Elise Denjean, edited by Gauthier Delomez 07:47, May 31, 2022

With more than 1,200 establishments or extensions of foreign companies announced in 2021, France ranks first among European countries in terms of foreign investment, ahead of the United Kingdom and Germany.

Europe 1 takes stock of the reasons for this attractiveness and the number of jobs created.

Never two without three: for the third consecutive year, France ranks first in foreign investment in Europe, ahead of the United Kingdom and Germany.

In total, 1,222 establishments or extensions of foreign companies were announced in 2021, as revealed by the annual barometer of the consulting firm EY on the attractiveness of France.

In one year, the number of projects has increased by 24%, mainly in the historical sectors of French industry.

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"Great conditions for developing in France"

These historical sectors are automotive, aeronautics, health and also furniture.

Chiesi, for example, is one of the 20,000 foreign companies established in France.

This Italian pharmaceutical laboratory, present on French soil for almost 30 years, has an investment plan of 60 million euros for its industrial site near Blois, in the Loir-et-Cher.

"It was done because we also had good conditions to develop in France," says Julia François-Bouet, associate director at Chiesi France, for whom setting up in France was obvious.

The associate director continues, at the microphone of Europe 1: "We have talents in France, we also have real capacities in terms of research and development. We have a territory which has been really favorable in terms of investment, which has always supported us."

She also notes that "relations at the level of the authorities at the national or regional and local level with elected officials have been extremely important in this development."

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Only downside: less job creation

For Marc Lhermitte, partner at EY, it is a whole policy of competitiveness that has made France so attractive.

"These are also tax reforms, these are reforms in the labor market, it is a reduction in production taxes", he lists.

“It is also the fact that France, during the health crisis, was there for these companies”, adds Marc Lhermitte.

Only one downside to this picture: investments in France are mainly intended for already existing structures and create fewer jobs.

In total, 45,000 were created, twice less than in our British neighbors.