Famars, Hauts-de-France
France
NORD FRANCE INVEST
Lille
1
Region covered
5
Departments
Why set up your business in the Hauts-de-France region?
Setting up your business in Hauts-de-France, at the heart of Europe
Setting up your business in Hauts-de-France, a region that is intrinsically European due to its geostrategic location, is a reliable and sensible choice.
- Less than 80 minutes from Paris, Brussels and London, and at the heart of Europe’s largest consumer market, the European Metropolis of Lille is a prime gateway for investment
- Lille is emerging as a regional capital of European stature, offering high-quality transport and premium service sector facilities
- France’s third-largest business district and the third-largest region in France for attracting foreign investment
Where should you set up your business in the Hauts-de-France region?
Setting up your business in Hauts-de-France, at the heart of Europe
- Healthcare companies can set up in the Hauts-de-France region at the Eurasanté business park in Lille, Europe’s largest campus dedicated to healthcare businesses: state-of-the-art premises in an environment of excellence in healthcare and research.
- Logistics companies can set up in the Hauts-de-France region at the Parc des Autoroutes, directly accessible via an extensive motorway, rail and river network; at the Haute Picardie business park – Estrées-Déniécourt, a real showcase on the A1 motorway, set to benefit from river transport via the future Seine-Nord-Europe Canal; at the A1 EST industrial and logistics business park in Lille, which holds the “Parcs 21” accreditation and is dedicated to SMEs and small-to-medium-sized industrial firms in the manufacturing and logistics sectors.
- Industrial companies will be able to set up on the serviced plots at La Porte Multimodal de l’Aa, directly linked to the Arques River Port, on the wide-gauge canal connecting Dunkirk to Valenciennes. The Blaringhem area also offers industrial premises and warehouses at the heart of Northern Europe’s transport and communication networks.
- Agri-food businesses will be able to set up in the Hauts-de-France region, in the CAPECURE industrial and port zone, a multimodal hub in Boulogne and a leader in the European market; at the Griffon business park on the Calais–Reims and Paris–Brussels routes; or near Saint-Omer (Leulinghem) along the RD942, on the 23 ha of industrial land (plots ranging from 8,000 m² to 10 ha) still available at La Porte de Littoral.
Companies based in the Hauts-de-France region
Companies based in the Hauts-de-France region
- International industry leaders present: IBM, Barilla, Toyota, Bombardier, Amazon, 3M, Bayer, Coca-Cola, KTM, Caterpillar, McCain, Bombardier, DHL, GSK and over 1,600 other international companies.
- International leaders in the healthcare sector present in the Hauts-de-France region: Bayer Santé (French headquarters), GSK Vaccines (major European vaccine manufacturing and packaging facility), Tate & Lyle (innovation centre)
Key sectors in this territory
The industries where the territory concentrates talent, research and established companies. Select a sector for the detail.
Food processing
Why set up your business in the Hauts-de-France region?
Setting up your agri-food business in the Hauts-de-France region
With over 1,000 agri-food businesses and 50,000 jobs, the agri-food sector is a key economic pillar in Hauts-de-France.
The region offers an exceptional environment for these businesses (agricultural resources, logistics infrastructure, a skilled workforce, technical centres, financial support, etc.).
Specialised agri-food infrastructure
Agro-Sphères is the association of agri-food businesses, bringing together all stakeholders in the agri-food sector:
- Companies
- Technical and training centres
- Local authorities and economic organisations
Its aim is to promote the development and establishment of agri-food businesses in Hauts-de-France through three key missions.
Agro-Sphères, the economic development agency specialising in the agri-food sector in the Hauts-de-France region, offers bespoke agri-food premises and personalised support for your business set-up project.
- A supportive ecosystem to underpin your business projects
- A strategic location with a focus on northern Europe: optimal regional connectivity via six motorways, high-speed rail stations and regular rail services, and two international airports
- The MODULO-FOOD concept: three food-processing premises ready for fit-out, delivered within four months (building permits already secured), with a choice of ownership structure (purchase, lease, lease with option to buy, etc.). Turnkey premises, adaptable to your needs
- Set-up grants specifically for the agri-food sector
Health & biotech
Setting up a healthcare business in the Hauts-de-France region
Setting up a business in the Hauts-de-France region is a reliable and effective way to do business in Europe and enter the French market.
The bio-health sector in the Hauts-de-France region employs 27,500 people across 1,000 companies, generating a turnover of 11.5 billion euros in the pharmaceutical, nutrition and biomedical sectors.
