1. Introduction
Paris, the capital of France, is the political, economic and cultural centre and the largest city of France. Located in the centre of the Paris Basin in northern France, straddling the banks of the Seine, Paris has a municipal area of 105.4 KM² and a population of 2.24 million (2018). In 2019, the GDP of France reached US$866.337 billion. The core industries in Paris include aerospace and defence, information technology, financial services, television, film and media, logistics and transport, public transport, eco-technology, cosmetics manufacturing, etc. In the 2020 Global Innovation Index (GII) report published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation, France is ranked 12th on the GII list, with Paris ranked 10th in the world's top 100 technological clusters, with a large number of leading companies, universities, research institutes and other important innovation resources. Paris was also awarded the title of "European Capital of Innovation 2017" by the European Commission.
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2. Innovation development
(1) The Subjects of Innovative Development
A. High-tech competitiveness clusters:
In 2005, France launched its industrial strategy “pôle de compétitivité” to revitalise French science and technology and economic development, to improve the international competitiveness of French companies and, in particular, to support the development of innovative SMEs. “Pôle de compétitivité” is an important measure in the development of the French innovation system and is an important platform for France to improve its scientific and technological innovation capacity and the integration of industry, academia and research, as well as an important subject of collaborative innovation in France. The Paris region now has eight competitive clusters covering the fields of aerospace, digitalisation, finance, biotechnology and green transport. Among them, the Systematic Paris Region, which has 900 members, including 150 large groups and 140 laboratories and teaching institutions, has a strong synergistic innovation effect, focusing on big data and artificial intelligence, data and cyber security, digital infrastructure, digital simulation and high-performance computing, embedded systems and the Internet of Things.“Pôle de compétitivité” has funded 625 innovation projects since its inception since its establishment.
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B. Institutions of Higher Learning
Firstly, Île-de-France(Paris Region) is the largest concentration of higher education talent in the European Union, with 40.4% of all researchers in France and 37% of all PhD students studying at universities in the Greater Paris area, offering a wealth of high-quality talent. Secondly, the University of Paris has a strong presence. The University of Arts and Sciences of Paris is a strong institution of higher education, with high academic standing and influence in the fields of engineering, literature, science, economics and medicine, and has produced 33 Nobel Prize winners and 14 Fields medals. The Paris Polytechnic, the HEC, the ESSEC and the Sorbonne are also renowned for their scientific strength, making Paris egion a European workshop for innovation. Thirdly, Paris is home to many prestigious research institutions, including the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, the Institut National de l'Information et de l'Automation, the Institut National de la Santé et de la Médecine, the Institut Français de la Curie, the Institut Pasteur and the Institut Gustave Roussy (a regional cancer centre), covering a wide range of fields such as basic research, information technology, aeronautical technology and biomedical technology, further strengthening Paris' research innovative strength.
C. Technology parks
Paris is home to Station F, the world's largest business incubator, which opened in 2017 and has expanded to 51,000 square metres with a full range of facilities, bringing together the entire science and innovation ecosystem and accommodating 3,000 start-up employees. Sation F is now working on projects with external organisations such as Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon, L'Oréal, LVMH, Naver/Line (Korean tech company), Ubisoft (French video game giant) and many others.
D. High-tech companies: The Paris region is home to 27 Fortune 500 companies, the highest number in Europe, including leading companies such as AXA, Veolia, Safran, Peugeot Citroen, Renault and Alstom, which have strong innovative resources and technological capabilities. In addition, all major French companies have a presence in Paris Region and more than a third of all French start-ups choose to be based in the Paris Region, fuelling the region's constant innovation.
(2) Key innovation cooperation platform
Founded in 2016, Viva Tech Paris is organised by PUBLICIS GROUPE, a French communication group and the Echo Newspaper Group, focusing on innovation, such as artificial intelligence, 5G, blockchain, quantum computing, connected healthcare and genetic modification, green technology, video technology The event has become an important event for innovation and entrepreneurship in Europe. This event is strongly supported by the French government, with President Macron delivering his annual speech, to make InnoTech Paris the largest innovation and high-tech event in Europe.
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