Economy of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais

The economy of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais is characterized by an old establishment of branches of industry important, such agriculture and its derivatives (brewery activity as of the 8th century), the textile, and the trade because of its geographical location. The Industrial revolution gave a considerable rise to these traditional activities, and the presence of coal allowed the development of a Heavy industry. After the Second world war, the research centres were not rebuilt to avoid the destruction or the appropiation of discovered in the event of conflict and a fourth occupation by the Germany of the area. End of the Glorious 30 coîncide with the decline of the houillières, which fed in energy the heavy industry of the area. These serious structural difficulties are added to the economic crisis: Of the three great sectors which were the pillars of its economy, coal, Acier, Textile, only the two last still exist. The last mine of the area closed in December 1990 and the iron and steel industry was moved Sambre and Valenciennois on the coast with Dunkirk to use the ore brought of the antipodes. The Pétrochimie is also installed there. The textile specialized and automated, to face the importation of the great series. The Secondary industry occupies nothing any more but 33,8% of the active population (28,9% for the France). Its connection with the Europe of the North-West enables him however to profit from the economic consequences of the startup of the Channel tunnel and of the LGV (TGV).

In spite of an old delay, the area knew a rapid tertiarisation (62,8% of employment). This growth made it possible to fill the delays as regards education and university. Regional development can be based on strong competences like the mail-order selling (Redoute, 3 Swiss, Damart), large distribution (Auchan), transport and logistics. With seven universities, the potential formation-research became considerable. The development and the diversification of the Tertiary sector are based on the network of the medium-sized cities and especially on conurbation Lille - Roubaix - Tourcoing, which concentrates about half of the higher services of the area.

General data

Infrastructures

Supported by its situation of junction between the the United Kingdom, the Ireland and the continent, the North of the France is an area of exchanges, a crossroads of communication between Europe of the North-West, the remainder of the country, the Spain and the Portugal. Historically the water ways were privileged for the trade. The presence of three large ports commercial is one of the consequences: the port of Boulogne, the port of Calais (first port for the number of travellers transmanche), and the Port authority of Dunkirk (third port for the weighty traffic ore tanker). The Fleuve S were channeled to be used for transport, 680 kilometers of inland waterways (that is to say 10% of the French network) are currently available, including 575 kilometers useful for marketing. The inland waterways of France plans to give to the standards certain channels like the Canal of Roubaix, for river tourism. The Area awaits especially the building work of the channel Seine-North, which will connect the northerner network to that of the Seine.

The number of Highway S, following at the same time the North-South axis (A1, A2) and centers it littoral towards the interior (A25, A26, A27), channels a traffic regional, interregional and international considerable. Important installations are in hand on the littoral and the site of the terminal of the tunnel. A road and highway plan (A16, littoral by-pass) which is in addition source of polemical sharp, accompanies them. Although the area includes/understands 6,6% of the French highways (mainly free), since 1970, an additional project of highway is considered with the A24 to unchoke A1.

The Channel tunnel, open in May 1994, of which the railway axis (shuttles for cars and trucks; traditional TGV and trains) connects the Kent to Sangatte, close to Calais, even if it competes with the French and Belgian ports partly, encourages with the intensification of the traffic transmanche. The startup of TGV between Paris, Lille and Arras until London, Brussels, Amsterdam and the the Rhineland considerably shortened run times between the large metropolises of Europe of the North-West, and must make of Lille and North a European turntable.

Institutional actors

  • Public: District council of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, General advice of North, General advice of the Pas-de-Calais, N intercommunalities, N Bankruptcy courts, N branches of the Banque de France
  • Private: 1 Chamber of commerce and of industry in 1714,13 in 2006, but in 2007 several merger plans is announced in order to preserve of them only 3 or 4. N guild chambers
  • public/private Partenariat: 6 Poles of competitiveness which are Up Tex for the textile die (on the zone of Roubaix, Cambrai and Calais), Industrie of the trade (Lille Métropole), Nutrition, Santé, Longévité (Lille), Produits halieutics (Boulogne and Étaples), I Trans for the rail-bound transport (Valencian and Lille Métropole) and Maud for Matériaux with use domesticates (Lille Métropole, Valencians, Douai and Compiegne)

Energy

See also: Carboniferous of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Mines in France

The industrialization of the area was made possible by the abundance of coal, within a Field which extends from Lens in the west until Valencian in the east, with Douai like sits of the houillières. The mines made it possible industry to profit from energy at low cost. However since 1980 the rise to power of the Nuclear plant of Gravelines compensated for the closing of the mines (1990 last mine) and made it possible to have energy in abundance. The nuclear power provides 87% of the electrical production, including 5400 MW for that of Gravelines. In 2006, the consumption of the area rose to 36,3 billion kWh for a production of 45 billion kWh. In a marginal way in the beginning, the wind currently makes great strides within the area which rises in the seventh place with 62 MW produced, and whose offshore oil rig potential starts to be under consideration with an objective of 1400 MW in the long term.

