Hauts-de-France creative industries

The creative sector is booming in Hauts-de-France. Synergies between teams in business, academia and R&D are so powerful and work so well together that it’s easy to create innovative projects. We have just what you need to set up your business—complete ecosystems and talented people trained by world-class educational institutions.

Hauts-de-France creative industries

The creative sector is booming in Hauts-de-France. Synergies between teams in business, academia and R&D are so powerful and work so well together that it’s easy to create innovative projects. We have just what you need to set up your business—complete ecosystems and talented people trained by world-class educational institutions.
Plaine Images Hauts-de-France

Your business belongs here

The creative industry is a vital part of life in our region—enriching the local business community through the jobs and value it creates, the centers of excellence and research labs it founds, and the premium talent and training it attracts. The Regional Council supports creative industries as part of its strategy to position Hauts-de-France as an economic powerhouse, given creative talents’ proven ability to improve the region’s image and appeal.

Who’s already here?

Petit Bambou has developed a mindfulness meditation app.
DECOD is an agency specialized in photorealistic 3D, virtual reality and augmented reality content.
Ankama is an independent entertainment and digital arts group that specializes in video games, animation, publishing and board games.
Planet Nemo produces and distributes animated series and interactive gaming content for kids.
Bigben interactive distributes video games as well as mobile, console, and gaming accessories throughout Europe.
Nacon produces and sells gaming accessories, using artistic flair to deliver a more interactive and fun digital experience.
Holusion makes interactive holograms.
Kalista is shaking up merchandising with linear 3D design software that uses immersive and realistic technology.
Vertical is a video game design company specializing in serious games, AR/VR and interactive experiences.
Atelier 801 is an innovative multiplayer community-focused video game design company.
Nahimic offers 3D sound for gaming.
Audace melds learning and digital technology with modern tailor-made training programs and e-learning modules.
KTM Advance has designed a range of training solutions that immerse trainees in real-life job simulations.
Sound-up Studio is a recording and rehearsal studio near Lille.
Lylo provides dubbing, subtitling, voice-over and audio descriptions in all languages as well as post-production services.
Something Big is a creative studio that develops children’s films and series.
ACFX helps clients with post-production and special effects. It also operates a 500 sq m film studio at the Plaine Images hub.
Gorgone Productions designs and produces audio for communications, audiovisual media and video games.
Adictiz creates marketing games and contests for advertisers and advertising agencies.
Cavalcade’s studio creates audiovisual projects from start to finish.
Cyber Group Studios produces and adapts animated series and video games.
Studio Redfrog is a production company and animation studio.
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PetitBamBouLogo

Application de méditation de pleine conscience

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The full room agency logo

Agence spécialisée en contenu 3D Photo-réaliste Réalité Virtuelle & Augmentée

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Logo Ankama

Groupe indépendant de création numérique spécialisé dans le domaine du divertissement : jeux vidéo, animation, édition, jeux de plateau

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Planet Nemo Logo

Produit et distribue des séries animées et des jeux interactifs pour les enfants

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Logo Nacon

Périphériques gaming, connecte l’art et le public par une expérience digitale plus interactive et plus ludique

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Logo Nacon

Distribution d'accessoires pour consoles de jeux vidéo, ainsi que dans la distribution de jeux vidéo en Europe

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holusion logo

Hologrammes interactifs

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Kalista Logo

Kailsta bouscule le merchandising avec un logiciel de conception de linéaire 3D utilisant une technologie immersive & réaliste

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vertical logo

Studio de jeux expert en serious games, AR/VR, expériences interactives

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Atelier801 logo

Atelier 801 est un studio de création de jeux vidéo innovants, multijoueur à fort aspect communautaire

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Nahamic logo

Son 3D spécialement pour le Gaming

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Audace Logo

Audace associe l’apprentissage au digital par la conception et le développement de dispositifs digitaux qui modernisent les plans de formation

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KTM Logo

Conçoit un ensemble de solutions permettant de plonger l’apprenant au cœur du métier où il doit être formé

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Sound Up Studio Logo

Studio d'enregistrement et de répétition à proximité de Lille

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Lylo Logo

Doublage, sous-titrage, voice-over et audio description dans toutes les langues, services de post-production audiovisuelle

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Something Big Logo

Something Big est un studio de développement créatif de films et séries à destination des enfants

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ACFX Logo

Post-production, effets spéciaux.
Gestion et exploitation du studio de tournage de 500m2 sur la Plaine Images

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Gorgone Productions Logo

Conçoit et produit du son pour la communication, l'audiovisuel et les jeux vidéo

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Adictiz Logo

Adictiz est une solution de création de jeux marketing à destination des annonceurs et des agences

