Fourth Choose France Summit: enhancing the assets of France

The fourth edition of the Choose France Summit gathered 120 directors of international companies on 28 June at Versailles to promote the attractiveness of France and foster foreign investments. On this occasion, 22 foreign projects will be financed in France for an overall amount of 3.5 M€.

Every Choose France Summit helped the French government boost the value of all territories and assets of France to foreign investors. The first three editions led to “concrete investments and job creations all over the territory”. About 30 projects emerged, for a total of 6.5 billion euros. Among them, 20 projects led to the creation of about 30,000 jobs fully completed and 14 still being deployed. This result is confirmed by the ranking from EY, a firm that puts France for the second consecutive year as most attractive country in Europe for foreign investments.

Two billion euros for electric batteries

“France is organising and hosting the first major international business summit in 18 months: there is much to be proud of, as this is the sign of the confidence of participants in the future of our country,” said the French Minister for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness in a statement to the AFP. Indeed, 120 “foreign directors” were received at the Versailles Palace by the French President to invest in France, and particularly in the installation of new production capacities and the creation of Research and Development centres.

The most important project in the list is the project of a Chinese group (Envision) which is supposed to dedicate 2 billion euros to electric batteries to build a gigafactory in Douai, in partnership with French manufacturer Renault. This factory will eventually become one of the largest battery production sites in Europe. According to the government's information website, with several thousand jobs at stake this project will “establish itself as a champion in the construction of batteries worldwide and put France at the forefront of electric cars”. 

Contribution to the recovery plan with the Choose France 2021 Award

On the occasion of this 4th Summit, Business France, the French national agency responsible for attracting foreign investors to France, is organising the Choose France 2021 Award, which honours international investors and their contribution to the “France Relance” Plan (France Recovery), a plan deployed last summer in which “France’s economic attractiveness is one of the keys to a return to high growth”.

Companies will be able to apply for one of the three prizes corresponding to the priorities of the France Relance plan, namely ecological transition, competitiveness and innovation, cohesion and solidarity. Last year, more than 50 foreign companies from 21 countries and located in 12 French regions responded to the Choose France 2020 competition.

French know-how with the major exhibition of Fabriqué en France

It is in this context of economic investment that, for the second time, the “Fabriqué en France” exhibition (Made in France) will return to the Elysée Palace at the beginning of July to present products resulting from French know-how to the general public. In the wake of the first edition in January 2020, 126 products created by companies of all sizes and from all sectors of activity have been selected for this exhibition this year.

The exhibition was opened by the French president, and should become “an annual event made to put the spotlights on companies, craftsmen, manufacturers and industry stakeholders fully committed to French manufacturing”. The event is open to the public and free of charge, and aims at “encouraging everyone - local authorities, distributors, companies and citizens - to play their part in the promotion of economic sovereignty and ecological transition”, as the French Ministry of the Economy points out.

To know more:

- The Choose France Summit 2021:

 https://www.gouvernement.fr/choose-france-le-sommet-sur-l-attractivite-francaise

- The French President’s visit at Douai:

https://www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-macron/2021/06/28/la-france-est-attractive-et-cest-bon-pour-nos-territoires-et-nos-emplois

- The Choose France Award 2021 from Business France:

https://world.businessfrance.fr/prix-choose-france/

- Fabriqué en France exhibition:

https://www.economie.gouv.fr/fabrique-en-france-expose-elysee