Invest in France Agency north-america Office

European Attractiveness Scoreboard 2008

The European Attractiveness Scoreboard provides a transparent and objective benchmark comparison of Europe with other major economic regions of the world based on the most reliable data sources available. This year marks the second publication of the European Attractiveness Scoreboard after last year’s highly successful introduction. Specifically created to demonstrate the attractiveness of Europe as an investment destination using hard quantitative data, the European Attractiveness Scoreboard emphasizes Europe’s competitiveness as an international economic force.

Invest in France and Invest in Germany have published the European Attractiveness Scoreboard

The specific purpose of this European Attractiveness Scoreboard is to demonstrate, using factual, quantitative data collected by international institutions, the true benefits and risks of investing in Europe. Prepared to rigorous academic standards, the scoreboard will be a dependable basis for promoting Europe as a business region. It consists of a selection of 56 objective indicators based on internationally recognised statistics.

The European Attractiveness Scoreboard project

Invest in France and Invest in Germany have presented in June 2006, at the La Baule World Investment Conference a joined initiative to elaborate a European Attractiveness Scoreboard. This project is opened to all European IPAs. The Scoreboard will be a reliable data compendium for all investors and an effective marketing tool for the European agencies. The set of 20 initial indicators presented in La Baule 2006 shows that Europe is indeed a highly competitive business location.

The attractiveness of France Scoreboard - Issue no. 3

Our Scoreboard is now in its third year. By tracking a series of indicators, it provides an objective basis for measuring how France is faring against its main competitors. The information it supplies will play a part in shaping efforts to further enhance France’s appeal. These qualities make the Scoreboard an invaluable tool – one that will help over time to lead and monitor government policy aimed at building long-term attractiveness.

The Attractiveness of France Scoreboard, an Operational Response to International Competitiveness Rankings

National attractiveness is increasingly becoming a central concern for economic policymakers. Invest in France Agency (IFA), which specialises in promoting, attracting and facilitating international investment published its own scoreboard, build with data from internationally recognised statistical series rather than from opinion polls. Other institutions like the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) also assess national competitiveness. This paper compare different approaches to this problem : measuring attractiveness.

The attractiveness of France scoreboard - Issue no. 2

Sorry, this document is available in French only.

France caters to innovative companies and offers the best research tax credit in Europe

Tax incentives have become a key element of public policy in favor of research and innovation. According to OECD figures, 20 OECD member countries had introduced research tax credit measures in 2007, compared with only 12 countries in 1995.
In France, the research tax credit (Crédit Impôt Recherche – CIR) represents a reliable element of an innovative company’s financial plan, and is particularly well adapted to the needs of SMEs. This tax incentive enables companies to increase their competitiveness by supporting their Research & Development efforts.
The French Government has undertaken a major reform of the research tax credit by means of the Financial Law of 2008, which is in line with the "Lisbon strategy" (knowledge-based economy) and the "Barcelona objective" (3% of total GDP dedicated to R&D).

Fortify the tax and economic environment for businesses

The Invest in France Agency listens to what the 20,000 foreign companies based in France have to say. The Agency is based in Paris and works with a network of partners and regional development agencies. The IFA identifies any problems that investors may encounter during business investment operations in France and regularly transmits any proposals for improvements in the legal, tax, social or technical environments to the Prime Minister’s office which then discusses these issues with the relevant government ministries in order to continually improve the country’s economic attractiveness. Relevant decisions are then taken by the Prime Minister.
Various measures have been announced following the three government seminars on the economic attractiveness of France, and these measures now number approximately 100.

Please find below the measures to improve the economic and tax environment for businesses.

Improve the tax situation of individuals

The Invest in France Agency listens to what the 20,000 foreign companies based in France have to say.

Please find below the measures to improve the etax situation of individuals.

Enrich the social and tax environment for research

The Invest in France Agency listens to what the 20,000 foreign companies based in France have to say.

Please find below the measures to enrich the social and tax environment for research.

Enhance the attractiveness of France for foreign students

The Invest in France Agency listens to what the 20,000 foreign companies based in France have to say.

Please find below the measures to enhance the attractiveness of France for foreign students.

Greater Paris, an incomparable "business" destination

Today, Greater Paris is:

• Europe’s number one economic region,
• Europe’s most populated region,
• Number one European location for the world’s 500 largest companies
• The first European region for jobs created by international establishments in 2007,
• Ranked as the second city in the world for international organization headquarters,
• The most visited region in the world,
• The capital of luxury,
• Networks of Excellence

With such strong assets, Greater Paris continues to develop and refine the ways in which it welcomes foreign companies, offering them the best possible conditions for establishing their offices and pursuing their business projects. With the goal of improving the region’s business attractiveness, the French government has appointed a Minister in charge of managing the capital region since March 2008.

Read more about Greater Paris in the following PDF document.

10 reasons to invest in France

An influential economy at the heart of the EU, the world's leading market.

10 Myths About France

France welcomes investment and talent from all over the world

France’s economy has been transformed dramatically over the past few years. The nation’s business environment is now friendlier than ever with the launch of proactive reforms that significantly improve work flexibility, labor laws, social security contributions and taxes – all of which benefit many of the 20,000 foreign companies doing business in France. More changes lie ahead in the future to continue driving economic growth. There are many reasons why France is the right partner for your investment – and the time to invest in France is now!

Innovative clusters

Clusters are a new way to do business in France. Clusters
sharpen France’s competitive edge by building a network of players at the forefront of innovation, with the goal of generating new jobs in local areas.