Business take-over &
Partnerships
Our latest offers of
French companies
looking for partners or
buyers!

Philippe Favre has been appointed Ambassador, special representative for international investment and Chairman of the Invest in France Agency following confirmation by the French cabinet the – Conseil des Ministres – on August 24th, 2006. He assumed his position on September 1st and thereby succeeds Mrs Clara Gaymard.

Mr. Favre, 45, was previously chief of staff for French trade secretary Christine Lagarde and prior to this was deputy chief of staff for finance secretary Thierry Breton. He brings a wealth of experience in international trade and investment matters to the post.

He succeeds Clara Gaymard who announced in June that she will take over as President of General Electric France after four years as head of the Invest in France Agency.

Further biographical information
- From 1993 to 2001, he was French trade commissioner, first posted in Hong Kong, and later in Taipei, Taiwan. Between these two postings, he acted as a personal adviser for international affairs at the Finance and Trade Ministries in Paris.

- Between 1990 and 1993, Mr. Favre was Commercial Counselor at the French embassy in Washington DC. He headed the economic and commercial department and supervised the coordination of the eight French trade offices in the United States.

- Mr. Favre earned a degree in political science at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris and a law degree from Paris University.

Source : IFA

Since 1995, France has been the first drug producing country in Europe and it is today the second biggest european market (28 b€) after Germany, far beyond UK, Italy and Spain. Moreover, the French pharmaceutical market is expected to be the largest market in Europe by the year 2008. Seven healthcare competitive clusters are situated in Paris, Lille, Strasbourg, Nantes/Angers, Lyon, Toulouse, Montpellier and Marseille.

90% of doctors appointments in France lead to a drug prescription, this explains the high consumption of medication. The average number of drugs prescripted in France is 4,5 compared to 0,8 in the Nordic countries. The French market for generics has a great potential of development with a growth of 40%/year since 2002. 

The drug industry is an economic sector that invests the highest percentage of its own capital in R&D, ahead of aerospace and automotive sectors. The pharmaceutical industry in France employs over 100 000 people of which 20 000 are engaged in R&D (+2%/year). Research commitment in France accounts for around 12,1% of total sales of companies involved in R&D. Clinical test costs are lower in France than in other leading research countries such as the US or Germany which are respectively 30% and 60% more expensive.

France concentrates a high number of important R&D sites belonging to international companies. Leading groups in France are Sanofi-Aventis (FR), Glaxo-Smithkline (UK), Pfizer (US), AstraZeneca (UK/Swe), Lilly (US), Novartis (CH) etc. Other Nordic actors with significant presence in France are for instance Novo Nordisk (DK) and LEO Pharma (DK). In 2005, the number of foreign pharmaceutical investments in France created almost 600 new jobs. USA and Denmark were by far the largest investors last year.

Click here to download IFAs latest market presentation about
Pharmaceutical Industry in France. (45 pages)

Source : Xerfi, LEEM (Les Entreprises du Médicament), DGE, SESSI and IFA

The French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) recently published the annual statistics for the French economy and social related matters. Here are some of the revelations about French lifestyle, population, environment and much more.

33,5 billions euros were spent in 2004 for protecting and improving the environment. This budget has increased by 6,1% /year since 1990 and 370 500 jobs are now related to environmental issues.

841 000 tons of fish were caught in France in 2004. Worldwide a total of 95 million fish were caught. China remains the number one in the fishing industry with 47,5 million tons in 2004.

131 300 divorces were pronounced in France in 2004. Statistically the highest risk for divorce lies between the third and the sixth year of marriage. French women get married for the first time at the average age of 28,8 and men at 30,6 years. In 2005, almost every second baby that was born had unmarried parents. In 1995 this was the case for only 38,6% of new born babies.

8,6 billion euros were spent on gaming and gambling to la Française des Jeux, that is 138 euros per habitant. During the past 25 years the French have doubled their bets, but it is still below average European expenditure.  

16,6% of French managing directors were women in 2005. In 2003 13,9% women held executive positions.

3h26min is the average time that French people spend watching TV each day. 58% of the TV-watchers also claim reading books regularly. More than 50% of French people visit museums and 1/3 goes frequently to the theatre or to concerts.

51 million people in France have a bank card; this means 9 out of 10 people.  The number of bank card users has doubled in France during the past 10 years. 6,27 billion transactions were registered last year for a value of 325,4 billion euros.

Source: INSEE and Le Figaro (2006) 

IFA Nordic Countries

The Invest in France Agency is the official body for international investments France. Our presence is both regional and worldwide:

17 offices around the world, North America, Asia and Europe.
40 regional agencies in France, including regional development agencies, chambers of commerce and professional networks.

Our Services:

The Invest in France Agency provides free & confidential advice and practical assistance for companies setting up or expanding operations in France.

1. Information on investment issues

The Agency provides complete information for companies setting up or expanding operations in France. This covers:

Prevailing economic climate
Legal framework and tax laws
Access to markets
Labour productivity
Technological and scientific resources
Labour and social security regulations
Financial aid available at the national and/or regional levels
Introduction to additional sources of financing and more.

2. Customised, confidential and practical assistance

The Agency identifies the most suitable sites to meet the investing company's strategy, industry and human resources requirements. The Agency's team of professionals organises visits to short listed sites, and arranges contacts with local authorities and service providers. These specialists also provide analysis on:

The local environment in the investor's industry
Data on research and technology centres
Production costs, site advantages
Construction and installation costs
The choice between purchase and rental of business premises and other relevant considerations

3. Securing public support

In co¬operation with the concerned parties, the Invest in France Agency researches and maximises the financial incentives available for each investment project. We also advise investing firms on tax matters, organises meetings with local officials and assists in administrative procedures.

4. Ongoing assistance

Once the new business is operational, the Agency continues to provide support to ensure that the unit is profitable by:
Acting as liaison between the company and local authorities.
Assisting expatriates and their families with housing, education, healthcare and training.