Economy of the Countries of the Loire

The area of the Pays of the Loire is the 5th French Région by the Population, the Superficie and the produced richness:

3.289.811 inhabitants at January 1st, 2002 (5,5% of the metropolitan population)
32.000 km ² (5,9% of the surface of France)
1.363.243 employment at December 31st, 2001
126.700 companies belonging to the commercial sector at January 1st, 2002
73.715 million euros of gross domestic product in 2002 (5th area), is 22.300 euros per capita, 4,8% of the national GDP.
5 departments: Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, the Sarthe, the Vendée.

Pole of competence

A pole of competence is an area, generally urbanized, where know-how in a technical field accumulates, which can get a competitive advantage at the planetary level once reached a critical mass. Prosperity thus brought tends to be propagated with the other local activities, in particular of service and subcontracting.

Detailed article: Poles of competitiveness in the Countries of the Loire

Principal sectors

Industry

At the 19th century, the Metallurgy and the naval construction came in the estuary from the the Loire to renew the old agricultural economy . The fishing and agriculture are however still strongly present in this area. The force and the stability of the regional economy are due to the diversity of its industrial sectors as to the rise of the lines of business.

The area is in the national forefront for the creation of companies. What explains the prevalence of the SME - SME, which build an offer of industrial subcontracting alluring of many clients, in France as with the international one.

In short:

5th economic area of France
70 billion euros of GDP (4,7% of the national GDP) in 2002
1363 243 employment (at the 12/31/2001)
3000 companies at the 1/1/2001 (4,6% of the national park)
1st French area for naval construction
2nd French area for agriculture, fishing, aeronautics
4th area of destination of the tourist stays French
6th French area for the number of artisanal companies
8th exporting area
60% of the employee job in the tertiary sector

Agriculture, Agroalimentary Fishing and

Agriculture

With the 2nd national rank (10% of the French production), the agriculture of the Countries of the Loire is powerful, initially by the livestock productions (bovines, milk, pig and poultry). But also by dies of quality, where it is in the forefront with 106 Red Label, 31 AOC and 60 000 hectares dedicated to the bio productions. Without forgetting the European leadership of the Anjou in horticulture.

The Countries of the Loire cover 85% of the production of Mâche in France and are the first European producers, in front of the Germany and the Italy. Part of the 20.000 tons produced each year is exported in Germany, with the the United Kingdom, in Belgium, with the Luxembourg and in Suisse.

Also wine area , the area of the Countries of the Loire east:

1st white wine producer
1st area AOC of wines with fine bubbles
3rd vineyard of France by its production
4th vineyard of France by its surface
63 names of controlled origin

Fish and Aquaculture

The Countries of the Loire are also classified with the 2nd rank of the French areas for fishing. The dynamism of this sector is observed by a continual evolution of the aquicultures, as well on the littoral as in maritime marshes, with the écloseries of Mollusque S, the breeding of Turbot S or bars, the culture of Algue S.

The salt of Guérande is also the world leader on the market of salts of soil with exports in the whole world.

Agroalimentary

The agroalimentary one is the first industrial employer of the area with 50.000 paid. The dies of the meat and milk prevail. International groups, such Danone or Bahlsen, are present at the sides of regional companies: Lactalis, Fleury Michon, Brioche Pasquier, LDC, Celia, Socopa.

The agroalimentary one of the Countries of the Loire east always in evolution. Throwing bridges between the Agronomy, the Chemistry, the Biogenetic , the industrial processes or the Health, the efforts of research are ceaseless and find applications concrete in the companies.

The Countries of the Loire are in the forefront of the French areas for the signs of quality of the agricultural produce or agroalimentary both for the conditions of production the products themselves:

1st French area in products under Red Label
39 AOC (Names of controlled origin), including 37 for the wines and for the ox Maine-Anjou
1st area of products certified of the organic farming: more than 60.000 hectares

The products high-speed motorboats: The cookies LU, the Rillettes of Mans, sardines of the Vendée, the Camembert cheeses President, the liquors Cointreau, the Lily of the valley of May, the Nantes Corn salad, the salt of Guérande, the Wine S of the Loire Valley…

Higher education

The Countries of the Loire have an immense campus of more than 100.000 students, among whom many foreign students. The regional main cities support the access to three universities (Nantes, Mans and Angers) and to the catholic Université of the West like at 16 universities of engineers and trade.