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Cavalcalde Logo

Cavalcade est un studio réalisant des projets audiovisuels depuis l’idée jusqu’au rendu final

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Cyber Group Studios Logo

Cyber Group Studios crée et adapte des réalisations sous forme de séries animées ou de jeux vidéo

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Studio Redfrog Logo

Studio Redfrog est à la fois une société de production et un studio d'animation

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Grid Logo

Studio postproduction, réputé pour ses films d’animations et FX, évolue au niveau français, européen et international sur des grosses productions (Astérix et le domaine des dieux, Ghost Rider)

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A fast-growing trio in in Hauts-de-France

The region has a vibrant ecosystem for audiovisual and film content production. Recent arrivals include:
  • Lylo, a video localization specialist,
  • MadLab Animations, specialized in 2D animation.
The audiovisual trio—film, animation and television—specialize in producing images and motion pictures, producing and publishing music and sound, providing graphic and other design services, and creating 3D content. Together these represent:
  • Over 500 businesses,
  • 2,560 full-time jobs,
  • 2,400 intermittent jobs.
Companies in creative industries often use workers under “intermittent” contracts because of the flexibility this allows. In audiovisual businesses, some 58% of all workers are employed in this capacity, a percentage that rises to 80% in content production. Our region’s video game ecosystem brings key advantages to the table:
  • A wide range of offers,
  • Expert knowledge of virtual reality technology,
  • Expertise in eSports.
Creative Industries in Hauts-de-France
Audiovisuel Hauts-de-France

Audiovisual (film, animation, television)

A high-energy, fast-moving sector with over 100 businesses, including:
  • 177 movie theaters
  • 11 animation studios
  • 6 film production consultants
In 2018, Hauts-de-France was chosen to host Series Mania, a new international festival for TV series—a mark of recognition and a fantastic opportunity to showcase our expertise. The event brings together 2,500 of the industry’s top television series actors, writers and producers every year.

Learn more about how our film and audiovisual tax credit can help you:

This tax credit applies to production outlays on shooting and producing feature films, television series, documentaries and animated films. In 2016, it encouraged many French and foreign film shoots to relocate to France. One prime example of a shoot moving to Hauts-de-France was Christopher Nolan’s award-winning Dunkirk. Fast facts:
  • More filming days: +11% in 2016
  • Explosion in cartoon production
  • 40% increase in spending in France—an extra €500 million in a total of €1.76 billion
  • 15,000 intermittent jobs created

Video games

  • Some 200 companies operate in the fast-growing market for cloud gaming, party video games, online games, mobile games, board games, advergames and more
  • 2 leaders: Ankama and Big Ben Interactive

Learn more about our new video game tax credit

Our region was the first in France to set up a tax credit fund especially for video games, with an annual budget of €600,000. The initiators say their aim was to “help boost video game companies in Hauts-de-France, since they operate in a competitive global market.” A panel of experts selects winning projects and allocates funding:
  • Support for a prototype (up to €50,000 per project)
  • Support for production (up to €200,000 per project)

Virtual and augmented reality

In Hauts-de-France, we have:
  • Over 300 researchers
  • Over 20 startups specializing in AI (artificial intelligence).
Jeux vidéo Hauts-de-France

The resources you need

No matter what type of creative business you operate or what needs you have, we’ve got the support and solutions you need to get up and running. In Hauts-de-France, our support for the creative industries led us to create the infrastructure that drives growth in visual content, especially for audiovisual companies, content production businesses and video game developers. Here are our seven favorite sites to help you get your business off on the right foot:
Plaine Images - Imaginarium Audiovisuel Hauts-de-France

La Plaine Images

Located on a former 5ha industrial site exceptionnally rehabilitated, Plaine Images is the european hub dedicated to creative industries: audiovisual, game, musictech, edtech, image, animation, event and marketing.
In the heart of Europe, this complete ecosystem gathers 140 companies, 1 800 people, 3 international schools (ArtFX, Pôle 3D and le Fresnoy, National Studio for Contemporary Arts), 1 incubator, 1accelerator, film and sound studios, a playtest laboratory… Its strenght : create synergies and foster the expansion of companies!

The Visual Sciences and Culture Program

The CSV program is dedicated to research and innovation transfer in the fields of image and visual technologies for the needs of companies and researchers.

TORE (The Open Reality Experience)

With The Open Reality Experience, enter in a virtual reality device unique in the world . The screen is curved in all its dimensions and has no edges. 3D environments are explored without visual interruption, on 180° and at a substancially constant distance from the user!

