Investment wizard - Results
French Business Seminar in Tokyo
The Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the japan office of Invest in France will be holding a seminar on the Fench business environment in Tokyo on Dec 2nd 2008.
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).
Rail freight transport in France: when rail overtakes road
Given the chronic congestion of the road and motorway networks and the rising cost of fuel, the transport of goods by rail is a competitive alternative to road transport and should become the preferred means of transport in the future. Legislation proposed as a result of the Grenelle Environment Forum held November 2007, which aims to increase the percentage of freight that is not transported by road to 25% by 2012 (it is currently 14%) and reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2020, is a step in this direction.