While for five years, France has positioned itself as the European leader among countries welcoming the most foreign investment (1,194 projects in 2023 compared to 985 for the United Kingdom and 733 for Germany1), Hauts-de-France is in the top 10 European regions with 110 foreign direct investments in 2023 for 6,140 jobs created (compared to 3,500 in 2017).
«We started reindustrialization well before others. We were also one of the first regions to have an attractiveness agency. But there are still sectors to conquer such as AI, materials and even energies. We want to make Hauts-de-France the avant-garde region» explains Luc Doublet, president of Nord France Invest.
An industrial profile
Some companies have even been established in the region for several decades… and remain there. This is for example the case of Royal Canin (Mars group, United States), based in Rues-des-Vignes in Cambrésis. The factory with 250 employees has been established there for 50 years. “It is the largest Royal Canin site in the world, out of the group’s 16 sites. We want to make Rues-des-Vignes a spearhead» enthuses François-Xavier Bréhon, director.
Or even General Mills, better known through its Häagen-Dasz factory in Tilloy-les-Mofflaines near Arras. The American companykeeps growing» since his arrival in 1992, according to Sylvie Galliaerde, vice-president External Relations – International. Two years ago, an R&D center was even set up there – the group’s only center in the world – and has 50 employees and 11 nationalities, to imagine the frozen flavors of tomorrow.
80% of Tilloy-les-Mofflaines’ production is exported: “This is a pilot site for the group. In Hauts-de-France we find both quality raw materials, but also unstoppable logistics and employees who love working in the agri-food industry!».
The cases of Royal Canin and General Mills are obviously not the only ones: in the region, two thirds of the jobs created by foreign companies (i.e. 4,139 in 2023) are created by the industrial sector. “There are also other key sectors such as batteries, medical, hydrogen, etc. However, some managers are less optimistic about the future, such as in the agri-food industry (69%) or in the chemicals/plastics industry ( 64%). Businesses need to get back on the path to growth», says Marc Lhermitte from EY. If Hauts-de-France “still have some under their feet» according to him, it is clear that efforts must not slacken.
1. Source EY European Investment Monitor 2024
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