Paris Orly and more importantly Paris Charles de Gaulle – and the Bourget airport for business aviation make it the Number One European airport hub. The same ranking is achieved when you consider its highway network, with its 700 km of highway which branch out across the entire continent and its 12,000 km of roadways. Regarding its rail network, it arouses the envy of other largest international regions with its six high-speed train stations and its direct lines to London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt, along with its 111 freight stations and 640 sites directly connected to them. Lastly, its river transportation system, which ranks #2 on the continent, is especially developed, with 70 ports and 10 multimodal platforms spread over its 500 km of waterways.

World leaders have chosen the Paris Region
It is not surprising, under these conditions, that large world enterprises specialized in logistics have chosen the Paris Region as their location. Of the 5,000 companies in the business that are registered there, we note the presence of the leading names in the industry such as Air France, Cargo, FedEx, UPS, DHL, Hays Logistics, Geodis, Prologis and TNT. “It was crucial tp be at the center of a large European economic zone with an extensive labor pool and, as is the case at Roissy, to take advantage of their connections with other countries, for example Africa”, explains Nathalie Amiel-Ferrault, Vice-President Consumer Experience at FedEx Europe, Middle East, India and Africa.

© Aéroports de paris / Photothèque du laboratoire

Source: Paris-Region Magazine, issue 9, march 2010

Download the brochure

Mapping the Paris Region economy :

Find out Paris Region transports network at econovista.com, the free economic map of Paris Region

Thinking of investing Paris Region? Evaluate your choice of location free of charge at econovista.com, the free economic map of Paris Region

Waterside real estate. Going with the Parisian flow

2010-03-22T15:20:00.005+01:00

Throughout its history, the Paris Region has had a close relationship with the river Seine and its tributaries. As the birthplace of the city of Paris, it has shaped the development of the entire region over hundreds of years. The Paris Region is washed not only by the Seine, which flows right through it, but also by the Marne, the Oise, the Yonne, the Aube and the Loing at its edges, as well as by the Ourcq and the Saint Martin, Saint-denis and Ourcq canals. Today, the banks of the river are occupied by urban development, landscaped walks, busy ports and major business centers.

A river for business
Waterways play an important role in the economic life of the Paris Region. 60 urban ports and 10 multimodal interchanges are home to 600 companies for all types located in infrastructures managed by Ports de Paris, the publicly-owned authority responsible for developing, maintaining and operating the region’s port facilities. These facilities contribute to making this the most important commercial river route in France and the second-largest in Europe, with 20 million metric tons of freight carried in 2008. Ports of Paris is also the largest developers and real estate operators in the Paris Region. It manages 1,000 hectares of industrial land on which it owns 280,000 m² of real estate outright. A further 700,000 m² has been constructed on its land by its clients. Ports de Paris offers powerful incentives for companies to use the river as a logistics resource, going as far as to offer a “waterways discount” to tenants. Against this background of success and an occupancy rate approaching 80%, the Ports is an active and enthusiastic buyer of waterside real estate.

An eco-friendly form of transportation
The rivers of the Paris Region already carry 13% of its freight traffic, removing nearly one million trucks per year from the region’s road network. According to Pascal Moebal, Maritime Director France of Schenker, the leading international provider of integrated logistics services, “River transportation addresses the negative issues surrounding road freight, from both the environmental and congestion points of view”.

© Bercy, Port autonome de Paris

Source: Paris-Region Magazine, issue 9, march 2010

Find out the harbour platforms and the main economic places of Paris Region on Econovista, the economic map of Paris Region

Available free of charge, the paper map Econovista, elaborated in partnership with the Ports of Paris
Contact: econovista@paris-region.com

Economic data. Paris Region Key Figures – 2010 edition available now

2010-03-17T15:08:00.006+01:00

The 2010 edition of Paris Region Key Figures has just been published, presenting key information on all aspects of the Paris Region economy.
This document is produced using the latest available published data. It provides a comprehensive synthesis of the key figures relating to the region's economy: population, employment, education, R&D, transport, real estate, meetings and exhibitions industry, quality of life, etc. It also shows how Paris Region is positioned in its wider national and European context.

The Paris Region Key Figures are produced by PREDA, the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CRCI) and the Paris Region Urban Planning & Development Agency (IAU île-de-France).

Download the brochure

Here are some of the tables and graphs available in the document:

Find more about Paris Region economy on econovista, the free economic map of Paris Region

Biology. Genopole, building and coordinating a research cluster in genomics, post-genomics and related sciences

2010-03-15T11:14:00.004+01:00

At the time of its launch in 1998, Genopole® had a three-fold mission:

• Develop a center of excellence in genomics and post-genomics research (with a special focus on gene therapy), in close collaboration with the University of Evry-Val-d’Essonne (UEVE).
• Foster the creation and development of biotech companies in the Paris Ile-de-France region by providing appropriate support.
• Create a biopark in Evry-Corbeil from the ground up, interfaced with academic research and shared-access technology platforms and services.

In collaboration with France’s national research institutes and the Paris Ile-de-France region’s universities, Genopole® hosts and equips academic research units specializing in genetics, genomics and related sciences. As of December 31, 2007, the Evry-Corbeil biopark hosted 22 academic research laboratories run by the CNRS, INSERM, CEA and INRA nation research institutes and the universities of Evry-Val d’Essonne, Paris-VII and Versailles-Saint-Quentin.

• Reinforcing a center of excellence in life science teaching and training

In collaboration with the University of Evry-Val d’Essonne, Genopole® helps to set up high-level teaching programs (notably in genomics, gene therapy and bioinformatics), reinforce joint national institute/university research groups and establish links with other French universities. Founded in July 1991, the University of Evry-Val d’Essonne (UEVE) now offers around 160 courses (of which over 80 are vocational in nature) to a total of 10,000 students. Since the start of the 2005 academic year, the UEVE has been operating the Bachelor–Master–Doctorate degree system.

• Promoting the growth of the biotech industry

By providing custom financial and technical project support, Genopole® offers entrepreneurs an opportunity to move onto a thriving life science research and business park. In addition, Genopole®’s independent Expert Committee helps life science entrepreneurs to evaluate and refine their business plans.
Company founders can also apply for funding to the Genopole 1er Jour seed fund (renamed G1J Ile-de-France in 2007). In the space of 10 years, Genopole® has hosted or fostered the creation, establishment or development of some 64 biotech companies (net total as of December 31, 2007).

