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“Adding value in
Southern France”
Languedoc-Roussillon - a platform for trade, a
superb lifestyle
Languedoc-Roussillon has a privileged
position at the heart of southern Europe and at the
centre of the Mediterranean crossroads between Italy and
Spain, providing excellent access to the markets of
southern Europe and the Mediterranean basin. The region
is a meeting point for investors, attractive and
open-minded, an area for business of sustainable
development combined with a preserved natural
environment, upholding tradition and culture.
Languedoc-Roussillon is also a region with a truly
magnificent way of life. The area’s temperate climate
attracts people from all over the world each year,
providing a young, diverse and well-trained workforce in
the region. This, in turn, attracts multinational
corporations to set up extensive operations.
The population growth in Languedoc-Roussillon is the
highest in France (+ 0.9% per annum) and over the last
few years, there have been massive economical changes in
the region such as:
- a booming service sector
- a significant increase in secondary and university
training, in particular with regard to R&D
- the arrival of a number of high-tech companies in
electronics, information technology, ICT, the health
sector, renewable energy (wind power, solar
energy, etc.)
- the implementation of a vast irrigation
system (BRL) encouraging an important agricultural
diversification into market garden produce, fruit
farming, and biological produce, with a dramatic
increase in excellent varietal wines, AOC’s and “vins
de pays”; and upward trend of the food
industry
- rapid growth in the tourist industry, in
particular with the expansion of the coastal
resorts
Nowadays, information and communication technology
(ICT) and agro-business represent the second largest
economic sectors in the region, although tourism remains
the dominant sector. Other important attractions for
multinationals are the excellent communication and
transport infrastructure, valuable business
opportunities, including a multitude of public and
private laboratories open to partnerships, and business
incubators.
Key figures
27,376 km² - 8th largest region in
France
Population : 2,295,648 (1999 census
INSEE)
3.9 % of the French population
Working
population: 790,300 (as of 01/01/2000)
Exports (2003)
: Euro 4.097 billion
Imports (2003): Euro 6.268
billion
Languedoc-Roussillon is made of 5
counties:
Aude / Gard / Hérault / Lozère /
Pyrénées-Orientales
Added value:
Highly skilled workers – High
quality facilities and infrastructures – High standard
of living
Productive system:
Important number of small-
and medium-sized companies (less than 50 people
employed): 98 %, representing 68 % of employment
4th
highest rate of company creation in France
Information and Communication Technology: a
strong presence
The ICT sector in
Languedoc-Roussillon employs some 13,500 people spread
across more than 500 production companies. Major
international corporations in the region include IBM,
Dell, Palm Source, Cap Gemini and OAO Technologies, as
well as a varied range of companies manufacturing
products such as circuits, smart cards, electronics and
electrical components, with a high number of innovative
and medium sized enterprises. Also the region boasts
universities, schools and laboratories which offer
entrepreneurs all the professional skills, training,
research and technology they need to expand
successfully. The multimedia sector accounts for
more than 140 players, including such leaders as UBI
Picture (R&D Department of UBI Soft) or Genesys,
world leader in visio-conferencing.
Call Centres’ Activities (Phone Sales and On-line
Service Centres)
Given Languedoc-Roussillon’s young, well-qualified,
and well-trained workforce and the existence of a
rapidly expanding telecommunications network, some
twenty call centres have decided to set up their
business here, creating several thousands of jobs.
Life sciences and biotechnology: a first
class scientific environment
Another major pillar of the region’s industrial base
is life sciences, a traditional industry in the region
going back 1,000 years. In fact, Montpellier medical
faculty is the oldest in the western world, with some
10,000 students taking courses in medicine and pharmacy.
It has one of the most important University Teaching
Hospital in France, including 9 hospitals and a staff of
2,000 health workers.
Languedoc-Roussillon has among the most substantial
innovation and research potential in France, with over
130 public and private laboratories with 2,200 research
workers. The region has important pharmaceutical
laboratories, numerous companies in the diagnostic
field, companies specialising in prostheses and
implants, companies developing products in the
telemedicine sector and companies introducing
data-processing software adapted for medicine.
As far as biotechnology is concerned, the region has
two major centres, Montpellier and Nîmes. Today, the
“Biotech Sunbelt” of Languedoc-Roussillon is recognised
as a leading region. Indeed, the area welcomes 10 per
cent of French biotechnology.
