Pamiers, Occitanie
France
AGENCE ARIEGE ATTRACTIVITE
Verniolle
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Region covered
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Department
The Ariège Department and its local areas offer numerous opportunities in the south of Toulouse: available premises, industrial or craft sites, business takeovers, etc. Take advantage of personalised, local support to assist you with your future relocation. The Ariège Attractivité Agency supports you with your plans to set up in Ariège in the Occitanie region (establishment of industrial and technology sites, innovative and digital projects, start-ups, social enterprises, business takeovers, etc.)
Business set-up in Ariège, south of Toulouse
Ariège boasts a skilled workforce, particularly in its key sectors: aerospace subcontracting, electronics, logistics, digital technology, agri-industry, timber and eco-industries. For several years now, it has been implementing a policy of industrial diversification and is one of the most industrialised areas in the Occitanie region.
The entire region has been part of the ‘Territoire d’Industrie’ scheme since 2023, with phase two of the programme running until 2027. The department has over 60 business parks, with nearly 70 hectares still available.
The department is also highly attractive for businesses involved in biotechnology, green chemistry, nanotechnology and Information and Communication Technologies.
Its serviced land is up to 30 times cheaper than in other peri-urban areas (between €7 and €35 per m² excluding VAT) and offers easy access to the Toulouse metropolitan area without traffic constraints. The entire department has been connected to the fibre-optic network since early 2025, thanks to investment by the Departmental Council to provide connectivity for all residents.
A strategic geographical location
Ariège enjoys an attractive geographical location in the immediate vicinity of Toulouse (the nearest business park is 30 minutes away), France’s third-largest metropolitan area, and the Catalan and Andorran markets (45 minutes by car), on the European E9/A20 route – Paris/Toulouse/Barcelona (2 hours 30 minutes by car).
Ariège, in the heart of the Pyrenees, boasts superb natural surroundings that offer an exceptional quality of life and a wide range of tourist activities: skiing, spa treatments and outdoor sports. With its exceptional landscapes and unspoilt natural environment, Ariège is an ideal destination for lovers of the great outdoors. Ranked amongst the regions with the purest air, it boasts several remarkable natural sites, protected areas and a rich diversity of natural, cultural and scenic heritage. The Ariège Pyrenees Nature Park covers 40% of the region. Furthermore, with affordable land and property prices, Ariège is sure to fulfil your aspirations and prove the ideal department in which to settle down.
Road links
European route E9/A20 “Paris/Toulouse/Barcelona”
On the A61/A66 linking Toulouse to Montpellier and the A64 linking Toulouse to Bayonne
Rail lines
TER (Regional Express Train) services running daily,
La Tour de Carol / Toulouse, serving stations including Saverdun, Pamiers, Varilhes, Foix, Tarascon-sur-Ariège and Ax-les-Thermes (timetables compatible with working hours).
Night train from La Tour de Carol to Paris every day
Air links
Daily, regular Air France and EasyJet shuttle flights from Toulouse-Blagnac International Airport and Carcassonne Airport, both 45 minutes away
Direct Ryanair flights from Carcassonne to the United Kingdom
Two aerodromes for business travel: Les Pujols (Pamiers) and Antichan (Saint-Girons)
Commercial property in Ariège
Offices in business incubators or business centres, business parks, third places, technology hubs, Fab Labs… Ariège offers a wide range of property solutions, as well as personalised support and advice.
Local Business Community in Ariège
Ariège plays an active role in the scope of activities of Occitanie’s five competitiveness clusters: Aerospace Valley, Cancer Bio Santé, Agri Sud-Ouest Innovation, Derbi (development of renewable energy in buildings and industry) and water.