© Crédits Photos : Génopole

Mapping the Paris Region economy :

Find out the Genopole on Econovista, the economic map of Paris Region

Discover all universities and public research center on Econovista, the economic map of Paris Region

Business incubators. Paris Region’s dynamism is attracting investors

2010-03-09T12:12:00.003+01:00

73%: this is the five-year survival rate for businesses based in incubators, as compared with the general average of 51%. Today there are some forty business incubators in Paris Region, hosting more than 1,000 companies and creating more than 1,200 jobs a year. A perfect example of this vitality is the Paris-Soleillet incubator, located in the city’s 20th arrondissement, which recently celebrated its 20th birthday. “Since 2004 the occupancy rate for our offices has been 100%,” proudly declares Alain Lambert, Paris-Soleillet’s director. “We’re currently hosting 47 companies.” The role of these incubators is to host, support and provide training for start-up companies for a four-year period, providing an invaluable back-up function. “Thanks to the incubators, companies can access offices at very competitive prices as well as receiving technical and logistical support which helps them become part of business, legal and financial networks,” explains Alain Lambert.

Inspired by the success of the incubators in general, and of Paris-Soleillet in particular, the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry plans to start up a new incubator in the capital’s 10th arrondissement. Around 20 new companies will be hosted here from February 2010, in brand new premises of 800 m².

© Paris-Soleillet

Source: Le Parisien économique, 25 January 2010

To find out more:

Discover all the business incubators in Paris Region on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris Region

More about how incubators can help start-ups succeed on start-up support website Créersaboite.fr (French only)

International presence. Essonne opens its first representative office in China

2010-03-02T10:22:00.002+01:00

On 8 December the Essonne département opened an office in the Chinese city of Wuhan – located at the hub of the country’s major communication routes – in order to broaden the international reach of its economic base. The aim of this cooperative project is to strengthen the links between Essonne and the city of Wuhan and to develop economic synergies in the high-tech sector.

This economic agency has several remits:
• To promote the Essonne region in Wuhan and more widely across Hubei province;
• To raise the profile of Essonne-based businesses in central China;
• To build up databases, particularly in biotechnology and IT;
• To produce market surveys and industry analyses for Essonne’s economic stakeholders;
• To develop relations between Essonne and China via trade shows and exhibitions.

For more information (French only)

Discover the Essonne area and its economic potential on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris Region

Digital industry. Paris Region – Europe’s no.2 region for software

2010-03-01T14:52:00.005+01:00

According to the Truffle 100 European Clusters survey produced by Truffle Capital, Paris Region holds the no.2 spot in the ranking of European software industry clusters, with total revenues of €2.5 billion in 2009. This places the region behind Germany’s Rhine-Main-Neckar region but ahead of South East England in the UK, which includes Greater London.

This is the first edition of Truffle 100 European Clusters produced by the private equity company, ranking Europe’s top 42 regions for the software industry. The mapping is based on the results of Truffle 100 Europe 2009 study, which ranks the top 100 European software companies.

Find out more about the Truffle 100 European Clusters

Source: ITR Magazine

All the key players in digital and complex systems mapped out for you:

-Coming soon to Econovista.com, an online map produced with the Sytem@TIC Paris Region competitiveness cluster, giving contact information and profiles of software companies belonging to the cluster and operating within its ecosystem.

-Find the key players in the digital sector belonging to the Cap Digital competitiveness cluster on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris Region

PRIT 2009. Making competitiveness clusters stronger and more effective

2010-02-24T16:37:00.003+01:00

The annual competitiveness cluster convention, which took place at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie on 30 November, attracted 800 attendees and once again highlighted the unique dynamism of collaborative innovation in Europe.
Christian Estrosi, Minister for Industry within the French Ministry for the Economy, Industry and Employment, emphasised the need to speed up the process of dismantling barriers between players, specialisations and individual sectors in favour of a broader, industry-based approach. He also announced a series of measures related to the government’s cluster policy, including: the creation of an “Inter-pôle” (inter-cluster) label, the launch of five world-class clusters based on existing competitiveness clusters, and closer collaboration between complementary clusters.

The event concluded with the presentation of the City of Paris Innovation Awards (Prix de l’Innovation), honouring innovative entrepreneurial initiatives that have enhanced the city’s growth and reputation for quality.

The 2009 Innovation Award winners were:
In the Digital category: Wobe; in the Healthcare category: Biospeedia, biotech; in the Design category: Jessiko; Judges’ Special Award for ASD and its Biki system; in the Eco-innovation category: SmartGrains; Judges’ Special Award for HamacSystem, ecological nappies; in the Innovative Services category: Kwaga

Discover the Cap Digital and ASTech competitiveness clusters on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris Region

An economic map of the System@TIC cluster will soon be available online.

Cluster. Cap Digital, 500 innovative companies and associations for a common future

2010-02-10T15:18:00.008+01:00

Cap Digital, dedicated to development of services, content, and knowledge technologies, leads 6 principal lines of action to serve this community:

1. Development of R&D and innovation
2. Development of shared platforms
3. Implementation of services for businesses development
4. Anticipative management of skills and adapted training
5. Benchmarking and prospection through the Think Digital program
6. Promotion of businesses’ international visibility and competitiveness

Cap Digital, a label of excellence for innovative projects
The « Cap Digital project » label is awarded after a rigorous review process controlled by the association’s executive committee and board of directors. Our label of excellence vouches for the project’s quality and ensures its coherence with the cluster’s strategy. Cap Digital helps businesses and research laboratories build collaborative projects. For example, the cluster promotes the development of shared infrastructures between businesses, small and large, and research labs. An information database for Parisian research labs and member companies enables the cluster to network key actors together, namely for project-building. Finally, to further benefit its members, the cluster is engaged in a European clusters policy. By establishing privileged relationships with world clusters, it works towards its goal of developing businesses’ international activities in these areas.

Services you find in Cap Digital
- Privileged contacts with the major industrial players and institutional structures backing Cap Digital
- Strong ties with Parisian business incubators
- Your company itself or the cluster’s promotion of it at the major trade shows in France and abroad
- Prospecting trips with preferential rates and strategic meetings
- Privileged access to special export subventions
- Access to country-specific workshops on export
- Access to a repertoire of privileged contacts for private and public funding
- Agreements with banking establishments to facilitate the opening of accounts
- Workshops and special training on financing
- Individualized support for the Crédit d’Impôt Recherche (CIR), the national research funding plan

Think Digital, a Plateform to share experiences
The purpose of Think Digital Plateform is to create and share useful information and analytical reports the Cap Digital community. Benchmarking activities are communicated via the Think Digital pages. They cover all of the cluster’s thematic domains as well as legal, scientific, and economic updates. Think Digital communicates articles and analyses produced by the cluster. Meetings with the public, the press, and the Cap Digital community are regularly organized for the members of the thematic sessions or to decrypt Think Digital’s benchmarking activities and specific topics. Think Digital develops think tank activities by holding working groups on targeted themes, for 6 months at a time, which are geared at producing documents of reference.