Transport and Communications: an interlocking
network
Languedoc-Roussillon, that superb crescent bordering
the Mediterranean, has a well-developed, modern
infrastructure making it the ideal logistical and
distribution centre for southern Europe and the
Mediterranean as a whole (8 % increase in HGV traffic
per annum across the Spanish border). The privileged
geographical position and complete infrastructure
provide excellent access to Spain, Italy and northern
Africa for the distribution of goods. It is making up
for 10, 000 jobs in the region.
A dense road and motorway network with four
motorways/turnpikes, giving three main motorway
intersections and 1,500 km of main roads in all. Five
airports with numerous commercial flights daily
elsewhere in France and Europe, and three regional
freight airports. Excellent sea access for the three
commercial ports: Sète (2nd largest port on the French
Mediterranean), Port la Nouvelle et Port Vendres.
The European-standard rail grid with a “corridor”
reserved exclusively for freight, a brand-new High-Speed
Train (TGV) to Montpellier with future extension to
Barcelona, and combined transport platforms in
Perpignan, Le Boulou and Montpellier. Specialized
multimodal platforms: Gard Industries / Nîmes,
Montpellier-Sète Méditerranée, Triangle d’Oc /
Narbonne-Béziers, Pyrénées-Méditerranée / Perpignan
(number 1 in Europe for fresh produces).
Agro-business and Food Industry:
The International Agropolis Centre in Montpellier
brings together 2,300 researchers in the agro-business
sector. It is the leading European centre for
agronomical, tropical and subtropical research and one
of the main national centres for water research.
International laboratories such as the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO,
Australian) are established at Agropolis.
For the last ten years, the agrifood
industry has experienced an upward trend and generates
sales of Euro 7 billion, providing more than 20,000 jobs
in some 1, 400 places. The product of these, for some of
them, world-famous companies are very varied: mineral
water, confectionery, groceries, food processing, mostly
fruit and vegetables, ready-cooked dishes, pet food and
local specialties: brandade (creamed cod) or cassoulet
(meat and bean casserole).
Renewable Energy: an area of
predilection
The alternative and renewable energies in
Languedoc-Roussillon are gaining in importance in the
region. The Eole 2005 project must generate 313MW of new
capacity using wind power in the years to come in
France. More than a third is to be produced in
Languedoc-Roussillon. Among the wind parks that remain
to be built, 11 will settle in the region, which appears
to be the area of predilection, thanks to the
characteristics of its winds. Parallel to wind power,
fuel-cells, bio-masse and photovoltaic energy figure
among the sectors of priority for development.
Nautical Industries: leading-edge
technologies
The nautical industries are enjoying a boom: almost
1,000 people are employed in the manufacturing sector. A
dynamic industry federated around the “Pôle Marine”,
centre of excellence, representative and recognized
thanks to the common interest between its members: a
passion for quality, inventiveness and innovation.
Globally recognized manufacturers of catamarans have
chosen to locate in Languedoc-Roussillon for its ideal
location. They design and build deluxe catamarans, using
exclusively leading-edge technologies. Manufacture of
nautical equipments, pleasure launches, large fishing
launches, open boats and tunny boats are found all along
the coast and are internationally well-known: such as
Catana, Deltavoile, Martinez, Outremer.
Mechanical engineering: a well-structured
industry
Heavily concentrated around the traditional
steel-making employment pool of the towns of Béziers and
Alès, the mechanical engineering represents 13.83 % of
manufacturing workers.
Languedoc-Roussillon is home to every trade in the
mechanical engineering industry, steel-making, smelting,
boilermaking, sheet metal manufacture, stamping
mechanical welding, surface treatments… operating in a
variety of fields such as: the oil and gas industries,
agricultural machinery, railways, the car industry,
aeronautics, etc.
An innovative site, unique in France: the Alès
Cévennes Centre combines the competition, scientific and
technical aspects of the mechanical sports industry and
specialist automobile promotion. This original
industrial complex contains over 50 companies (over half
of which are manufacturing or offering services to
industry), providing over 400 jobs in the following
areas of activity: automobile, motorcycle and go-kart
construction, parts and accessories manufacturing,
mechanical and plastics subcontracting, design,
competition stable, training, etc.