- 1,000 companies and 29,000 jobs
- Over 2,200 researchers
- Over €8 billion in turnover
- France’s leading region for technical textiles used in healthcare
- Second-largest region in France for medical and hospital equipment
Healthcare-focused infrastructure in the Hauts-de-France region
The Eurasanté business park in Lille, Europe’s largest campus dedicated to healthcare companies, is now home to 3,000 employees across 160 companies. The 4,000-employee mark is expected to be reached in 2017–2018.
The Eurasanté bio-incubator is currently supporting 34 projects. The number of new incubator entrants has more than doubled over the last two years.
A skilled workforce:
- 15,000 life sciences students
- France’s leading medical school across all disciplines: 11,000 students, 400 graduates per year
- France’s third-ranked Faculty of Pharmacy: 2,000 students
- Faculty of Dentistry
- Engineering and business school offering courses in management and engineering: 80 graduates per year
Healthcare companies based in the Hauts-de-France region
International leaders present in the Hauts-de-France region: Bayer Santé (French headquarters), GSK Vaccines (major European vaccine manufacturing and packaging hub), Tate & Lyle (innovation centre)
- Pharma-Biotech: Genfit, EFS, Etablissement Français du Sang, LFB, Laboratoire Français du Fractionnement et des Biotechnologies, Diagast, AlzProtect, IBD, InnoBioChips, Genoscreen, AstraZeneca, GSK Vaccines, Bayer Healthcare, DCI Pharma, Laboratoires Boiron - Dolisos, Delpharm, Rottendorf Pharma, Super Diet, Unither Pharmaceuticals, Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Cyclopharma, Giphar, Merck, BioV, West, DSM Food Specialties, Lesaffre, Roquette Frères…
- Nutrition: Nestlé HealthScience, Ajinomoto, Hyet Sweet, …
- Fine chemicals and active ingredients: Calaire Chimie, Synthexim, Minakem, Scora, Evonik, Tioxide …
- Medical devices and equipment: Ontex, MacoPharma, Biolume, HMS, Mölnlycke HealthCare, Horiba, Medtronic, Cousin Biotech, Sofrigam, Cousin Biotech, Intech Medical, Arthrex, SGD Pharmaceuticals, Biorad, anios, Perouse Medical, Gosselin (Dow Corning), Symmetry Medical, PGI …
- Cosmetics and health and beauty products: Sarbec, L’Oréal, Alkos Cosmétique, Givenchy, Chanel, Clarins, …
Support and incentives
Public schemes and support available on this territory. Select a scheme for the detail.
Urban Free Zone: Entrepreneurial Territory (ZFU-TE)
Urban Free Zones (ZFU) in the Hauts-de-France region
Urban free zones (ZFUs) 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 zones scheme for businesses allows companies to benefit from an exemption from employers’ social security contributions, family allowances, the National Housing Assistance Fund (Fnal) and, where applicable, the supplementary Fnal and the transport levy.
Businesses established in an urban free zone are eligible for exemptions from corporation tax, business rates, employers’ social security contributions on the portion of employees’ monthly remuneration below 1.5 times the minimum wage (SMIC), employees’ social security contributions, and, for craftspeople or traders, property tax on built properties located in an urban free zone (ZFU) where the business activity falls within the scope of those permitted by this Act.
Regional Aid
Regional Aid Zones (AFR) in the Hauts-de-France region
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 areas facing difficulties. Regional aid offers businesses the opportunity to receive 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
The Barrois Business Park in Montigny-en-Ostrevent, less than 40 minutes from Lille, Douai and Valenciennes, is situated within an AFR zone. The zone offers several plots of industrial or commercial land for sale.
Available sites with NORD FRANCE INVEST
Lille, Hauts-de-France
Moulins de la Lys Business Park – Lille
Boulogne-sur-Mer, Hauts-de-France
CAPECURE Industrial and Port Park – Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais – Hauts-de-France – France)
Longuenesse, Hauts-de-France
Eurocap Business Park in Longuenesse – Saint-Omer
Sancourt, Hauts-de-France
E-Valley Business Park in Sancourt
Montigny-en-Ostrevent, Hauts-de-France
Industrial and commercial business park between Douai and Valenciennes – ZA Barrois – Hauts-de-France
Gauchy, Hauts-de-France
Le Royeux Business Park in Gauchy
Sars-et-Rosières, Hauts-de-France
Sars and Rosières Business Park – Porte du Hainaut
Tergnier, Hauts-de-France
Evolis Business Park – Tergnier – Picardy
Lambres-Lez-Douai, Hauts-de-France
Ermitage 2 Business Park – Douai
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