Source : www.capdigital.com

Discover all members of Cap Digital competitiveness cluster on Econovista.com, the free economic map of Paris Region

Innovation. A new mechatronics center in Argenteuil-Bezons district

2010-01-25T16:46:00.001+01:00

The Communauté d’agglomération d’Argenteuil-Bezons is giving its support to the creation of a mechatronics center in its administrative area.
Covering 4,900 companies (26.5 % in aerospace, 11 % in metals and 9 % in mechanical engineering), including international groups such as Dassault Aviation, Hispano Suiza, Sagem and Amco, this center of mechatronics expertise will be created in cooperation with a number of competitiveness clusters, including ASTech and System@tic Paris-Region.

The three flagship initiatives of the project are the establishment of a technology-based business start-up and growth center to help the area’s existing SMEs to diversify their businesses or start new ones, the creation of a mechatronics Apprentice Training Center (Centre de Formation d’Apprentis - CFA) and the launch of a technology showcase that will host events and conferences built around issues selected to promote the products and companies of the area and attract new business.

Find all potentialities of Astech Paris Region, and soon SystemaTIC on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris Region

Biotechnologies. The potentialities of Paris Region

2010-01-21T13:48:00.002+01:00

Paris is a major center for healthcare and the biotechnologies. Very high levels of training, an exceptional concentration of prestigious hospitals and a very dense industrial fabric have established the capital as an essential location for companies in these sectors.
The AP-HP (Public Hospital System of the City of Paris) is Europe’s largest hospital center, the leading center of clinical research in Europe and the leading promoter of clinical trials in France.

Christophe Misse, Head of Clinical Research and Development at the AP-HP, stresses the importance of collaborative working between manufacturers, research bodies and universities. “Working on the basis of service agreements and technical support centers, the AP-HP offers an exceptional package of services for companies developing clinical trials. 28 companies have already been set up on the basis of innovation”.
With its high level of involvement in industrial research, the AP-HP makes an active contribution to the Medicen Paris Region competitiveness cluster.
Many organizations dedicated to innovation have sprung up in recent years. For example, Paris Biotech Santé is a business start-up and growth center, located on the Université Paris Descartes campus. It launches around 10 new projects every year. Paris Biotech Santé has set up a 5,000 m² enterprise center within the Cochin hospital. “It’s a great success”, says Director Olivier Amédée Manesme. “We’ve created 200 jobs in under 18 months, and the companies involved have raised over 120 million!”

The Institut de la Vision is another success on the international scale. Headed by Professor Sahel, the institute is the first European integrated research center totally dedicated to diseases of the eye. This foundation brings together the skills of international researchers, doctors and manufacturers to accelerate the process of discovering and validating curative and preventive treatments for vision-related illnesses.
One of the most ambitious partnerships is the Descartes project, which involves six major partners: Essilor, the Institut de la Vision, Fovea Pharmaceuticals, Visioact, Microled and the CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research). This low vision research consortium employs around 40 researchers with a total budget of €33 million.

Discover the “Biocluster map” presenting all biotechnology potentiality of Paris Region, on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris Region

Innovation Support. Paris, a place where make your company grow

2010-01-19T10:57:00.006+01:00

Paris is unquestionably one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Its image as a romantic city has helped to make it the world’s favourite tourist destination. But there’s another and completely different Paris.

As part of maintaining its dynamic economy at the same time as preserving urban diversity, the City of Paris has earmarked 10% (900 hectares) of its land for the development of major urban projects offering significant economic benefit. By 2020, the stock of commercial real estate will be 18 million m² (see inset), part of which is specifically dedicated to innovation, with the aim of transforming Paris into a laboratory of creativity, innovation and experimentation.

To achieve this reality, Paris has developed business clusters, enterprise zones and business start-up and growth centers to support innovative young companies working on the technologies of tomorrow. By 2014, 100,000 m² of such facilities will be available to house leading-edge businesses, with the focus on the Information Technologies, Telecommunications, Healthcare, the Biotechnologies and Design. The ecoatmosphere of Paris encourages meetings between people working in very different industry sectors, and facilitates collaborative working between laboratories, universities and companies. This enormous network is particularly visible in the competitiveness clusters that pool the expertise and skills of public and private research institutes. They coordinate the community of industry players, and provide support for innovative companies and researchers.

This highly fertile soil is a great place for Information and Communication Technology companies to put down roots. Bruno Maisonnier, Head of Aldebaran Robotics, looks back on the beginnings of his domestic robotics project in 2005. This ambitiously-innovative project would never have seen the light of day without the help provided by the département. “There’s a huge amount of support available in Paris for innovative technologies”, says Bruno Maisonnier. Having begun his business in the Agoranov start-up center, he “received terrific support that helped us cross the threshold to international recognition.” Designed as a practical assistant for incapacitated humans, the company’s humanoid robot is now known all over the world by the name of NAO.

Anticipating the essential role robotics will inevitably play in coming years, Bruno Maisonnier has been able to develop his product with support from Cap Digital, the competitiveness cluster for digital content, which brought together 13 partners (SMEs, leading R&D labs and users) as part of the ROMEO project within the Cap Robotique cluster. Cap Digital also hosts at least 100 other equally avantgarde projects, including TerraNumerica, the hyper-detailed urban environment digital modeling project led by Thales, and Play All, which is developing a crossplatform tool chain standard for the computer gaming industry. There can be no doubt that Paris is an ITC stronghold and hotspot within Europe.

Source : Paris Region Magazine

© Alderaban Robotics

Discover all members of Cap Digital, the competitiveness cluster for digital content, on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris Region

IT Talent. Paris Region, the Silicon Valley of Open Source

2010-01-13T17:05:00.005+01:00

Consistent with its essential character of openness and innovation, the Paris Region has established itself as the Silicon Valley of Open Source in just a few years. Packed with IT talent, the region is home to 18,000 specialist information technology companies. Every year, the region invests over €200 million in supporting these future global stars.

As part of structuring projects, encouraging open innovation and supporting the growth of young start-ups, the Paris Region has developed the System@tic Paris-Region competitiveness cluster. Between 2007 and 2009, this working group supported 14 projects representing R&D investment of €29 million. 80 partners - including 40 innovative SMEs - have now joined the group from all over Europe. The most recent arrival is the German company Jedox AG, supplier of Open Source-based Business Intelligence and corporate performance management solutions, which has received support from the Paris Region Economic Development Agency (PREDA) in the form of assistance with finding premises, communication and integrating with the regional ecosystem. As part of encouraging this sparkling source of added value creation, the region also supports and contributes to important structural projects, such as Open Source Village, which help foreign companies establish a presence at the very heart of the Paris Region in Paris itself.