- Aerospace / Space: AUBERT & DUVAL, GARDNER AEROSPACE, RECAERO, CMA INDUSTRY, SABART AEROTECH, MECAPREC, MAPAERO, MECACHROME, GALY AERO, LACROIX, RTECH, MAP COATINGS,
- Agri-food: CAZAUX, COPYR, FROMAGERIE DE LA CORE, GLACE PHILIPPE FAUR, FAUP, DE KERIMEL, GLACES DE L’IZARS, VANDEMOORTELE, COMMENGES, MAISON JOUCLA, EAU 09, EAU MONTCALM, FROMAGERIE DE MOULIS
- Automotive: SCHAEFFLER GROUP, SAGE AUTOMOTIVES INTERIORS
- Electronics: ARIA ELECTRONIQUE, SEPROLEC, MPQ ELECTRONIQUE
- Logistics: HBF GROUP, DENJEAN LOGISTIQUE, SUBRA TRANSPORTS, KIRMANN-SETAK, TRANSPORTS MATHIEU,
- Metallurgy: FORGES DE NIAUX, CHAUDRONNERIE MECANIQUE ARIEGEOISE, PRAXAIR PHP
- Biotechnology, Healthcare: BIOMERIEUX, GENIBIO, PILEGE GROUP, CHIVA HOSPITAL CENTRE, CHAC
- Materials, Chemicals: BOIS ARIÉGEOIS, SWM PAPER, PEINTURE MAESTRIA, IMERYS TALC LUZENAC, COLORIS PRODUCTION, MARION TECHNOLOGIES
- Digital: DIGITANIE, EMAGMA, EQUADEX, ALSATIS SERVICES
The working population of Ariège stands at 68,293 out of a total of 156,787, with 15% employed in the manufacturing sector alone (MU).
The department offers a wide range of educational programmes:
- 4 general and technical upper-secondary schools:
- Lycée Gabriel Fauré (Foix): BTS (two-year vocational higher diploma) in Tourism, BTS in Accounting and Management
- Lycée Pyrène (Pamiers): vocational courses in Motor Vehicle Maintenance, Car Body Painting, Electrical Engineering, Energy and Communication Equipment; BTS in Business Unit Management.
- Lycée du Couserans (Saint-Girons): technological courses in Health and Social Care Sciences and Technologies, and Laboratory Sciences and Technologies; BTS in Health and Social Care Services.
- Mirepoix Upper-Secondary School: technological courses in Microtechnology, Machining Technician, and Industrial and Sustainable Development Sciences and Technologies. BTS in Digital IT and Network Systems; BTS in Process Design and Product Manufacturing; BTS in Microtechnology Industrialisation; Professional Bachelor’s Degree specialising in industrial trades
- Notre Dame Private School (Pamiers)
- 1 agricultural upper-secondary school (Pamiers)
- 6 vocational secondary schools:
- Les Jacobins Private Upper-Secondary School (Pamiers): courses in sales, administration, health and social care
- Joseph-Marie Jacquard Secondary School (Lavelanet): services and fashion courses
- Jean Durroux Secondary School (Ferrières-sur-Ariège): courses in commerce, hospitality, administration, sales and digitalisation
- François Camel High School (Saint-Girons): catering and personal care courses
- Aristide Berges Secondary School (Saint-Girons): construction
- Dr Philippe Tissié High School (Saverdun): metalwork and maintenance streams
- CFA (Foix): hospitality and catering, food industry, automotive, construction, business and services
- CCI training programmes (Saint-Paul-de-Jarrat): business and retail, management and services, tourism, hospitality and catering (BTS, Professional Bachelor’s degrees)
- 1 University Centre (Foix): courses in tourism, spatial planning, social sciences, the environment, teacher training and education (General Bachelor’s degree, Professional Bachelor’s degrees, several Master’s degrees)
We work with the department’s employment and training partners to mobilise the workforce required for your business to set up here. We also work on creating new training programmes tailored to the needs of local businesses.
Transport links within the region
Ariège, a region in the Pyrenees acting as a ‘link’ between Toulouse and Barcelona, situated on the European E9 route connecting Rotterdam to Barcelona.
Motorways and roads
European route E9/A20 “Paris/Toulouse/Barcelona”.
