Situated one hour South of Paris, the Centre region of France has one of the densest motorway and railway networks in France and Europe: 7 motorways provide easy access to Germany, Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg, the UK, Spain and Italy; a high speed TGV rail link provides access to Paris in only 45 minutes; and two airports provide international passenger and freight services. From a logistics point of view, the Centre region can be accessed by truck, from all major French economic centers, in less than one day.

France’s 5th leading industrial region, the Centre, offers numerous centers of excellence making it the leading French region for various industries: pharmaceutical, cosmetics, high-tech, logistics, packaging, rubber and plastics. The region holds a key position in the call center, logistics and automotive sectors.

There are 496 industrial firms and industrial service companies in the region, whose capital is either fully or partially held by international companies. The highly international nature of private companies in the region is a result of the economic tradition of the Centre region, its geographical proximity to Paris being one of its key economic attractiveness factors. Company de-localization strategies in favor of French regions, with the global upward trend in major industries and the arrival of new companies due to active prospecting by French regions, have led to the creation of a French regional economy that is open to the world.

The US, Germany, the UK and Italy are the main investors in the Centre region, accounting for 127, 84, 47 and 43 businesses respectively. They are followed by Sweden, the Netherlands and Japan.

These international companies have chosen to invest in the automotive, equipment, electronics and health industries.

The Centre region is also the location of the Loire Castles. Centre is the 2nd leading region in France for the richness and variety of its heritage, with 800 classified buildings, 110 castles and over 100 museums.