“The software developers of the Paris Region are therefore immune from the global crisis. In fact, they are stimulating the local economy”, observes Stefane Fermigier, Chairman of the System@tic Paris-Region Free & Open Source Software working group. “Some companies are relocating to the Paris Region precisely to draw on the pool of talent we have”, adds Jean Noël de Galzain, Vice-Chairman for SMEs at System@tic Paris-Region. With all the necessary strengths directly to hand, the Paris Region is already striking out for the future by combining Open Source software with sustainable development. With support from System@tic Paris-Region, the Deskolo project run by Wallix in partnership with Mandriva and CEA List aims to provide effective supervision and optimization of IT hardware energy consumption. The outcome will be savings for companies and a boost for the environment.

© Digiteo, one of the main research clusters in IT

Soon, the cartography of Sytem@TIC Paris Region, on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris Region.
Discover now two other clusters, Cap Digital and ASTech Paris Region

Interactive map. Econovista, the easy way to find economic data on Paris Region

2010-01-12T17:19:00.002+01:00

Econovista is a free interactive map designed to help you discover the many facets of the Paris Region economy. This easy-to-use site offers a serie of themed maps, including the “Start and Grow” map, which locates all the services available to help you set up a business, find a home for it and make it grow. The “Visit” map presents must-see places of interest and the map dedicated to the business environment is centered on Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.

The site also offers maps developed in cooperation with the region’s competitiveness clusters and more precisely Cap Digital and ASTech Paris Region. Soon, a new map will be on line in cooperation with Sytem@TIC Paris Region. This mine of information is easily accessible to anyone interested in finding out more about the region’s economic life and tourism opportunities. And it’s free of charge

Discover the Paris Region economic life on econovista.com, the free economic map of Paris Region

Public transport. Comparing the attractiveness of London and Paris

2010-01-11T14:04:00.003+01:00

The IAU Île-de-France (Paris Region Urban Planning and Development Agency) has undertaken a comparative study of Paris and London focusing on the attractiveness of their public transport systems, the transport offer and the regularity of services on their networks.

In terms of railway services, London’s network is denser than its Paris counterpart (316 stations in Greater London as compared with 234 stations in the Paris Region conurbation) and provides a more comprehensive coverage of its territory. By contrast the Paris Region stations enjoy a more frequent service than the London stations during peak periods.

The underground network supplements the system serving Greater London with a network that’s relatively sparse in the city centre but provides lines extending right to the outskirts of the city and even beyond in some cases. By contrast the Paris Métro network is very dense in the centre but lacks coverage of the city’s outskirts. Paris outperforms London in average service frequency by line and by direction of travel during peak periods (38 trains in Paris compared with 23 in London).
Overall the study shows that Paris Region offers a much more extensive network of subways, trams, RER,… than London while the position of the bus is higher in London.

© RATP

Discover all transport infrastructures of Paris Region on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris Region

Competitiveness cluster. Medicen’s performance contract

2010-01-08T14:55:00.002+01:00

The Medicen competitiveness cluster has signed its performance contract for 2009-2011 with the aim of establishing Paris Region as a European industry leader in the spheres of diagnostic and therapeutic progress and in advanced healthcare technology.

The three major RD priorities identified in this strategy are translational medicine, biological systems for industrial use, and bio-therapeutic products and bio-digital systems (bio-IT, integration and modelling, e-healthcare, brain-machine interfaces). These priorities will be focused on the cluster’s primary research areas: cancers, neurovegetative, sensory and psychiatric disorders, and infectious diseases.

The cluster plans to establish a partnership with Systematic Paris Region to develop bio-digital systems and healthcare information technologies.

Discover the Biocluster map on Econovista, the free interactive map of Paris Region

Find Cap Digital and AsTECH two other competitiveness clusters, on Econovista, the free interactive map of Paris Region

International businesses. Key solutions to invest in France

2010-01-07T10:26:00.004+01:00

The Invest in France Agency (AFII) has produced the 2009 edition of its publication Doing Business in France.
This guide is aimed at the senior managers of international businesses and presents the key legal, fiscal and employment legislation applying to international companies when they locate operations in France. It outlines the reforms implemented in the last two years to simplify tax regulations, promote R&D and attract talents and expertise to France.

14% of Paris Region’s labour market is controlled by international companies. The Paris Region Economic Development Agency, working in conjunction with the Invest in France Agency and the region’s various départements, provided assistance to nearly 530 international businesses in 2008.

Download Doing business in France 2009

Evaluate your choice of location free of charge at www.econovista.com, the economic map of Paris Region

Real Estate. More accommodation for young innovative companies in Paris

2010-01-06T14:42:00.004+01:00

In the sector of the 20th district, in Paris, flats rub shoulders with old town houses as well as numerous workshops, lanes and passages which preserve the memory of the twin past of Belleville, both rural and working class.

The PARIS INNOVATION programme intends to make Paris the international capital of innovation by offering young innovating companies accommodation adapted to their specific needs. Thanks to the financial assistance of the City, these “intelligent” buildings combining production areas and offices are being offered at particularly advantageous prices.

By 2014, the City of Paris will count 55 000 sq.m buildings for young innovating companies (incubators, nurseries and innovation centres), increasing surface area to 100 000 sq.m specifically dedicated to them.

Shared services:
Surveyed access and intercom ; Reception on the ground floor ; Access for disabled people ; 4 self-service meeting rooms ; Coffee corner on the 5th floor ; Delivery zone on the ground floor.
Contact:
François Moreau (mail : francois.moreau@paris.fr)

© Pépinière d'entreprises Paris Soleillet

Thinking of investing in Paris Region ? Evaluate your choice of location free of charge at www.econovista.com, the economic map of Paris Region

Coming soon. Online map of the System@tic Paris Region competitiveness cluster

2010-01-05T10:05:00.005+01:00

Following the maps created with other competitiveness clusters – Cap Digital (digital content) and ASTech Paris Region (aeronautics, space and defence) – a new map created in partnership with System@tic Paris Region will be launched online in January 2010.

This new “cluster” map will include members of the competitiveness cluster, grouped thematically (automotive/transport, free and open-source software, systems design and development tools, security and defence, and telecoms) as well as major corporations and research centres. It will also provide an opportunity to discover or rediscover key players in the optics, electronics and software sectors.

Econovista.com, the free economic map of Paris Region

Studying in Paris Region. A pool of talent that’s constantly replenished

2010-01-04T11:39:00.005+01:00

Paris Region hosts Europe’s largest concentration of students, representing 27% of the French student population (600,000 students), 17 universities and more than 350 advanced training centres, including around 50 engineering schools and globally reputed business schools. 4,000 theses are published here, every year.

