In a turbulent world, nothing is ever certain.
This is why the 2022 assessment of foreign investment in France is all the more satisfactory: last year, 1,725 projects were listed on the territory, according to the annual assessment of Business France, the public agency in charge of attractiveness.
This represents a 7% increase over the previous year.
The year 2021 had already been very good (after a complicated period under the effect of the health crisis in 2020), allowing international investments to return beyond their pre-crisis level.
These new investments in 2022 made it possible to create or maintain 58,810 jobs, “
a record increase of 31% compared to the previous year
”, specifies the study.
On average, 33 investment decisions were taken per week in 2022. In short, France has reached its highest level of historical attractiveness.
"
Investors now have the reform package of the previous five-year term in mind, on taxation and the labor market, they report France's better resilience to the crisis than many of its neighbors, and appreciate the progress taken by the country to invest in the energy transition
", underlines Laurent Saint-Martin, the managing director of Business France.
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Does this allow it to maintain itself as the leading host country for international investment in Europe?
We have to wait for the traditional EY report on the subject, published in mid-May on the occasion of the next Choose France summit, to get the answer.
“
But it could be that we keep this place
,” they say in the ranks of the executive.
European investors "large majority"
"
All of this must now last...
", recognizes Laurent Saint-Martin.
The image given by the country currently does not play in its favour: not only does it find itself prey to major demonstrations against the pension reform, but parliamentary disorders within an Assembly which does not have a majority to pass its texts are not the guarantee of political stability so dear to investors.
The effects of the American Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which subsidizes investments in clean technologies, will also increase.
“
We are already losing projects
,” admits the administration.
But for now, Emmanuel Macron welcomes "
a record year
".
"
France attracts more than ever and creates jobs.
The policy implemented for 6 years is bearing fruit
!
“, tweeted the head of state, this Monday morning.
According to the balance sheet, the projects come from around sixty different countries, specifies Business France.
European investors nevertheless remain “
largely in the majority
”, responsible for 65% of investments.
By country, the United States took over the first place on the podium from Germany last year, with 280 projects (16%) and 17,107 jobs recorded (29%).
They thus dethrone Germany and its 256 projects (15%) and 7181 jobs (12%).
The United Kingdom completes the podium with 176 projects identified and 4071 jobs.
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Business France is obviously delighted with these figures: decisions on new establishments in France represent 50% of projects, “
which attests to the interest accorded by international investors to the business environment and economic prospects of France
”.
Decisions to extend existing sites represent 46% of projects, "
a sign of the renewed confidence of foreign companies that have already invested in France
", says the agency.
The rest is made up of business buyouts.
23% increase in the number of R&D projects
The executive has said it several times, he sees foreign investors as a lever to participate in the reindustrialization movement.
The figures could give him reason to bet on it: production activities remain in first place on the podium with 26% of projects and 30% of jobs identified.
Investors have understood that the government's proactive policy could be favorable to them: almost a quarter of decisions concern sectors targeted and financed by the "
France 2030
" program.
France also manages to compensate for certain structural defects (still high taxation and an overflowing bureaucracy) via mechanisms such as "
turnkey industrial sites
- sites purged of administrative authorizations of all kinds - which now save time on the construction of an industrial plant.
Note also a 23% increase in the number of research & development projects (191 projects) compared to 2021, and a 53% increase in jobs created (4,789 jobs).
“
On a global scale, France confirms that it is definitely playing in the big leagues in terms of innovation
,” notes Pascal Cagni, Ambassador Delegate for International Investments.
Finally, the study emphasizes that foreign investment continues “
to take root throughout the territory
”: 43% of projects concern municipalities with less than 20,000 inhabitants and represent 39% of jobs.