With the Roche-sur-Yon, the Catholic Institute of Higher learning (ICES) develops a innovating concept of education, that of a Universitaire© School which is pressed on a powerful tool for formation which passes, for example, by the adaptation of the work methods of the universities to the university formations: small promotions, controls knowledge regular…

The university poles of Nantes, Angers and Mans are present through antennas delocalized in the majority of the medium-sized cities. Beyond its historical specialization concentrated around the Agroalimentary , regional research indeed developed around many poles of excellence, animated by the universities and universities, often recognized with the international level.

The ligériens establishments multiply the international co-operations and projects, of the simple exchange of students to the diplomas built jointly, that the students obtain via stays crossed on various campuses, while passing by the research programs.

Other Dies

Wood

The Countries of the Loire developed a strong industry of wood and Ameublement. On the whole, the sector represents more than 25.000 employment, that is to say approximately 25% of the national uses of frame-joinery and 15% of those of the piece of furniture. It also profits from the expertise on the University of the wood which trains engineers general practitioners in the trades and techniques of wood.

Moreover, one world event brings together every two years with Nantes the professionals: the international Crossroads of wood.

Electronic

Employing more than 28.000 paid distributes between the manufacturers of materials and components electronic or data-processing, electronics, in the broad sense, is the second industrial employer.

NEC, Thomson Electronics, Motorola, Alcatel, Philips and others appear among the great names.

Plasturgie

The Countries of the Loire are the second French area of the plasturgie, with 12.000 paid and more than 250 establishments. With the service of the dies automobile or agroalimentary, for example, the whole of techniques are represented, in particular around new composite materials.

Some great names: Hutchinson, Manducher, Michelin, Draftex…

Mechanical

Mechanics, the Metallurgy, and the Automobile gather the quarter of regional industrial manpower, that is to say 65.000 paid. The metallurgy is instigated by the needs for the agroalimentary die (Arcelor Packaging, Crown Cork, Pechiney…) and by the Aeronautical , the naval construction or the car. This one is present with Scania at Angers or Renault with the Mans, and with a hundred subcontractors of first rank, of Michelin to NTN.

Services

The services are especially represented by the group MY, 4th French insurance, established in very great part in Mans.

Aeronautical

The area constitutes the 3rd French pole with the presence, with Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, of two factories Airbus which manufacture the first parts constitutive of the Airbus planes.

Naval

The Countries of the Loire are located in first place of the French areas in this sector. One the rank of leader acquired thanks to the Building sites of the Atlantic for construction, DCN Indret for the marine propulsion, the group Bénéteau, world number 1 for the pleasure boats.

Mode

First French area of manufacture of shoes, with in particular the factories of Eram, number 1 European. The industrialists of clothing, privileged home-workers of the Parisian haute couture and leaders of the childish mode (Catimini, IKKS, Children worldwide fashion) fight to be maintained, and propose their creativity and their know-how.

Geographical distribution of the knowledge

the Health with Nantes and Angers
the Agroalimentary and the Vegetable with Nantes, Angers, Mans
the Materials and the Mechanical with Nantes, Angers, Mans
the Sciences and information techniques in Nantes, Angers, Mans
the Mechanical car of race in Mans

the Medicine and Nuclear Physics in Nantes

the naval genius in Nantes Saint-Nazaire

the Acoustic in Mans

the Electronic and the Virtual reality with Laval.

See too

Internal bonds

Country of the Loire
: Category: Company of the Countries of the Loire
District council of the Countries of the Loire

Sources

Site of the Countries of the Loire
Chamber of commerce and the industry of the Countries of the Loire

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