Industrial sites and sensitive area’s
restoration
Dismantling, reconversion, decontamination,
purification and reconstruction of industrial sites will
become more and more important in the world. In
Languedoc-Roussillon, the nuclear site of Marcoule, in
the Gard County, possesses many important assets:
laboratories, R&D centres, companies, software
development, but also a school of dismantling and, of
course, a real “quality of life” to welcome
investors.
This sector employs some 5,000 people highly
qualified in nuclear waste management (low or high
activity), in research, transport or logistics.
Tourism: an important contribution
With some 15 million tourists annually (of which 5
million non-French), more than 90 million bed-nights,
and total sales of nearly Euro 4 billion,
Languedoc-Roussillon is the 4th most popular region in
France for tourism. It has a capacity of 2 million beds,
and employs some 65,000 people.
Languedoc-Roussillon is a land of coastal plains,
garrigue (Mediterranean scrubland), mountains, valleys
and plateaux. The rich variety of the region’s
landscapes has strongly influenced the architecture,
lifestyle and culture of its people.
Languedoc-Roussillon countryside is unspoiled and its
coastline is protected, but its historic and cultural
riches are also stunning.
Pont
du Gard
The region is littered with historical monuments,
abbeys and castles and boasts several UNESCO World
Heritage sites: the Pont du Gard, the Canal du Midi or
the medieval city of Carcassonne and the pilgrimage
routes to Santiago de Compostela, which take to the
abbey of Saint Guilhem-le-Désert and the abbey church of
Saint Gilles. As a land of Mediterranean culture,
Languedoc-Roussillon is characterised by its “art de
vivre” (“the art of living”) and is firmly attached to
its traditions and customs.
Last but not the least, the region has a wide variety
of tourist destinations: Sea, mountain, countryside,
urban... Hot springs, thalassotherapy and fitness
training (2nd most popular region), river-based tourism,
golf, outdoor activities and leisure occupations,
naturism (leading region in Europe), etc.
Adding value in Southern France
Numerous companies have already chosen the
Languedoc-Roussillon to set up extensive operations.
These include: ABX, Arjo Wiggins, Bausch & Lomb,
Bejo, BSN-Glasspack, Cap Gemini, Dell, Genesys, Haribo,
IBM, Idenix (Novartis), Kraft Food, KWS, Monsanto,
Nestlé, OAOT, Office Depot, Owens Corning, Mars-Royal
Canin, Pierre Fabre, Rijk Zwaan, Sakata Seeds,
Sanofi-Synthelabo, Seminis, Synt:em, UBI Picture,
etc…
Investing and starting up in the region offer
superior access to southern Europe and North Africa. It
is a pleasant area for relocation and it has developed
into a cosmopolitan society where it is easy for
foreigners to settle.
Languedoc-Roussillon proved to be an innovative
cluster for several business sectors.
The inward investment agency of
Languedoc-Roussillon, LRP, is there to help you with
your business project.
Languedoc-Roussillon Prospection (LRP) co-ordinates
the economic development policy of Languedoc-Roussillon,
encouraging and assisting foreign investment in the
region. LRP has a well-structured network of partners:
the French Government (DATAR), the Regional Council,
local authorities, chambers of commerce, private
companies and other financial institutions. LRP is also
member of the Invest in France Network around the
world.
LRP’s missions:
- Developing Regional Industry
- Prospecting investors: coordinate, implement
prospection drives, promoting sectors or areas with
potential investors
- Incentives and Advices
- Ongoing support for local and economic development
- Strengthen the economic attractiveness and
competitiveness of the Languedoc-Roussillon.
LRP can also help supervise the
local development of companies in the various industrial
areas
LRP’s added value:
LRP facilitates, simplifies and
accelerates implementation for your business
projects.
LRP will assist you by identifying
suitable locations and premises, searching for the right
partners, analysing financial packages, and helping you
apply for and receive economic incentives…
LRP’s services are completely free
of charge and fully confidential.
Your one-stop shop
in Languedoc-Roussillon: LRP
Contact: Bernart Roycourt roycourt@lrp.asso.fr
Languedoc-Roussillon Prospection (LRP)
417, rue
Samuel Morse – Le Millénaire II –
F-34000
Montpellier – France
Tel: + 33 (0)4 229 480
Fax: + 33 (0)4 229 490
Web: www.invest-in-southern-europe.com
E-Mail
: lrp@lrp.asso.fr
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