The Campus Plan. Boosting public research
Three university campuses in Paris Region (Condorcet-Aubervilliers, Saclay and Paris Intramuros) have been selected by the French government to be part of its Campus Plan for creating effective research networks. Their development programmes are driven by ambitious educational and scientific goals, backed up by an increase in private/public partnerships. At the same time they are required to make sustainable urban development a defining element of their vision. Another important initiative is the creation of Regional Higher Education Centres (abbreviated as PRES – Pôles Régionaux d’Enseignement Supérieur) including Paris Tech which brings together France’s 11 leading engineering schools and major universities worldwide.Another key centre is UniverSud Paris which combines 2 universities and 3 Grandes Écoles in a hub with 50,000 students, 5,000 teaching research staff and 160 laboratories. Both initiatives enable institutions to pool resources and offer a more effective scientific capability that is easily accessible to businesses.

© ESIEE - Eric Morency

Find all universities and laboratories in Paris Region on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris Region

A road map of Paris Region

2009-12-31T10:52:00.004+01:00

The range of Econovista maps available in hard copy format is expanding. Following the Econovista economic map of Paris Region and the map produced in partnership with the Port of Paris Authority showing the major multimodal platforms, now Paris Region road maps (showing the economic map on one side and an IGN – French geographic institute – road map on the other) are available in an English-language version.

To receive one or more copies of the new map free of charge, simply contact us at: econovista@paris-region.com

Also available on request is the large-format laminated poster version of the economic map (1.20m x 0.90m) in French or English.

Find more information about Paris Region economic potential on Econovista.com, the free & interactive economic map of Paris Region (Paris Ile de France)

Regional marketing – the Hubstar Paris strategic action plan

2009-12-31T10:40:00.004+01:00

The partners of Hubstar Paris® used SIMI – the commercial real estate exhibition – as an opportunity to present their strategic action plan designed to raise the international profile of Paris Region’s northern airport zone.
All the partners affirmed their goal of working together to raise the international profile and economic attractiveness of this strategic location with the aim of stimulating growth and creating new jobs.

Since the official launch of the airport zone marketing strategy at the Paris Air Show in June a number of key initiatives have already been undertaken under the Hubstar Paris® brand name:
- participation in the Air Freight Asia show in Hong Kong in September;
- participation in the Cityscape show in Dubai in October;
- participation in the China-Europa business convention dedicated to sustainable urban development in Le Havre, in December
- the creation of documents presenting the benefits and opportunities the region offers for air freight and commercial real estate.

A number of further promotional initiatives are currently being prepared for 2010: the international exhibition MIPIM (Cannes, March 2010), the business aviation exhibition EBACE (Geneva, May 2010), the Shanghai World Expo (May-October 2010), etc.
Alongside these initiatives, the partners of Hubstar Paris® have launched a consultation process to give the brand a strong visual identity and a coherent package of communications tools it can use to promote its strategy and its territory.

To find out more:
- Download a brochure in English about Hubstar Paris: "Air Cargo- Hubstar Paris, an exceptional location in Europe".

- Datagora’s map of the Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport region is available now at:
http://www.econovista.com/datagora/

HUBSTAR Paris is a business network created to encourage international businesses to locate to the region around Roissy and to help them grow. The partners in this network are implementing a collective strategy with the aim of welcoming businesses more effectively and raising awareness of the opportunities provided by HUBSTAR PARIS® to help them achieve their goals.

Paris Region. An international place to invest

2009-12-23T11:37:00.005+01:00

Around 20% of all jobs in Paris Region are generated by international groups. Paris Region’s 65,000 international managers represent around 100 different nationalities, primarily from OECD countries. This international workforce is highly qualified. In 2007-2008, Paris Region welcomed 73,000 international students, while foreign nationals account for 20% of students studying for Masters degrees and doctorates. Otherwise, 20,000 French students each year make the most of the Erasmus European exchange. On their return, they become part of a professional environment that’s cosmopolitan and multicultural in its outlook.

Paris Region’s highly-qualified workforce attracts entrepreneurs from all over the globe. France ranks No.2 in Europe for workforce qualification levels (Cushman & Wakefield, 2008). It offers a wide range of post baccalaureate courses covering the full range of disciplines within the European Bachelor/Master’s/doctorate framework, as well as specialist professional training programmes at all levels (school leavers through to PhD standard). Students at the universities and the Grandes Écoles are increasingly encouraged to gain work experience through apprenticeship schemes, while combined work/study programmes enable businesses to recruit graduates who already possess operational expertise. Contrary to popular belief, France’s workforce is the third most productive in the world. French workers produce US$35.08 per hour of work, just behind those in the USA (US $35.63/h) and Norway (US$37.99/h).

Photo : "Cité universitaire internationale", welcome of the foreign students and researchers to Paris. © Vincent Gollain

Find more information about Paris Region economic potential on Econovista.com, the free economic map of Paris Region

Research. Paris-Region, leader in fundamental and applied research

2009-12-22T10:46:00.004+01:00

Paris Region is the only region in Europe which excels in both fundamental and applied research. The region employs 7% of the EU’s combined private and public research workforce (2006 figures). Its R&D expenditure is among the highest in the world (8% of European R&D expenditure and more than 40% of France’s R&D expenditure: a total of €15.5 billion).
Private research is the more active of the two sectors: private companies account for 67% of the total internal R&D budget. The private sector employs more than 80,000 researchers and research engineers, i.e. 7% of the private research workforce of the EU as a whole. The research is primarily carried out within 7 major industry sectors: life sciences, information and communication technologies, the automotive sector, aeronautics space-defence, ecotechnology, finance and chemicals.

A global research elite
Paris Region alone accounted for nearly 2% of global research publications in 2006, attracting researchers from all over the world (with more than 80 nationalities represented). “Genopo le® is France’s leading biopark dedicated to biotechnology and biotherapies. It is an active member of the Medicen Paris Region competitiveness cluster and brings together around 20 private and public research laboratories, more than 60 biotech companies and university courses (Université d’Evry Val d’Essonne). Its growth and its unique profile have earned it an international reputation and its rapid expansion is set to establish Paris Region as Europe’s leading industrial hub in the field of medication and therapeutic innovation by the year 2010.”

A global force in mathematics
For the last ten years, Science Watch has ranked Pierre & Marie Curie University (UPMC) the world’s No.1 University for mathematics research, ahead of the US universities. The Fields Medal, the most prestigious award for outstanding achievements in mathematics, has been awarded to mathematicians from French institutions twelve times in all. The Abel Prize for 2009 was awarded to Mikhaïl Gromov – a Russian-born mathematician based in Paris Region – for his revolutionary contributions to the field of geometry.

