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| Choose France | |
|---|---|
| Name | Choose France |
| Type | Investment promotion agency |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Location | Paris, Île-de-France, France |
| Area served | France |
| Key people | Bruno Le Maire; Emmanuel Macron; Cédric O; Pascal Faure |
| Parent organization | Ministère de l'Économie, des Finances et de la Relance |
Choose France is a French national initiative launched to attract foreign direct investment to France by coordinating promotional efforts across ministries, regional agencies, and private partners. It operates at the intersection of national policy led by Emmanuel Macron and sectoral outreach involving ministries such as the Ministry of the Economy and Finance (France), international business networks like Business France, and multinationals including Apple Inc., Tesla, Inc., and Samsung. The initiative aims to position France as a destination for industrial projects, research collaborations, and corporate relocations in competition with jurisdictions such as Germany, United Kingdom, and United States.
Choose France functions as a national investment promotion platform that seeks to showcase France's advantages in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, semiconductor, renewable energy, and biopharmaceuticals. It brings together actors like the Ministry of Culture (France) for creative industries, the Ministry for Higher Education and Research (France) for academic partnerships, regional bodies such as Région Île-de-France and Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and industry groups including Medef and World Economic Forum participants. The initiative leverages high-profile events—ranging from the VivaTech conference to state visits involving heads of state—to generate greenfield projects, joint ventures, and headquarters relocations.
The concept emerged after policy debates following the 2017 presidential election of Emmanuel Macron and was formally launched in 2018 by the Ministry of the Economy and Finance (France) under leadership including ministers such as Bruno Le Maire. Early milestones include strategic promotion during bilateral visits with partners like Japan and South Korea, resulting in announcements involving firms such as Toyota Motor Corporation and LS Group. Choose France evolved through coordination with export and investment agencies like Business France and with European instruments such as the European Investment Bank for financing. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted adaptations to secure supply chains and to court projects in critical sectors highlighted by crises involving companies such as Sanofi and Pfizer.
The initiative sets objectives to increase manufacturing capacity, foster research and development, and create employment in regions facing deindustrialization. Strategic aims include attracting flagship investments from corporations like Intel Corporation and NVIDIA, supporting research alliances with institutions such as CNRS and Sorbonne University, and encouraging relocation of regional headquarters akin to moves by Siemens or IBM. The strategy deploys diplomatic channels—state visits, trade delegations, and ministerial roadshows—alongside incentives such as tax credits linked to instruments like the Research Tax Credit (France) and public funding from entities including the BPI France development bank.
Choose France delivers services that coordinate site selection, regulatory facilitation, and bespoke support for workforce training in partnership with actors like Pôle emploi and apprenticeship programs coordinated by Opco. It connects investors with regional development agencies such as AURA-Économie and infrastructure providers like Réseau de Transport d'Électricité and collaborates with academic partners including INSEAD and École Polytechnique for talent pipelines. Programs include sectoral roadshows, investment facilitation desks, and participation in global fora such as the Munich Security Conference when industrial diplomacy intersects with strategic supply chain resilience.
Governance rests with a steering structure anchored at the Ministry of the Economy and Finance (France), with political oversight from the presidency of Emmanuel Macron and ministerial engagement from figures such as Bruno Le Maire and secretaries of state like Cédric O. Operational funding draws on state budgets, allocations from development institutions like BPI France, regional co-financing from entities such as Conseil régional de Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and partnerships with private stakeholders including BNP Paribas and Société Générale. The initiative also leverages European funding instruments administered by the European Commission for projects aligned with EU priorities such as semiconductors and green transition.
Choose France has been associated with announced investments spanning sectors: automotive deals linked to firms such as Stellantis, semiconductor investments announced by actors like STMicroelectronics and foreign partners, and biopharma projects involving companies such as Sanofi and AstraZeneca. Reported outcomes include job creation commitments in sites across Hauts-de-France, Grand Est, and Occitanie, as well as enhanced R&D partnerships with laboratories like INSERM and corporate research centers of multinational firms. International perception measures—cited at events such as VivaTech and in rankings by organizations like UNCTAD—suggest shifts in investor attention, though attribution to a single program remains contested.
Critics from political parties such as La France Insoumise and trade unions including the CGT have argued that incentives favor large multinationals over small and medium enterprises represented by federations like MEDEF and CGPME. Debates have centered on transparency of subsidies, regional equity between Île-de-France and other regions, and conditions attached to investment commitments, drawing scrutiny similar to controversies around projects by Amazon (company) and Foxconn. Analysts and NGOs have questioned whether tax incentives and public guarantees administered via bodies like BPI France adequately protect labor standards and environmental obligations under frameworks such as the Paris Agreement.
Category:Investment promotion agencies