France

AD’OCC

Toulouse

  • Occitanie
  • 13 departments
1
Region covered
13
Departments

Why set up your business in the Occitanie region?

Setting up a business in the South of France

The Occitanie region centres on two major French cities: Montpellier and Toulouse.

Ideally situated, the Occitanie region is criss-crossed by eight motorways:

  • the A64, A66, A61, A68 and A20, which are centred around the Toulouse metropolitan area
  • A75, A9 and A709, centred around the Montpellier metropolitan area

Its proximity to Spain and Italy is a major asset, not to mention that the region and the entire Mediterranean coast are easily accessible in under three hours (Nîmes–Toulouse; Montpellier–Marseille; Millau–Perpignan; Nîmes–Nice…).

The region is one of the most dynamic in France:

  • the second-largest region in France, larger than Ireland, and among the top five most populous regions
  • An exceptional location at the heart of Southern Europe, serving as a springboard to Mediterranean markets
  • High-performance, multimodal transport infrastructure (9 airports, including 3 international ones; 9 motorways; high-speed rail (TGV); sea and river ports; and a ‘dry port’, an inland terminal operated by the Barcelona Port Authority
  • The presence of competitiveness clusters bringing together industry, research and training to foster innovation and job creation
  • The variety of its landscapes and its appeal are further assets, generating wealth across all sectors: industry, agriculture, crafts, tourism, research and the coastal economy.
  • Sectors of excellence for setting up and developing your business

Where should you set up your business in the South of France?

The Occitanie region boasts a particularly dynamic industrial base, underpinned by world-class expertise and a highly diversified, multi-sector economy.

The market for setting up businesses in the South of France

There are numerous business location opportunities available in the South of France, from the Gard department to the Hautes-Pyrénées and the Gers: industrial sites, turnkey offices, warehouses, laboratories and agri-food facilities, amongst others…

Businesses based in the Occitanie region

International leaders and major groups established in Occitanie:

  • The Orchestra Group, a European leader in children’s fashion and baby care, has a presence throughout the region
  • Sakata Vegetables Europe, part of the Japanese Sakata Seed Corporation, one of the world’s leading producers of vegetable and flower seeds (Gard)
  • The fragrance company Esteban, part of the Japanese group Nippon Kodo and a specialist in home fragrances, is investing €6 million in a new head office and factory in Lavérune (Hérault)
  • Digital sector leaders include: IBM Global Services, Dell Southern Europe, Capgemini, Intel…
  • Agri-food leaders: Andros, Bigard, Cemoi, Danone, Haribo, Lactalis, Nestlé Waters. Saint-Mamet, the French specialist in processed fruit, based in Vauvert (Gard)
  • Leaders in energy and eco-activities: BRL Ingénierie, Veolia Water, Egis EAU, Biotope, Geoter and Geoïd (Fugro), Foraco, Schlumberger

But also numerous SMEs and start-ups that have chosen the Occitanie region to grow their businesses:

  • The Montpellier-based start-up Medtech, which has become the R&D centre for Zimmer Biomet’s robotics activities
  • The Montpellier-based start-up Bime Analytics has become a flagship of the digital economy. Six years after its creation, the start-up – which specialises in cloud-based business intelligence – has just been acquired for $45 million by the US firm Zendesk
  • The start-up Ziwit has developed software capable of detecting online vulnerabilities and protects the websites of CAC 40 companies, Google, Adobe, the Ministries of Defence and Justice, and the NSA

Key sectors in this territory

The industries where the territory concentrates talent, research and established companies. Select a sector for the detail.

Support and incentives

Public schemes and support available on this territory. Select a scheme for the detail.

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