France’s attractiveness at its highest in 2022

The “2022 Annual Report on Foreign Investment in France” published on May 11, 2023 by Business France features 1,725 foreign investment projects that have created or maintained 58,810 jobs nationwide. While the number of job-creating investment projects recorded increased by 7% compared with 2021, the increase in the number of jobs created or maintained is historic, up 31% compared with 2021.

These results strengthen France’s attractiveness as an investment location and prove that foreign investors still trust France. This is also evidenced by the “EY France Attractiveness Survey 2023”, also published on May 11, 2023. It mentions that nearly two-thirds of company directors have immediate investment projects in France in 2023; and that for the fourth consecutive year, France has come in first place for foreign investment projects in Europe.

These two concurrent publications highlight the attractiveness of investments in manufacturing operations, which are the most common type of project among the investments received in France. France is the leading European nation to host manufacturing operations. The two reports also corroborate the rebound in R&D investments in France, which having posted a record number this year.

Beyond the inventory and analysis of investment projects, the 2022 Annual Report includes this year a chapter that examines the key strengths and success factors for fruitful investments in France:

The availability of industrial land likely to accommodate new operations has become a crucial issue in attracting investment decisions. Since 2020, France has had an unprecedented online digital tool for the data visualization of “ready-to-use industrial sites”, which identifies nearly one hundred immediately available sites, thanks to a mapping module, with free access, in competitive ecosystems, such as innovation clusters, connected with major infrastructures and essential utilities.

The detection, attraction and retention of talent is just as strategic. The range of tools made available to businesses to recruit employees promotes the reception conditions reserved for foreign talent in France: a tax regime for expatriates among the most attractive in Europe, multi-year residence permits (“Talent Passport”), fast-tracked procedures with the French Tech Visa, as well as the com site, managed by Business France.

“France 2030”, a strategy for the future to support the transformation of the economy. France’s attractiveness is also based on its ability to transform itself and respond competitively to the ecological challenges that arise. The “France 2030” plan, launched on October 12, 2021 by the President of France, proposes major investment choices by creating new industrial and technological sectors to support ecological and digital transitions. Unprecedented in its scale, with €54 billion in funding, “France 2030” supports the entire life cycle of innovation up to its industrialization.

Click here to read The 2022 Annual Report on Foreign Investment in France

Click here to find a detailed analysis by main country or source area of investments through 28 country fact sheets. 

Click here for the Overview of Foreign investments in France