Employment

Primary sector: Fish, Agriculture

The area has an image of strongly populated industrial area, however a big part of the territory is devoted to agriculture (71% of the surface of the area), the Pas-de-Calais being more rural than North. The coastal frontage also allowed the emergence of an extremely old halieutic activity (the Carnaval of Dunkirk at sea pays homage to the return of the fishermen after 5 months by a throw of Hareng S top of the Beffroi). The raw material abundance explains the development of an agribusiness industry, whose certain companies are leaders in their fields.

Fish

The proximity of the the North Sea caused the rise of a industrial fishing concentrated with Boulogne-sur-Mer. Regional fishing is since many years in crisis because of the fall of the quotas catch and gradually the regional ports specialized in a type of activity. Thus Boulogne-sur-Mer became the first French port for the volume of the unloadings and the first center of transformation of fish. There exist however still small fishing ports like Étaples with regional vocation.
  • Wearing of Boulogne-sur-Mer
    • 1st French fishing port in volume and turnover until in 2004
    • 1st French fishing port in volume and 2nd in turnover (behind Lorient) since 2005
    • Principal European center of the treatment of the products of the sea

Agriculture

The Industry S, the urbanization and the other constraints did not choke the Agriculture. The number of owners is in constant reduction, which makes it possible to ensure a strong productivity (with a certain risk of brittleness however). It accounts for 3,9% of the national production, and 15% of the employees of regional industry.

Breeding

Bovine : The principal bovine races represented are the Blanc Belgian blue and the Bleue of North. Milk ier and the breeding livestock farms with meat concentrate in the Avesnois, the Boulonnais and the Thiérache and make it possible to feed 9 slaughter-houses régionaux.
Poultry : With nearly 31 million poultries in 2004, the area accounts for only 2% of the national production. The stockbreeders are located is around the area of Licques, where 270 breedings of outdoor profit from a label, that is to say in Flanders where 150 breedings of outdoor are gathered under the Lionor label, or in the valley of the Lily, but this labellized production constitutes only 5% of the avicolous production (against 16% for the national average). The production of industrial chicken constitutes nearly 90% of the activity.

Culture

The farms are at the same time intended to feed the traditional food sector by the means of the Market of National interest of Lome (2nd of France after that of Rungis), but so intended to provide important regional agribusiness industry. The interior Flanders is characterized by zones of intensive mixed-farming (with industrial breeding), the Artois and the Cambrésis by zones of cereal field crop and beet. The vegetable cultures (Chicory S, garden peas, potatoes) are found on the whole of the territory. Nevertheless, agriculture suffers from the competition of the Belgian producers and Dutch voisins.
Cereal
Potato
Beet : The production is related to sugar industry regional whose successive concentrations brought in 2006 to the fusion of the two last companies. Today, this production suffers from the liberalization of the worldwide market of the sugar and the fall of the price guaranteed by the common Agricultural policy.
Chicory : The culture of endive goes up in the middle of the XIXe century, but it is from 1919 that its production develops around Camphin-in-Pévèle and is integrated into the regional gastronomy (endive with Flemish,…). After a fall of consumption, the producers create in 1980, the label “Beads of North” in order to promote the vegetable, which became since third vegetable more consumed in France. Its production concentrates in Pévèle, Cambrésis and Vallée of the Lily.
  • Annual production (2005): 200.000 tons (of which 60.000 T Beads of North) is 80% of the French production and 55% of the production mondiale.
Hop : The production is related to brewery industry regional (see below), and is concentrated in interior Flanders (visible along A25). The hop-growing die depends today on a co-operative called Coophounord gathering the last 9 producers for an entire surface of production of 32 hectares. This decline is due to the competition of the Belgian production of the area of the Westhœk (Poperinge)
Garlic : Arleux

Secondary industry: Industry

Sectors in crisis

Disindustrialization recovers very diverse realities. Previously produced starting from the coal, the electricity comes today for 80% from the Nuclear plant from Gravelines. The multiplication of the industrial waste lands (10 000 ha) and the difficulty in removing the Terril S translate the economic problem of the area.

