Fifth edition of the “Choose France” Awards
Business France has chosen, this year, to honor four foreign investors who have chosen France to develop their project in priority sectors of the “France 2030” plan. To be eligible for the “Choose France 2023” Awards, businesses had to have already completed the investment that they had previously announced at Versailles.
The winners were selected by a jury 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.
“We must celebrate and recognize the presence of foreign businesses in France. Their commitment to France and its regions contributes to the international attractiveness of our country and its economic influence. Foreign investors make an important contribution, through the “France 2030” plan, to the construction of the France of tomorrow. Business France and its partners from Team France Invest stand by their side, on a daily basis, to strengthen the economic attractiveness of France.”
Pascal Cagni, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Business France and Ambassador for International Investment
Business France chose to highlight 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 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.
- 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 55,500 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 jury is composed of: Pascal Cagni (Chair of the Jury); Thomas Courbe (Business Director, Ministry for the Economy and Finance); Olivier Marchal (Partner and Chairman of Bain & Company France); Christian Auboyneau (Managing Director of DZA); Frédéric Parisot (Executive Director of GIFAS); Guillaume Poitrinal (Founding Partner and Chairman of Icamap; Co-founder of WO2); Edouard Donnelly (Chief Operating Officer / Executive Director of Paris 2024 operations); Elisabeth Ducottet (Chief Executive Officer at Thuasne; Co-President of METI); Anne-Marie Idrac (former government minister; President of France Logistique); Valérie Baudson (Executive Director of Amundi); Bruno Julien-Laferrière (President of the Banque Transatlantique); Frédéric Sanchez (Managing Director of Fives); Marc Lhermitte (Senior Partner at EY); Sophie Sidos (President of CCEF); and Alain Di Crescenzo (President of CCI France).
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