5th edition of the “Choose France” 2023 Awards: Focus on “France 2030”
Business France organized the fifth “Choose France” Awards under the supervision of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Ministry for the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, and the Ministry for Regional Cohesion and Relations with Local Authorities. This fifth edition focused on the theme of “France 2030”. The businesses were chosen from those having made announcements at previous “Choose France” summits.
Business France showcased four international investors who chose France to develop their project in sectors forming a key part of the “France 2030” plan. To be eligible for the “Choose France” 2023 Awards, businesses must have already carried out the investment previously announced at the “Choose France” summit in Versailles.
The winners were selected by a jury(i) chaired by Pascal Cagni, Ambassador for International Investment and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Business France, which brings together institutional investors and qualified businesspeople.
Business France has chosen to showcase four projects that have made a significant contribution to the “France 2030” plan and to award them the following prizes:
- The Choose France “Ecological Transition and Decarbonization” prize was awarded to the British firm GSK, which invested €146 million in France between 2022 and 2023 to modernize, digitalize and decarbonize its three manufacturing facilities: Evreux (Normandie), Saint-Amand-les-Eaux (Hauts de France) and Mayenne (Pays de la Loire). Over this same period, GSK also invested €48 million in R&D in France (mainly clinical trials). GSK is a leading international biopharmaceutical firm in terms of its presence and jobs in France, with a head office and three production facilities, from where more than 90% of output is exported.
- The Choose France “Innovation and Innovative Technologies” prize was awarded to the Spanish firm Amadeus. As part of its policy of investment in innovation, Amadeus has recruited 800 people in France over the last two years (450 in 2022 and 350 in 2023). The majority of these jobs are located in the Amadeus R&D center, within the Sophia-Antipolis technology park (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur), and the rest in Paris. Amadeus is the leading private employer in the Alpes-Maritimes département, with more than 4,300 people working at its largest site in the world.
- The Choose France “Talent and Training for the Future” prize was awarded to the American firm FedEx, which chose France to set up its main European air hub, resulting in the hiring of 1,200 employees on permanent contracts in 2022. The group pursues a pro-active policy employing talent from priority neighborhoods and helping young people looking for work. FedEx employs nearly 5,500 people in the Paris/Ile de France region, and for each job created by the group, four jobs are generated in total (direct, indirect and induced) in the regional economy.
- The special Choose France “Green Mobility” prize was awarded to the Iveco Group, which invested €115 million in 2023 to strengthen its presence in France, notably developing a hydrogen-powered thermal engine (FPT Industrial), and designing and building battery- and hydrogen-powered electric buses (Iveco and Heuliez brands). It also intends to modernize its factories and develop the circular economy. France is Iveco’s second largest country of operation, with four production facilities and four R&D centers.
Jury
