This in turn has led regions such as the Paris Region to invest in connected and autonomous mobility solutions. In fact, it has become a market with major mobility business opportunities thanks to its diversified mobility ecosystem, vibrant start-up scene, talented engineers and numerous financial aids available.

More so, the Paris Region has become a real testing ground for mobility players around the world.  With the 2024 Olympic Games around the corner, incentives such as the Paris Region Accelerator: [Mobility] program abound.  Aimed at bringing together disruptive North American companies and French corporations, to foster innovation and experimentation, this program offers a unique opportunity for start-ups disrupting the mobility industry to scale up and grow their business in France and in Europe.

So…still thinking about it? Here are 5 reasons to set up R&D operations in the Paris Region!

1. A diverse and dynamic research ecosystem

• Public R&D laboratories have been working for more than 20 years on connected and autonomous mobility with international partners.
• The R&D teams from INRIA and Mines ParisTech worked with the first European call for projects on connected and autonomous mobility.
• More recent laboratories like VEDECOM and SystemX, are completing the Paris Region unique offer in terms of public R&D.
• The Paris Region is home to transport industry leaders like Renault, PSA Group, Valeo, RATP, Keolis, and Transdev, who are collaborating with the R&D eco-system to develop innovative concepts on connected and autonomous mobility.

2. A vibrant startup scene

• The startup scene is really booming in the Paris Region. The Paris Region has been ranked 1st region in Europe regarding the number of startups by The Technology Fast 500 EMEA.
• Startups working in the field of autonomous and connected mobility are very active, like Chronocam, Navya, Dibotics or Marben…
• Incubation or acceleration programs from various actors welcome international startups which are keen to deploy solutions in the Paris Region.

3. A talented and accessible pool of engineers

• Attracting talented resources is key to developing innovative solutions, especially for AI or deep-tech.
• Internationally renowned for excellence in education, science and technology, the Paris Region concentrate more than 25% of the French student population — 678,159 students in 2016.
• Among the 28,055 PhD Students in 2016, 45% of PhD Students are in mathematics (source: Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research, RERS 2017, data 2016–17)
• This concentration of talented engineers is quite unique in Europe.

4. Strong financial and legal support

• Finally, national and regional funding will support your R&D operations in the Paris Region.
• At the national level, the most remarkable is the R&D tax credit: you can get 30% of your R&D back in tax credit, one of the most attractive incentive according to OECD.
• At the regional level, the Paris Region government will invest 100M€ to adapt key road infrastructure to facilitate the mass deployment of connected and autonomous vehicles.

5. The Paris Region Accelerator Program

• To foster innovation and experimentation, Choose Paris Region created its own acceleration program and launched Paris Region Accelerator.
• In 2020, for its first edition, the program tackles the growing challenge of urban mobility. It will bring together French corporations and companies offering innovative solutions in the areas of shared mobility, micro-mobility, data & connectivity, electrification, fleet management, last-mile logistics, support infrastructure and autonomous vehicle.
• Between March and June 2020, the program will allow participating startups to elaborate their expansion strategy through immersion in the Paris Region ecosystem. They will be mentored by French corporate groups, explore potential partnerships and unlock new business opportunities.
• Hurry up! Applications are open until January 31, 2020. Apply here today!

If you have any questions related to the program or if you want to engage as a partner, let us know.
You can email Axelle at axelle.gouverneur@chooseparisregion.org