Cannes, March 14, 2024 – Five major economic attractiveness agencies – Provence Promotion, Choose Paris Region, Hello Lille, Invest in Lyon, and Sophia Antipolis – joined forces to organize a special “Choose France” session highlighting France’s appeal for international investments, particularly in the real estate sector.
According to the latest data released by Business France, France maintains its attractivity for foreign companies, with 1,815 investment decisions and the creation or preservation of 59,254 jobs over a three-year horizon. These figures, coming from 56 different countries, testify to a continued attraction to the French market, especially from European companies, which account for the overwhelming majority of projects and jobs created.
However, despite this strong attractiveness for foreign direct investment, France currently ranks third in real estate investments in Europe, behind Germany and the United Kingdom.
The “Choose France” session at MIPIM presented key opportunities to attract international investors in the real estate sector by highlighting the unique advantages offered by France, focusing on growing segments such as logistics warehouses, biotech laboratories, industrial workshops, and new office models, highlighting its potential as a diverse and innovative real estate market.
Five foreign companies that have chosen France for their investments, have illustrated the attractiveness and vitality of the French market:
- EP Group, a British company based in Birmingham and a European leader in packaging, has decided to establish its first production unit on the continent, at the Port of Marseille Fos, to address post-Brexit challenges and reduce its carbon footprint. The investment amounts to 47 million euros, with the creation of 200 jobs in the long term.
- Symphony, an American fintech unicorn, has established its main R&D site in Sophia Antipolis Technopole, with nearly 150 employees dedicated to secure web technologies and financial operations management.
- H-Hotels AG, one of Germany’s largest private hotel groups, is undertaking an ambitious project by transforming the Pleyel Tower in Paris into a 4-star hotel with 700 rooms, accompanied by a 10,000-square-meter convention center. This project represents the most significant hotel development in Paris in over fifty years.
- Charles River Laboratories (CRL), an American group specializing in life sciences, is strengthening its presence in France with the establishment of a new unit in Lyon’s Bio District, with an additional investment of 25 million euros.
- KSB, a German industrial group, is investing 13.35 million euros in its Sequedin site in the European Metropolis of Lille, aiming to decarbonize its new-generation pump manufacturing processes.
France also stands out for its commitment to decarbonizing real estate. With the National Low Carbon Strategy (SNBC) aiming for near-total decarbonization of its key sectors by 2050, France is emerging as a global leader in this field. This approach is supported by ambitious regulations and leading actors, such as Ivanhoé Cambridge, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025.
Next year, the Choose France Session will come back to underscore once again the country’s commitment to innovation and sustainability, essential values for shaping the future of the French and global real estate market.