Textile

Old pillar of the regional economy, the sector has deep problems: From 1993 to 2003, the textile and clothing lost 37% and 68% respectively their employment. Following the acceleration of the phenomenon (30 500 paid in 2002,21 800 in 2005), the president of the regional union of textile industries estimates the disappearance of the sector in the area in 2010. That it is the production of great series based in the district of Lille, or the artisanal production the such Dentelle of Calais or Caudry, international competition does not make it possible industry to remain competitive. However in 2006, the area obtained a pole of competitiveness baptized Up-Tex, the purpose of which is to reinforce the sector in the field of niches of activity, mainly the technical products. The Center of the innovating textiles envisaged with Roubaix in 2007 is the spearhead of the project.

Metallurgy, iron and steel industry

Disappearance in 2003 of Metaleurop North, producer of Plomb and Zinc then that of Comilog producing of Ferromanganèse in Boulogne-sur-mer (main customers of the commercial port with more than 50% of the activity of the site before closing) the following year shows the current difficulty of the sector. However the Dunkirk basin resists and continues to invest, Alcan develops its factory of Aluminum of Loon-Beach, Arcelor the production of Acier to Mardyck, which provides out of sheet the regional automobile production. The fate of iron and steel industry depends on the negotiation of the price of energy negotiated near EDF.

Chemistry

Historically, northerner chemistry developed to meet the needs for the houillières (Carbochimie since 1860, exploitation of coal gass), then of iron and steel industry and textile. Volumes of these basic chemicals (Bleach, Sulfate of potassium, ferric Chloride or Hydrochloric acid) reached records in 2005, but that compensates for hardly the price drops. Fine chemistry with more strong added value (for cosmetic pharmacy or it) also knows problems with respect to world competition, sometimes less confronted with the standards of the Directive Seveso (27 sites in north for chemistry). Since 1990, no new establishment took place in the area, but some of the 149 production sites thrive (Rocket with Lestrem, Liquid air, Anios with Hellemmes or AstraZeneca with Dunkirk). However in spite of the difficulties, chemical industry remains with the 2nd rank in France for the chemical and parachemical import and the exportation of products.

Paper mill

Sector in reconversion, development and growth

Car

Formerly marginal, auto industry became a major actor of the regional economy: The policy of “reindustrialisation”, amplified by European structural bases made it possible since 1970 industry Automobile to obtain ten modern factories for manufacturers like Renault with Douai, PSA Peugeot Citroen and FIAT or more recently Toyota with Onnaing, and their subcontractors. The regular recruitings constitute an exception in the industrial landscape of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, where manpower found in almost all the sectors. In 2002, 667 million euros was invested by the various companies in the area, for a production of 820.000 vehicles. These investments made it possible to increase the production with 1 million vehicles in 2005 (27% of the national production). The equipment suppliers who represent 32.000 employment (either more than the brought together manufacturers) follow the investments of the manufacturers, thus Toyota Boshoku and Toyotomi Kiko were established in 2005 after the opening of the Toyota factory, but the opening of the market to the Central European country makes difficult the maintenance of competitiveness in a sector where the fall of the costs and the innovation are permanent.

Railway

Railway industry (nearly one hundred fifty companies like Alstom with Small-Forest, Bomber with Crespin, Arbel Fauvet Rail with Douai representing approximately 10.000 direct uses or indirect (that is to say 25% of national manpower), in particular in the Valenciennes-native with 3.300 stations), is also in crisis: this activity which represented in 1990 nearly 50% of the national production fell, in 2000, to 30% because of closings of the sites Remafer in 1994, and Marly Industrie in 1995. Establishment with Small-Forest of the Center of tests railway, equipped with a circuit of 9 km of ways, intended to test the endurance and the performances of the urban and suburban materials, and that of the technological Center in surface transports (C3T) is not enough to compensate for this loss of activity. However the establishment of the European railway agency in Lille on June 16th, 2005 then obtaining the I-Trans pole of competitiveness in 2006 (based on industries of the resident of Valenciennes and the schools of engineers de Lille) should make it possible to lengthen the test loop of Small-Forest of 25 km in order to make it compatible with tests to more than 200 km/h. In parallel the activity of restoration of TGV based with Hellemmes-Lille benefits from aggrandissement continuous from the fleet from oars at high speed.

