We set up TSS in Spain in 1997, when we were professors at the Technical University of Catalonia, where we developed and implemented a road traffic simulation software package, Aimsun. Our first market outside Spain was the USA, and although we developed a powerful distribution network in 55 countries and more than 1,500 users, France was still off our radar. Although we'd developed our business all over Europe, the French market grew less quickly for us. After 5 years of trying, our software has been adopted by a broad range of leading public bodies, and we've been awarded a major contract by the City of Paris to conduct all its traffic simulations. As a result of that, we took the decision to act quickly and locate here in the Paris Region.

We did actually meet a consultant from the Paris Region Economic Development Agency (PREDA) at a trade fair in Stockholm, but at that time we weren't thinking of setting up a company or even an office in France. Luckily, we kept details of that contact, and that was the first person we called when we were awarded the contract! We needed the PREDA consultants to act quickly with finding premises, scheduling visits, fine-tuning job profiles, preparing for the legal aspects of company formation... and lots more tasks.

We really felt encouraged, helped, reassured and even morally supported! Working from Spain and unassisted, we'd never have succeeded in setting up a Paris office in record time. The PREDA made every stage easier for us, from logistics to the background information they supplied and the introductions they arranged for us.