Provence Promotion targets German companies at the Pollutec show

Provence Promotion will attend the Pollutec international exhibition of environmental equipment, technologies and services from November 29 to December 2, 2016. This showcase for the most innovative technologies on the world market will draw nearly 2,500 exhibitors, including 700 foreign companies. The Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan area is heavily focused on the eco-industry, industry of the future and smart city sectors and is well equipped to win over investors. The economic development agency will specifically target German companies in the development stage, as Germany is the second-largest foreign investor in France.

The Pollutec trade show with its focus on energy, the environment and sustainable development has become a major international gathering that continues to attract bigger crowds each year. For this 27th edition, more than 60,000 attendees are expected at the Eurexpo in Lyons.

Germany, a pioneer in environmental issues, is well-represented, particularly since carbon footprint reduction has been one of its fundamental goals for many years. Today, even within the production system, resource saving is gradually starting to generate profit. This is an opportunity for Provence Promotion, which is aiming its strategy at German investors with action plans that align with the major projects under way in the region.

Its staff has worked with a growing number of initiatives from Germany over the last two years, helping companies like Matrium and Physical Instruments to expand their business in Provence by, for example, joining the dynamic industry of the future project at Team Henri-Fabre.

The agency, which performs B2B match making, also plans to get investors' attention by awarding the "Invest in Provence" level to German company KSB. KSB's success story culminated with the expansion of its Aix-en-Provence site, which is home to its regional management team and, now, a bigger workshop, a showroom, a conference and training room and new equipment.

Regional appeal and large-scale initiatives

The Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan area promotes green growth and the energy transition; now more than ever, it offers excellent business conditions to green companies.

Under Phase 2 of the Euroméditerranée Project, the "smartseille" ecocity is an ideal testing ground to develop innovative technologies for water, waste and energy management. This is perfectly illustrated by the recently inaugurated Thassalia, France's first marine geothermal power plant.

On a bigger regional scale, Provence was chosen by the French government to test the wide-scale deployment of smart electricity grids. The FlexGrid project will lead to a significant investment plan in close cooperation with all the sector's stakeholders, including the Capenergies competitiveness cluster, which is piloting France's first smart grid project, Premio.

There are multiple sustainable industry initiatives underway. GRTgaz, which is developing a power-to-gas sector in France, chose Provence for its Jupiter 1000 demonstrator whose objective is to nurture a circular economy in partnership with local manufacturers.

In July 2016 the region joined the French Tech CleanTech & Mobility network. Building on that momentum, in October the Arbois-Méditerranée Technology Park, a center of excellence for the environment, launched a new clean tech business incubator that can house up to 30 start-ups.
This non-exhaustive group of projects is helping new markets and business models emerge. That is also the goal of investors in search of growth, who can turn to Provence Promotion for guidance in exploring the opportunities offered by the Aix-Marseille-Provence region.