What’s up French Fab? Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, an opportunity for Nordic industries

The French Fab initiative has been launched last October by the French Minister for Economy and Finance to promote French industrial ecosystem, its assets and expertise.

In 2018, the French Fab is spreading in our regions! Earlier in March, the region Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes announced an exclusive plan of 120 million euros, including 54 million directly provided by the region, to boost innovation and digitalisation in local industries. An opportunity for Nordic businesses willing to expand their activity in Europe, as industrial giants from the Nordics already trust France’s experience and savoir-faire.

The sectors of electric mobility and plastic industry have recently benefited from major Nordic investments. The Swedish Volvo AB and its branch Renault Trucks invested in 2017 to expand their production site in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, as Volvo has chosen France to develop their new generation of electric trucks. More recently, the Norwegian Elkem Silicones announced an investment to develop its production site in Lyon, located in the “chemical valley”, an active area since the late 19^th century with the highest concentration of chemical industries in the region.