Plasturgie

Agroalimentary

Except for the vine, all the dies of agroalimentary are represented in the area, but their situations are contrastées.
Brewery : The brewery tradition of the area would go back to the Roman domination, then Charlemagne at the time of its passage to Valencians in 770 would have set up the first brewery regulation by founding the monopoly of the production at the monasteries at the origin of beers of Abbey, but the effective trace oldest goes up into 967 with the brewery of Esquermes. Starting from XIIIe century, the laîques breweries appear, the culture of Hop intensifies during the following centuries with the appearance about Gold Hop in Lille (created by Jean without Peur) and the favorable policy of Charles Quint. With the industrial revolution combined with work of Louis Pasteur in Lille (1876: study on beer), the area will make great strides of the breweries: 1386 breweries in the 1890 then apogee with 1929 breweries in 1910 (either more than 66% of the French breweries of the time). A School of Brewery is born in 1890 and exists always today within the Institute of higher learning of the agriculture of Lille which continues to train main brewers and tasters. However, following the destruction of the two world wars, then fight against alcoholism, the number of breweries goes down to 179 in 1957 to reach today after bankruptcies (the Brasserie Terken for example) or repurchases, Brasserie Mound-Shoe-maker by Inbev), brewery Heineken (site of 24 ha with Mons-in-Barœul, annual production approx. 3 million hℓ), the number of 25 (mainly of the Microphone-brewery S): Sugar industry : The regional production aims at the transformation of beet into Sucre and alcohol. Since many years, the companies of the area gathered, but the movement accelerated as from 1994. Initially the sugar refineries of Lillers amalgamate with those of Attin and become the Sugar refineries and Distillings Tops of France (head office with Lillers) gathering 14500 associated producers in the area and in Picardy, then in 2003 the Union Sweetens and Distilling of Aisne (head office with Origny-Holy-Benoite) repurchases Béghin-Say sugar (head office with Lille) and becomes Tereos (commercial seat in Lille and logistic seat with Origny Sainte Benoite) the second world group of the sugar die, finally in 2006 Tereos and the Sugar refineries and Distillings Tops of France amalgamate. The production of Éthanol is not considered in the area: the group has already a factory of Ethanol in the Aisne and considers the one second construction for 2007 in Seine-Maritime.
Canning facility and fresh produce : Bonduelle, florette (undertaken Norman leader on packed lettuce) in Cambrésis
Confectionery
Semi-finished products (Yeast, Starch,…)

Tertiary sector: Trade and Services

Logistics

The branch of industry benefits from the strategic situation of the area, and the important transport infrastructure of the area. The development of this sector is related to the origin with that of the textile distribution, then industrial and large distribution (remote Hypermarkets and sale). Today more than twenty platforms multimode is established, they combine a whole an access to at least two networks: For example, with Dunkirk port and highway, with air Lesquin and highway, Lome rail and highway, Dourges rail highway and waterways… The road Freight, in spite of a difficult context for the regional companies, continues to develop, and remains in 2005 the means of transport dominating with 95 million transported tons, against 42,5 million tons for the rail (1 French area of railway freight), and 55.787 tons for the air one. The ocean freight benefits from the installation of the highway of the sea which connects Santander (Spain) to Drammen (Norway), with the regional frontage marimime as stopover in spite of the attraction of ports more important than are Zeebruges, Antwerp and Rotterdam. The river ports (20 ports) know a new departure since 2000 with a growth of 22% in volume until 2005 (either 2% of the total transported in the area). The wearing of Lille and that of Béthune inaugurated new terminals of containers in 2004, but it is the platform trimodale of Dourges inaugurated into 2003 which knows more the strong growth, by waiting until 2012 and the inauguration of the connection Seine-North.

Trade

  • Retail businesses
  • Large distribution
In 2004, with 977 stores general practitioners whose 66 Hypermarket S and 358 hardware discounters, the area was one of the areas most equipped with France, since the openings continued. The primary reason is the presence of long time of signs which were created in the area and whose head offices remained there: oldest is “Docks of North” (today known under the name of Match) born with the Madeleine in 1934 by a family member Delhaize, big family of the world of the Belgian distribution, but since the years 1960, they is especially creations of the Mulliez family which modified the landscape with signs general practitioners like the group Auchan, but also specialized like Décathlon for example. If the various companies of the family Mulliez became a group, this one would be the first employer of the area with more than 14.000 employees.
  • remote Mail-order selling/Sale
Cradle of the remote sale, the companies of the area account for 80% Turnover of the sector, and 55% of employment in 2004. The rise of these companies is due at the origin with the proximity of the factories of the textile suppliers (or simply with the reconversion of textile industry) combined with the importance of the logistic network created louse industry. The town of Roubaix and its surroundings constitutes the heart of this activity with the presence of the head offices of Redoute, of the Swiss 3, the White Door or of Which France.

Finance and Banks

Health

CHRU is the first employer of the area

Tourism

See also: Tourism in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais

See too

Internal bonds

External bonds

  • the Voice Eco (the Voice of North)

Reference

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