Agence Régionale de Développement Paris Île-de-France

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A vibrant eco-region

The major prime contractors in the sector (Veolia and Suez) plus a host of highly innovative SMEs, the majority of them international, cover the entire spectrum of environmental activities (waste management, water, noise pollution, soil treatment, etc.). This versatility puts the Region at the forefront of eco-business and sustainable development.

Scope for development is huge given the demand for new technologies in the renewable energy, eco-design, energy saving and waste management sectors.

Main players

The sector's two industrial giants, Veolia Environnement and Suez, are both present in Paris Region. They are backed by a dense network of SMEs developing tomorrow's solutions for removing and preventing water, air, noise and ground pollution. The public and private sectors are working together in the Region on an array of interdisciplinary research projects. The market is also boosted by public-sector support for sustainable development initiatives. An example is the international club run by the French environment and energy management agency ADEME, which provides international development support for companies in the sector.

All these public- and private-sector players are represented in the Advancity cluster which focuses on sustainable urban development and mobility, the aim of which is to develop innovative technologies and create jobs to make Paris Region the European leader in the eco-technologies sector.

Research and training

Almost €200 million is invested in eco-business related R&D in Paris Region every year.

More than 300 public and private-sector research centres are engaged in environmental research in Paris Region, including:

public-sector (BRGM, CEMAGREF, INRA, IRD, LCPC, CNRS, CEA, INRETS, etc.) and public-service organisations (EDF, etc.),
research centres attached to the scientific research establishment CNRS, universities and engineering schools,
industrial technology centres specialising in the environmental problems associated with their sector of activity (CSTB, etc.),
large companies (Veolia, Suez) conducting their own R&D programmes,
smaller service companies (engineering, consultancy), innovative manufacturers and startup companies.

Two thirds of the environment-sector patents registered in France are registered by public- and private-sector research laboratories based in Paris Region. The Advancity competitiveness cluster also acts as a driving force behind R&D in Paris Region.

FONDATERRA (the European foundation for sustainable regional development) draws a range of research and specialist skills from the public and private sectors into a regional centre of excellence with a view to raising the profile of Paris Region as an eco-region on a European scale.