Find all spot talents in Paris Region on Econovista.com, the free economic map of Paris Region

Competitiveness clusters. Boosting growth and delivering synergistic benefits in Paris Region

2009-12-21T18:10:00.007+01:00

Instigated in 2005, “competitiveness clusters” are groupings of companies, research laboratories and education/training institutions formed with a view to developing collaborative, innovative R&D projects and delivering competitive advantages for the resulting products and services.

Both national and local public authorities are involved in the clusters, offering members the benefits of their respective resources for supporting economic activity. The clusters now offer a highly effective business network to the technology companies joining them. These clusters are playing a key role in driving growth within most of the region’s sectors of excellence.
Businesses belonging to the clusters benefit from various advantages:

- Multiple opportunities to share expertise with other members through cluster-generated initiatives (clubs, think tanks, seminars, business meetings, etc.) or initiatives by partners such as trade associations, Chambers of Commerce and Industry and economic development agencies. Professionals can also forge contacts at the major events for trade audiences and the general public in order to test pioneering products and services (such as the Futur en Seine
digital festival, for example)

- Opportunities to step up exports. The proportion of SMEs exporting their products and services is significantly higher than average within the clusters – from 20% to more than 50%

- Special access to training organisations and to the most innovative research laboratories within their sector

- Streamlined access to the public finance for joint research projects. In 2008, the state made €138 million available for R&D projects in the competitiveness clusters. The clusters also organise special opportunities to access private finance from venture capitalists and business angels.

Find more information about clusters in Paris-Region on Econovista, the free interactive economic map of Paris-Region (Ile de France):

-Cap Digital – Digital content

-ASTech Paris Region – Aeronautics Space & Defense

And soon System@TIC Paris Region

Environmental awareness. Paris Nord 2 International Business Park receives ISO 14001 Certification

2009-12-21T14:54:00.006+01:00

As part of its commitment to sound, responsible growth, Paris Nord 2 International Business Park has been setting strong environmental standards over the past few years. The business park has recently received from ECOPASS ISO 14001 Certification for the management of its shared facilities.

The first privately-managed business park in Europe, Paris Nord 2 has already attracted 500 companies and their 17.000 employees, offering exceptional surroundings. The business park spreads over 300 hectares that include 70 hectares of green, landscaped areas; one of the park's particularities, which we wish to preserve, in the perspective of a responsible future: our commitment to environmental awareness was self-evident.

The ISO 14001 certification asserts this commitment and validates the Environmental Management System we have established. Our goals in terms of water resources, maintenance of green areas, roads or facilities are recorded in our Environmental Management Program, along with the measures we will take to achieve them. This Program will be reviewed each year, according to the Continuous Improvement Process.

Hervé Chastagnol, General Manager of Paris Nord 2, explains: "As managers of the business park, we felt that guaranteeing the companies and their employees a high quality work environment was essential. Responsibility and sustainability are two keywords for Paris Nord 2's future. We took our first steps towards this future ensuring that our activities have as little impact as possible on the environment; this is what ISO 14001 certification is about.

Find Paris Nord 2's Environmental Policy

For information :
Communication Officer
a.bracquart@parisnord2.fr
01 48 63 10 00

© Paris Nord 2

Find more information about Paris Nord 2 on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris-Region

Past, present, future: proactive urban planning in Paris Region

2009-12-15T11:57:00.002+01:00

For several centuries Paris Region has been planned according to principles we would now recognise as those of sustainable development: this dense, multi-functional urban complex constitutes an autonomous, integrated living environment that is envied all over the world.

Baron Haussmann’s 19th-century projects have left a strong imprint on the city, while in the first half of the 20th century the metropolis grew further, expanding into the surrounding suburban areas.

Various regeneration schemes followed: on the Seine riverside, in the central district of Les Halles, and in the Rive Gauche district – with the regeneration of Batignolles soon to follow. These new districts have become vibrant urban centres at the heart of the metropolis, incorporating residential accommodation, businesses, parks and public amenities. The city has continued to expand around its periphery with the creation of five new towns since 1950, which have developed into major urban hubs (Evry, Cergy, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Sénart and Marne-la-Vallée).

The people of Paris Region see the environment as a vital issue for their future. Eco-friendly practices and green initiatives are becoming increasingly widespread. As a result, businesses connected with this sector are experiencing dynamic growth. This sector accounted for sales of €17 billion in Paris Region in 2007, i.e. 47% of the French total and 2.4% of the European total. The main global leaders in these fields – groups such as Veolia, Suez Environnement, etc. – work in collaboration with a network of highly innovative SMEs.

© SEM Plaine Commune Développement

Find more information about Eco-business in Paris-Region

Be connected to Europe and the world

2009-12-14T16:48:00.007+01:00

Less than two hours by plane from Europe’s leading capitals, Paris Region (Paris Ile-de-France) benefits from outstanding transport infrastructures.
First, its airports: Paris-Charles de Gaulle is the Europe’s premier airport hub. This airport platform has another key advantage in its interconnection with the TGV (high-speed rail) network.

Secondly, with 12,000 km of roads in total, Paris Region is connected with national and international network. Thirdly, Paris Region has one of the world’s most advanced rail platforms, maintaining its pioneering role in the European high-speed rail network. The rail network radiates from the region in all directions, connecting it within a few hours to Europe’s leading business centres, with Eurostar serving London, Thalys serving Brussels and the TGV East connecting Paris to Munich via Strasbourg and Stuttgart.

Finally, with 500 km of waterways under its management, the Port of Paris Authority is Europe’s second-largest river port, comprising 10 multi-modal platforms (rail/road/river) and operating as the hinterland for Le Havre, one of Europe’s leading containerised traffic hubs. River transport has a key role to play in the drive to limit CO2 emissions.
© Paris-Nord 2
Discover all transport infrastructures of Paris Region on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris-Region

Paris Val-de-Marne. The future is a place

2009-12-08T15:37:00.006+01:00

How to discover the South-Eastern Quadrant of the Greater Paris.

A video realised by the Economic agency of Val-de-Marne

Find more information about the attractivity of Paris-Region

Sustainable real estate. A sharp increase

2009-12-01T15:15:00.006+01:00

Since 2005, 280 buildings in France have received the HEQ label, representing 4.5 million m². Of these certifications, 225 were awarded to offices, six to distribution warehouses and three to retail establishments. Today more than 420 buildings are in the process of receiving certification, and 44% of office space delivered in 2008 in Paris Region met the HEQ policy standard for commercial buildings. Paris Region is home to more than half of the buildings certified, with 58 in Hauts-de-Seine (1.7 million m²), 39 in Paris (584,252 m²) and 33 in Seine-Saint-Denis (612,397 m²).
According to the white paper on sustainable real estate produced by DTZ, the number of HEQ-certified commercial buildings in Paris Region with a surface area over 5,000 m² increased six-fold over a period of four years. In 2008, 59 certifications were granted, covering almost 1.3 million m². Production of HEQ-certified space should increase rapidly over the next few years: almost 700,000 m² could be produced in 2009, and 900,000 m² is already planned for 2010. Today, all commercial construction in Paris Region is involved in HEQ certification.
An HEQ operating standard is in the process of being validated. It will be based on four criteria: management, the building’s intrinsic quality, operational quality and environmental quality of company practices. This last element could have an incentive effect on a company's general practices; for example, companies would be encouraged to study alternative means of employee travel.

