Lille Development Agency
Key Competitive Attractions
Why is the Lille metropolitan area an exceptional business location? Because it is one of Europe's leading distribution and trade centres, it is France’s second highest receiver of foreign direct investments after the Paris Region, and it is the second most popular choice of location for international corporate headquarters in France. The Lille metropolitan area is also part of a Euro-metropolis, which consists of Lille, Tournai and Kortrijk, the latter two both in Belgium, with a total population of 2.2 million. Lille is home to 15 headquarters of multinational companies and 80 company headquarters with more than 500 employees. In addition, it is the youngest region in France: 36% of the population are under the age of 25.
Sectors
- Logistics
- Health
- Textile
- Mail Order Sales / Mass Retail
- Agro-Food
- Environment / Recycling
Communications
- The railway network places Lille in easy reach of Paris, Brussels and London.
- Lille International Airport is the 4th busiest in France and flies to destinations all over the world.
- A mesh of freeways provide efficient road connections throughout the city, and over 500 km of motorways connect Lille to 7 European capital cities in a matter of hours.
- The city is within a 300 km radius of Paris, London, Brussels, Antwerp, The Hague, Koln, Luxembourg, Amsterdam and Dusseldorf. There are a total of 100 million inhabitants within this radius.
The Lille Development Agency (APIM) is financed by the Chamber of Commerce Grand Lille, Lille Metropole Communauté urbaine and the Northern General Council.
Assistance and Support For New Business Investors
The Lille Development Agency will assist international companies that seek to invest, expand or relocate business activities to the Lille metropolitan region.
The agency offers free and confidential customized services, headed by project managers with specialised expertise in your field of business. The agency can also help investors get in touch with the right people and organizations.
As part of the assistance package, the agency can provide investors with an overview of the economic environment, help in finding real estate, assistance with the administrative procedures (tax and legal aspects), help finding financial solutions, recruitment and training, project management, financial engineering (including public support), public administration interface and staff relocation services.
Existing Business Base
The Lille metropolitan area constitutes France’s second largest logistics centre. It is the country's top ranking region for railroad industry (10, 000 jobs) and it is at the heart of one of biggest regions in Europe dedicated to the automobile industry (4 car manufacturers, 200 component makers and subcontractors).
Among the international companies already established in the Lille metropolitan area are: Acetos, Ajilon Engineering, Archimed, Atos, Wordline, Cap Gemini, Delfmems, Geolatys, Gigacomm, IDMS, Infodio, Insitua, Scrypto Systems, Sector Group, Siemens Transportation Systems, Veolia Transport and Viosnor-Socel, Anios, Bayer Schering Pharma, Biolume, Bio-Rad, Diagast, Genfit, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, HMS-Vigo, Ingredia, Lesaffre, LFB, Macopharma, Minakem, Roquette, Boulanger, Tate & Lyle, Auchan, Banque Accord, Bonduelle, Castorama, Cofidis, Dalkia, Decathlon, Finaref, Gan Patrimoine, Crédit du nord, La Mondiale, Trois Suisses France, Leroy Merlin, Lesaffre, 3 Suisses. La Redoute, Monabanq, Atac, Agapes, Caisse Fédérale du Crédit Mutuel Nord Europe, Crédit Agricole, Petrovex, Supermarchés Match, SA Norauto, Ingram Micro, Kiabi, Promod, Damartex, Ziegler, Rabot Dutilleul, Dca Mory Shipp and Roquette.
There are five principal clusters: I-trans (Innovative transport systems), retail industries, Up-tex (technical textile and mass customization), Nutrition Health Longevity and MAUD (Materials for domestic use).