On the A61/A66 linking Toulouse to Montpellier and the A64 linking Toulouse to Bayonne.
Business grants and subsidies
The Ariège Attractivité Agency acts as the point of contact for external business stakeholders wishing to set up, establish or expand a business in Ariège, regardless of the scale of their project. Depending on the nature of your project, you may be eligible for business property grants ranging from 20 to 35% of your investment. Furthermore, the agency has partnerships with professionals specialising in business finance, such as: Occitanie Angels, business loan brokers, the K Ariège investment fund, ABGI, etc.
The Ariège Attractivité Agency helps connect project leaders with its institutional partners (CCI, CMA, Agence AD’OCC, Initiative Ariège, etc.) to provide support in securing funding for setting up and developing their business.
Tax exemptions
The entire department is covered by the ‘France Ruralités Revitalisation’ (FRR) scheme, which provides:
- an exemption from profits tax (income tax or corporation tax, depending on your business’s tax regime),
- an exemption from the business property tax (CFE),
Key sectors in this territory
The industries where the territory concentrates talent, research and established companies. Select a sector for the detail.
Aeronautics & Space
The aerospace sector in Ariège
The Ariège department is renowned for its expertise in the aerospace sector, particularly in aerospace subcontracting, space and on-board systems. The region is just 40 minutes from Toulouse and 45 minutes from Toulouse-Blagnac International Airport and the IRT Saint-Exupéry.
This long-standing expertise has naturally fostered the emergence of a network of SMEs and mid-sized companies specialising in the manufacture of parts, high-precision machining, surface treatment and the assembly of components for the aerospace and space sectors.
An industry integrated into the Toulouse region
The immediate proximity to Toulouse, the European capital of aeronautics with Airbus and a vast ecosystem of prime contractors, is a major asset. Companies in Ariège position themselves as strategic partners in the supply chain, working for civil aviation as well as space and defence programmes. This location enables a high degree of responsiveness, competitive costs and essential logistical proximity.
A skilled workforce
A skilled workforce is available in the immediate vicinity of the Ariège region. This is supported in particular by vocational training programmes in the region (vocational A-levels, BTS diplomas and vocational bachelor’s degrees tailored to the jobs available locally).
The expertise developed in Ariège covers a broad spectrum of the aerospace supply chain:
- Precision machining: production of complex components for engines, airframe structures or on-board equipment.
- Surface treatments and innovative materials: anodising, painting, composites and lightweight alloys suited to aerospace and space industry requirements.
- Wiring and on-board systems: design, assembly and integration of highly reliable electronic systems for the aerospace and defence sectors.
- Prototyping and R&D: some companies invest in innovation and collaborate with regional laboratories to develop new technical solutions.
A welcoming region
40 companies in the aerospace sector, representing over 3,000 jobs, have chosen to grow and innovate in Ariège:
- Aubert & Duval
- Gardner Aerospace
- Recaero Composites
- Tôlerie des Pyrénées
- CMA Industry
- AMI Metals (latest facility)
- AkzoNobel
There are two business airports in Ariège offering ‘runway-side’ services:
- Pamiers – Les Pujols Aerodrome
- Saint-Girons Antichan Aerodrome
Support and incentives
Public schemes and support available on this territory. Select a scheme for the detail.
Tax and social security exemptions (B.E.R.)
The BER scheme – Tax and social security exemptions in Ariège
The main aim of the BER scheme is to support the creation of businesses in the Employment Areas in Need of Revitalisation (BER), which comprise vulnerable local authorities in the departments of Ardennes and Ariège, through an exemption from corporation tax.
Businesses expanding their operations in Ariège, within an Employment Area in Need of Revitalisation, up to 31 December 2020, can benefit from tax and social security advantages that are virtually unique in France:
- Exemptions from social security contributions for 5 years
- Exemptions from social security contributions for 5 years
Regional Aid (AFR)
Regional aid zones in Ariège
Regional aid zones (AFR zones or ZAFR zones) stem from the European Union’s desire to involve public authorities more closely in the economic development of regions facing difficulties. Regional aid offers businesses the opportunity to benefit from grants for productive investments or for the creation of jobs linked to such investments.