©atelier Thierry Roche et associés, The "Descartes +", a future example of sustainable real estate in Marne-la-Vallée

Discover information about on Econovista, the interactive map of Paris Region’s economy

Benchmarking. Paris, the second most attractive business city in Europe

2009-11-30T11:27:00.009+01:00

London and Paris remain the most attractive business cities, according to the 20th edition of the European Cities Monitor, published by international commercial real estate brokers and consultants Cushman & Wakefield. Paris continues to be attractive, but the economic crisis has allowed London to retain its edge.In the eyes of international investors, Paris is in second place when judged on the four main location factors: market accessibility, qualified staff, quality of telecommunications and external transport links.

"Quality of life for employees" remains a major advantage for Paris, which is in 7th place, well ahead of London and Frankfurt, ranked 11th and 24th respectively.The survey revealed that Paris is considered by senior managers to be the top destination for potential expansion into Western Europe and is ranked 4th after Moscow and Bucharest if they are interested in all of Europe. Paris has edged closer to London in terms of easy access to markets and transport infrastructure quality.

Survey method: European Cities Monitor analyses the opinion of senior managers of the 500 largest European corporations regarding the attractiveness of the major European cities and factors relating to their choice of future business location. The study compares 34 major European cities and analyses 12 key factors in choice of location.

European Cities Monitor 2009

Find more information about Paris Region attractiveness on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris Region

Business. Orly International, a unique concept in France

2009-11-27T15:17:00.004+01:00

Orly International is a unique concept in France.
Located in the middle of Orly Airport, this hosting centre, which opened in December 2006, is a joint initiative of Paris Airports, the General Councils of Essonne and Val-de-Marne, and Paris Region.

At the heart of the French market, at the crossroads of economic activity, Orly International brings together efficiency and flexibility, offering international and local businesses an operational work base that responds perfectly to current and future customer needs:

- ready-to-use business areas,
- a team of experts to assist you,
- dynamic support services,
- support from major players in economic development,
- a burgeoning network of businesses,
- direct connections to Paris,
- the services of a major international airport.

Orly International offers businesses a fully equipped office, meeting rooms, telephone answering service and personal assistance for €1,500 per month.

Visit the Orly International website

Discover Orly International on Econovista.com, the Paris Region economic map

Higher Education. Seven prestigious graduate schools around Saclay (Essonne)

2009-11-27T10:17:00.004+01:00

The Plateau de Saclay is set to become a sort of French Silicon Valley with the highest concentration of researchers in France (soon to reach 20% versus 10% today).

From 2012, 670 registered students and lecture attendees at the engineering school ENSTA ParisTech will move to a 20,000 m² campus.
This will be followed by the Paris Graduate School of Economics, Statistics and Finance (ENSAE ParisTech) at the start of the 2013 school year, and École Centrale, Institut Télécom, AgroParisTech and École Normale Supérieure de Cachan by 2015. Part of the University of Orsay ("Paris Sud 11") should also be moving in over the next 10 to 15 years. HEC-INRA, CEA-CEN, CNRS, Supelec and Polytechnique are already established on the campus.

Discover more about higher education in Paris Region on Econovista interactive map

Discover more about Saclay on Econovista.com

Tourism / Hostels. Paris increases its hotel capacity

2009-11-26T11:44:00.003+01:00

Paris City Council has pledged to increase the number of available hotel rooms by 7,000 between now and 2020. To this end, it brought together some 20 heads of hotel groups (Accor, Louvre Hôtels, Best Western, etc.) to show them city-owned land that could be used to build new hotels. Although the city currently has 1,500 hotels (75,000 rooms), there is a need for budget hotels and two or three hotels with conference facilities.
In addition, since January France has been allowed to award the new “Five Star” label to some of its hotels in order to compete internationally in a market greatly affected by the current economic crisis. Paris now has eight hotels with a five-star rating: Fouquet's Barrière, Hyatt Regency Paris Madeleine, Le Square, Renaissance Paris Vendôme, Le Meurice, Ritz Paris, Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme and Marriott Champs-Elysées.

Visit Paris Region on Econovista's, interactive map of Paris Region's economy

Innovation. Paris Region supports innovation

2009-11-25T17:48:00.003+01:00

Paris Region stakeholders have set up two organisations to help develop innovation in the region:
- The Paris Region Centre for Innovation (Centre Francilien de l'Innovation) was established at the end of 2008 by Paris Region, the French government and the French Agency for Innovation (OSEO Innovation). Its goal is to encourage, promote, develop and support technologically innovative projects from local SMEs, research laboratories and, in some cases, individuals.
- Paris Region Innovation Laboratory (Laboratoire Paris Région Innovation) was founded by the City of Paris and Paris Region as part of a policy to support innovative businesses. The goal of this association is to "help Paris Region businesses and laboratories gain access to public facilities to test their innovations under real-life conditions."
The Laboratory seeks to make the Paris region available for trying out innovative products and to promote the image of Paris as an innovative city. It will be organising events such as the City of Paris Innovation Awards (Grands Prix de l'Innovation).

Find more information on Econovista, the free economic map of Paris Region

Fortune 500 companies - Paris Region is one of the world’s leading economic centres

2009-11-23T10:12:00.004+01:00

Paris Region (or Ile de France) is one of the world’s leading economic centres. Many companies across an extremely wide range of sectors locate their global or European head offices here.
Paris Region is Europe’s no.1 location of choice – and the world’s no.2, after Tokyo – for the 500 leading global businesses: ahead of London, New York and Chicago (source: Fortune magazine). The Fortune 500 is a list of the top 500 global businesses ranked by their revenues, published annually by Fortune magazine.

How to use Econovista Paris Region map? The new Econovista user guide is available now!

2009-11-23T09:55:00.006+01:00

Econovista^® is an interactive economic map to help you discover the wealth of opportunities Paris Region (or Ile de France) has to offer. It is available free of charge on the internet.

