France - A Competitive High-Tech Environment

France ” A Competitive High-Tech Environment

In the fast-paced world of global high-tech markets, France retains the legacy of a "joie de vivre" attitude and a cultural emphasis on fashion, art, and haute cuisine. However, the country has much to offer in terms of high tech as well. With 59 million inhabitants and a geographical location at the heart of the European Union, which is the world's largest trading area, France boasts the world's fourth-largest economy, as measured by GDP. Today, over 8,000 non-French firms operate in the country, attracted by its very high-quality high-tech labor force, excellent facilities in R&D and its fairly low wage levels. Wages in the hardware industry in France, for instance, are lower than those in Belgium, the U.K., and Germany. ^[1]

French engineering schools are recognized throughout the world for the quality of their graduates, and nearly 40% of all higher degrees awarded in France are in the fields of engineering and science ” the highest percentage in Europe. High-tech intellectual capital in France is created by its 33 higher educational institutions specialized in IT, 25 specialized in electronics, and 19 specialized in telecommunications. French high-tech companies actively invest for future competitiveness by devoting more than 40% of total payroll costs to employee training. Despite the government's efforts to decentralize French commerce starting in the 1980s, 60% of French engineers reside in the greater Paris area, while a further 11% live in the Rh ne Alpes region.

France has more than 40 science parks and a wide range of top-level research facilities. The French government has traditionally attached a high priority to R&D. High-tech companies benefit from the state-run research through institutions such as CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research), INRIA (National Institute of Research in Computer Science and Automation), CNET (National Center for Telecommunications Studies), and others, which actively collaborate with companies and universities.

Among the science parks in France, Sophia Antipolis exemplifies the French vision toward its participation in the global Innovation Economy. Over the past 30 years , Sophia Antipolis has presented officials with a challenging struggle and success was not assured. Yet, in understanding the role of government in partnership with business in Sophia Antipolis, one can learn from an approach to the commercial development of science that is very different from what has been profiled in the Munich and Cambridge chapters.