Normandy places environmental transition and the human at the heart of its economic development, whilst also providing all the roomfor the fundamentals of a market economy and growth. This ambition allows Normandy to be a particularly attractive region for businesses. With its deep well of skills, Normandy is able to match up skills to needs, and provide offers across the whole of its geographical area.
In terms of the economy, industry has always played a leading role in Normandy and the region has become a leader in the field of carbon-free industry.
With its geographical position providing access to the main European consumer markets, and with the logistical solutions offered through HAROPA (the ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris) and its multimodal network, the region has been able to attract a large number of major industrial investments, notably along the Seine Valley, between Le Havre and Paris
Today, with a 20% industrial employment rate, rising to 40% in certain areas such as the Caux- Seine near Le Havre, the Seine Valley is one of the most industrialised areas of France.
In order to maintain and reinforce this position as a leader in production, the Normandy Regional Council is working closely across industry with the aim of reducing its carbon footprint.
In 2022, the Council set up an equitable transition plan, with the aim of anticipating and guiding the industrial activities in the Seine Valley (chemical industry) and the Bresle Valley (glass making industry). In order to meet these objectives, the Normandy Regional Council is benefiting from a €100m support package – the Equitable Transition Fund – aimed at financing decarbonation projects and assisting areas in their transition towards carbon neutrality by 2050. The Equitable Transition Fund is one of the 3 pillars of the Equitable Transition Mechanism, part of the European Green Deal launched in 2019.
This decarbonisation process is part of a policy based around three levers:
- Energy mix: to develop the production of decarbonised electricity to feed into the network, or for own use;
- Energy efficiency: to prioritise renewable energy resources and reduce industrial consumption;
- Material recycling efficiency: to use fewer materials in production and use more recycled materials.
Foreign companies with innovative technologies have already chosen Normandy to set up their factories, notably in the energy and recycling fields.
You can also benefit from our levers for your set-up projects in Normandy.
Priority development aims
- Reduction in energy consumption in industry as well as process improvements;
- Renewable energy production (solar, offshore wind, biogas, hydrogen, etc.);
- Recycling and reuse, notably plastic recycling, bioplastics and bio-sourced products.