Econovista^®offers a host of functions to help you pinpoint key information on Paris Region’s economy and potential locations for your business.Econovista.com includes 11 themed maps, allowing you to explore Paris Region’s rich potential. Each map displays a different aspect of the region – from transport infrastructures to sectors of excellence, and including leisure facilities and the region’s competitiveness clusters (Cap Digital Paris Region / Digital content; ASTech Paris Region / Aeronautics, Space & Defence, etc.).

How to use Econovista Paris Region map? The new updated version of the Econovista user guide is available now, providing an overview of the map’s key functions and instructions to help you get to grips with this interactive resource or refine your use of it. The guide has been re-worked and streamlined, showing you how to identify valuable information on the map, share your map, export data, etc.
You can consult the new Econovista user guide online

Or obtain a hard copy/PDF version by contacting :

Econovista@paris-region.com

Explore selected aspects of the region’s economy on Econovista, the interactive economic map of Paris Region

Paris Region Innovation Tour. A day to boost clusters

2009-11-18T10:30:00.008+01:00

The Paris Region Innovation Tour – PRIT 2009 – coming up on 30 November 2009 at the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie in Paris, is a day to boost Clusters in Europe, to share R&D projects, to discover the innovations underway by participating Paris area and international clusters.

The Innovation Factory will showcase the technological excellence of the Paris area with many illustrations of what collaborative R&D can achieve.

The seven clusters organizing the event will be highlighting their joint research projects in four major fields : the City and Sustainable Environment, Mobility & Transport, NICT and the Digital City, and Healthcare. Tangible results from collaborative R&D projects that will change the way we live tomorrow

Find more information about Paris Region clusters on Econovista, the economic map of Paris Region

Paris: world capital of mathematics

2009-08-21T17:40:00.003+02:00

The Abel Prize is awarded annually for outstanding scientific work in the field of mathematics and in 2009 it was presented to Mikhail Leonidovich Gromov, a French mathematician of Russian origin. Gromov has been a permanent professor at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques (IHES) since 1982, and received the award "for his revolutionary contributions to geometry".

Paris Region holds a special place in the mathematics world as home to many laboratories and specialist universities: IHES, Institut Henri Poincaré, Université Paris VI (300 researchers and teaching researchers), Paris VII and Paris Sud-Orsay (each with 150 researchers) as well as the Fondation Sciences Mathématiques de Paris, a world-class network of excellence bringing together nearly 1,000 researchers and 9 research centres. This research foundation has won numerous international distinctions, including 4 Fields Medals and 2 Abel Prizes (the mathematics equivalent to the Nobel Prize), 120 national and international prizewinners, including 3 of the 11 awards presented at the 2008 European Congress of Mathematics.

Photos Crédits : Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6

Find more information about Paris Region Universities and schools on Econovista the free economic interactive map of Paris Region.

La Samaritaine: redevelopment to include 23,000 m² of retail floorspace.

2009-07-24T10:44:00.001+02:00

Following several months of uncertainty, the Mairie de Paris has approved the latest plans presented by LVMH for its La Samaritaine department store. The new scheme includes the creation of a retail hub including a convenience food store.

The City of Paris has given the go-ahead for the third redevelopment proposal for the La Samaritaine department store in the 1^st arrondissement. The scheme includes housing, a convenience food store and a crèche with spaces for 60 children. On the Seine side of the building, La Samaritaine will include offices – fewer than in the initial project, but complemented by an international meeting and conference centre.

Find the great Parisian department stores on Econovista, the free interactive economic map of Paris Region

Luc Besson launches his Cité du Cinéma (European film centre).

2009-07-24T10:37:00.002+02:00

Luc Besson has officially launched his Cité du Cinéma project in Seine-Saint-Denis. Work on the site is scheduled to commence in December and the centre will host Luc Besson’s own production company, EuropaCorp, as well as ENS Louis-Lumière (the national film, photography and sound engineering school).

Luc Besson first announced the plans for this project at the Cannes Festival in 2005 – and now his Cité Européenne du Cinéma is set to take shape, on the site of a former power station in the Pleyel district of Saint-Denis.

This ambitious project, covering an area of 6.5 hectares, aims to bring together all the various specialist technologies involved in film production, providing the capability to make a film from start to finish without leaving the site.

The facilities offered by the centre will include 9 film sets of 600 to 2,000 m² spread over 13,000 m², set-building workshops, equipment storage, shops and restaurants.

When completed, the complex will also include 30,000 m² of offices, half of them rented by Europacorp. Luc Besson’s company’s head office will be based here, occupying 4,000 m². The remaining area will be divided into offices which can be let to meet the needs of companies involved in film-making at the centre.

ENS Louis-Lumière, the national film, photography and sound engineering school, will occupy the remaining 15,000 m².

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

Economy: Paris Region economic performance indicators, first quarter 2009

2009-07-23T10:21:00.003+02:00

Paris Region economy holds up better than the rest of France

As in the other regions of France and in the rest of the world, in the first quarter of 2009 the Paris Region economy confirmed the sharp slowdown of the final quarter of 2008. Yet Paris Region seems to have held up better than other French regions. Unemployment, for example, has risen significantly in recent months but remains 1.3 points below the national average, standing at 7.4% in Q1 2009 (having been 6.7% in Q4 2008), as compared with 8.7% for France as a whole.

Similarly, the rising number of company failures is less pronounced in Paris Region than in France as a whole. In addition, the introduction of the “auto-entrepreneur” tax scheme for small businesses has, as expected, produced a boom in company start-ups: even though 2007 and 2008 were very good years, company start-ups in Paris Region soared by 32% compared with the same quarter in 2008 and by 45% compared with Q4 2008.

See the latest performance scoreboard online

Explore selected aspects of the region’s economy on Econovista, the interactive economic map of Paris Region

1st quarter 2009 : Paris Region suffers less than others regions

2009-07-22T10:52:00.003+02:00

Alongside other French regions and the rest of the world, in the 1st quarter of 2009, the Paris Region economy confirmed the slowdown that hit it in the 4th quarter of 2008. Paris Region, however, seems to have suffered less than other regions. Although the unemployment rate in the region has increased sharply in recent months, for example, it is 1.3 points below the national level; unemployment was 7.4% in the 1st quarter of 2009 (up from 6.7% in the 4th quarter of 2008) compared with 8.7% for France as a whole.

Similarly, the increase in the number of business failures is less marked than it might have been compared with the national level. In addition, as expected, the number of business start-ups has been quite remarkable since the introduction of the French government's new "auto-entrepreneur" stimulus plan for small businesses; whilst 2007 and 2008 were very good years, business start-ups in Paris Region jumped by 32% compared with the same quarter in 2008 and by 45% compared with the 4th quarter of 2008.

Find out the latest economic scoreboard online

Find more information about Paris Region Economy on Econovista the free economic interactive map of Paris Region.