Aid granted by central government or local authorities to businesses based in AFR zones may cover:
- The costs of investment in land, equipment, premises or intangible assets (e.g. patents)
- The wage costs of the jobs created, over a period of two years
Rural Regeneration Area (ZRR)
Rural regeneration areas in Ariège
There are several rural revitalisation zones (ZRRs) in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region.
What is a ZRR?
Rural revitalisation zones (ZRRs) are geographical areas within which businesses setting up there can benefit from tax incentives. The aim of ZRRs is to promote economic vitality and job creation in struggling rural areas.
Subject to meeting certain conditions relating in particular to the company’s workforce and the nature of its business, you may be eligible, on a temporary basis, for:
- an exemption from income tax or corporation tax on profits made;
- an exemption from the territorial economic contribution (CET): the business property tax (CFE) and the business value-added tax (CVAE);
- an exemption from property tax on built properties and the residential tax;
- an exemption from social security contributions as an employer.
Revitalisation Fund
Revitalisation funds in Ariège
The revitalisation agreement, following a redundancy plan (PSE), forms part of a scheme provided for under the 2005 Social Cohesion Act. Any group with more than 1,000 employees that implements a PSE (Employment Protection Plan) is obliged to undertake revitalisation measures following the redundancy of the posts concerned.
The primary beneficiaries are SMEs with fewer than 250 employees. Only permanent jobs under permanent contracts (CDI) or fixed-term contracts (CDD) of more than six months are eligible, and the threshold for triggering the scheme is set at the creation of three jobs.
The DIRRECTE services monitor companies that have applied for these funds throughout the duration of the agreement to ensure that the jobs are actually created. Grants are only released once the jobs in question have actually been created.
Regional Development Grant for Industry and Services (PAT) in Ariège
- Direct investment aid designed to promote the establishment and development of businesses undertaking projects that create jobs and sustainable economic activity
- Financing support: putting businesses in touch with local funding networks, business angels and venture capitalists, and the Public Investment Bank.
- European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
- Revitalisation funds to support businesses growing locally: support for business start-ups, support for job creation and, for certain funds, participatory loans, audits and the provision of expertise free of charge.
Urban Free Zone – Entrepreneurial Territory (ZFU-TE)
Urban Free Zones in Ariège
Urban free zones (ZFU) are geographical areas within which businesses that set up there and employ local staff can benefit from tax incentives. Established in 1997 and relaunched in 2004, they offer numerous benefits to businesses.
The urban free zone scheme for businesses allows companies to benefit from exemptions from employers’ social security contributions, family allowances, the National Housing Assistance Fund (Fnal) and, where applicable, the supplementary Fnal and the transport levy.
Businesses located in an urban free zone are eligible for exemptions from corporation tax, business rates, employers’ social security contributions on that part of employees’ monthly remuneration which is less than 1.5 times the minimum wage (SMIC), employee contributions, for craftspeople or traders, and property tax on buildings located in an Urban Free Zone (ZFU) where the business activity falls within the scope of those permitted by this Act.
Support for business start-ups
Support for business start-ups in Ariège
A wide range of public support schemes for business start-ups are available in the region. These schemes, introduced on the initiative of the local authority, take various forms.
These may include:
- financial support: grants, loans, venture capital, business angels, etc.
- tax and social security exemptions
- technical advice
- the provision of premises at reduced cost, etc.
Start-up support may be restricted to specific sectors and depend on the precise location of the business. For information on start-up support programmes, please contact us.
Available sites with AGENCE ARIEGE ATTRACTIVITE
For sale
Pamiers, Occitanie
For sale – Industrial plots in the Garbiélat business park in Pamiers – Ariège (09)
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