Set up your international business in Eastern France (Grand Est Region)

Why set up your company in the Grand Est region of France?

Eastern France is an ideal location to set up your international business in the renewable energies sector. It is the 1^st region in France for biogas (15% of the set up national power output) and for deep geothermal energy.

However, the region’s advantages do not stop here. The Grand Est region of France is also the 2^nd region in France for wind power with 22% of the set up power output in mainland France and the 3^rd region for solid biomass for electricity production with 12.2% of the set up power output in mainland France. Wood energy is the leading source of renewable energy in the region. The region is also present in the hydro energy sector, the hydroelectric centre of Strasbourg having only recently turned 50 years old.

Key figures

• 30 billion for the ecological transition
• 2021/22: 6.7 billion euros invested in the thermal renovation of buildings
• 49,000 companies
• 135 000 employees

Renewable energies in the Grand Est region of France

Biomass

Being the 3rd forest-covered region in France, Wood energy is now the leading renewable energy in the Grand Est region. Furthermore, the region is favoured by international biomass heating players such as KWB. Other biomass energy sources in the region are crops such as sunflower, beet and rapeseed.

Wind power

The Grand Est region is the second region in France in terms of set up power output and electricity production from wind power.

Solar energy

The photovoltaic park in the region totals 36,489 installations at the end of 2019 for a set up power output of 543 MW. Estimates from 2019 suggest that the region's production reached575 GWh which amounts to 3.2% of its production of renewable electrical energy.

Green Hydrogen

The Grand Est region is dedicated to decarbonising the uses of hydrogen energy to build a more sustainable industry that respects the environment. This will also create opportunities for companies to place investments in future technologies as the sector is rapidly evolving.

Innovation clusters in the Grand Est region of France

Biogaz vallée

Biogaz Vallée® is the French cluster for methanisation. It focuses on the methanisation of agricultural and agro-industrial residues or of the selective collection of bio-waste typically produced by restaurants, school canteens or supermarkets.

Fibres-Energivie

Fibres-Energivie is the only innovation cluster dedicated to materials for the building industry in the context of sustainable development and it has its seat in Eastern France. The proximity to a cluster such as Fibres-Energivie will allow your company to work towards sustainability while staying competitive. 

In 2019, the cluster has launched an initiative called Club Smart Grids Grand Est which is part of the programme “New Energy Systems industries” written by the cluster’s Strategic Committee. The goal is to inform, raise awareness and encourage local authorities in the Grand Est region to commit to a green approach to the deployment of the smart grid in their territory.

IAR

The IAR cluster works on topics linked to the production and development of biological resources) for food, industrial and energy purposes. The IAR cluster centres its activity around 6 strategic areas of intervention:

• Production of bioresources
• Food (human and animal)
• Bio sourced chemistry & biotech
• Bio source materials
• Energy
• Process & technologies

Materalia

This cluster brings together players in the Materials and Processes sector in the Grand Est region. In partnership with Viessmann, the SOLARIS project is working on a new generation of sensors that are better adapted to more aggressive environments (corrosion, high temperatures), more efficient and less expensive.

Easy access to a strongly qualified workforce

Eastern France Region’s universities offer a talent pool of more than 200,000 students among which 28,000 from abroad.

• Five Universities including two European campuses
  • Strasbourg University
  • Lorraine University
  • Reims Champagne-Ardenne University
  • South Alsace University
  • Troyes Technological University

Research centres in or around the region include:

• INSA & DeutschINSA
• EIFER the R&D centre in Karlsruhe, Germany
• Fraunhofer ISE (Freiburg, Germany) – biggest solar research institute in all of Europe

Regional policy & energy transition plans

The Grand Est region of France has set itself the goal to develop renewable energies and implement the energy transition in the region, having the ambitious goal of transitioning fully by 2050. The programme Climaxion is specifically dedicated to accelerating the energy transition of the region through a variety of different campaigns set to promote sustainable energy solutions.

They chose us: Companies in the Grand Est region

A wide variety of reputable, international companies have chosen the Grand Est region due to its strategic location and excellent reception of foreign companies and investors. A selection of companies in the Grand Est region; Hager, Viessmann, PV, Voltec (Belenos project), Socomec onduleurs, Ostwind , Enercon, Vestas