Euratechnologies

THE place to go for IT companies in France­—and also the largest incubator in Europe. Euratechnologies is the perfect place for digital companies of all types, from hardware and software to any company dealing with technology. Choosing Euratechnologies for your company brings major competitive benefits:
  • extensive R&D capacity
  • strong synergies with other businesses on site
  • partnership and support from Euratech teams
New international companies qualify for soft landing solutions, including two months of free test marketing (renewable once). Located in the heart of the Lille region, Euratechnologies has over 300 companies and 4,000 employees in its original building. The cluster adopted a smart spin-off strategy to be as close to consumers as possible and cover more areas within each sector:
  • Blanchemaille for e-commerce
  • AgTech for smart farming
  • FALC for fintech, Insurtech, legaltech and cybersecurity
  • An incubator in Saint Quentin for robotics and Industry 4.0
Euratechnologies - Hauts-de-France
Serre Numérique Valenciennes Hauts-de-france

Serre Numérique

Serre Numérique is a center of excellence in Valenciennes devoted to digital arts, including video games, animation and design. The center offers residents a vibrant ecosystem and a first-rate 17,000 sq m work environment, all under one roof. Facilities currently include:
  • Rubika Group’s three world-class educational institutions: Rubika Animation, Rubika Video Game and Rubika are talent pools for direct hires and sources of synergies in product development
  • a 3,000 sq m corporate space for incubators and accelerators
  • an applied research and technology transfer center

Arenberg Creative Mine

Arenberg Creative Mine is a renovated mining site serving audiovisual projects. It offers users:
  • a location for film shoots
  • a business center
  • a film studio with high-tech equipment

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STATE-OF-THE-ART DEVISU LAB

Located at the Arenberg site since October 2015, the DeVisu research lab (Urban and Visual Design) at Université Polytechnic Hauts-de-France (formerly UVHC) offers users unparalleled working conditions:
  • a multipurpose projection room
  • cutting-edge equipment to create innovative prototypes and assess them with test groups
  • a television studio
  • a test center equipped with a cyclorama backdrop for shoots
  • editing and grading suites
  • modular on-site office space ranging from 18 sq m to 350 sq m in size
Arenberg
Louvre Lens Vallée - Hauts-de-France

Louvre Lens Vallée

Louvre Lens Vallée offers an unique incubator that promotes entrepreneurship by creating a bridge between the region and the Louvre-Lens Museum. This cultural business incubator is an ideal home for digital culture innovation projects, offering entrepreneurs scope for pushing back boundaries and sources of inspiration. What can Louvre Lens Vallée offer you?
  • a 6-step corporate support program, from initial assessment to expansion abroad
  • a project incubator/accelerator
  • 146 sq m of prototyping and testing space

Quai de l’Innovation in Amiens

In the very heart of Amiens, the 3,000 sq m Quai de l’Innovation helps startups launch innovative projects. International companies eager to harness the energy percolating through Amiens’ business scene and R&D sector can sign up for the unit’s assistance program, and use its accelerator to identify the best growth strategy for their business.
Quai de l'innovation Amiens, Creative Industries Hauts-de-France
Créatis Saint Quentin - Creative Industries Hauts-de-France

Créatis in Saint Quentin

Saint-Quentin, located midway between Lille and Paris, has developed a business accelerator called Créatis—a top-notch facility hosting innovative companies operating in digital, cloud computing and business services. Euratechnologies, too, has opened a business incubator and startup accelerator in this space. It specializes in robotics and industry 4.0.

Find your future employees at our top-flight schools

Alumni of our world-class educational institutions specializing in creative fields are nothing less than exceptional. They’ve been trained by the best and their talent is always in high demand. But training does not stop at graduation—these same schools also offer continuing professional development courses to cultivate the wealth of skills and expertise in the region.

Fast facts about creative industry training

Offering the right kind of training—and a lot of it—is essential to grow the visual content sector’s network in the region, especially since this sector appeals to young people. And it explains why we have 7,800 students taking specialized courses at 25 schools of higher education.

Our 7,800 students by sector:

Region’s 160 regional audiovisual training courses

Data from institutions, the Hauts-de-France region Chamber of Commerce/Pictanovo

Specialized centers

These centers and association’s role is to bring people together, encourage strategic relationships and help bring ground-breaking projects to life. They also showcase creative industries on international markets. Over the years, our commitment to support the audiovisual and film industries in Hauts-de-France has grown. We have stepped up our aid to all forms and genres through seven dedicated funds:
  • Film and TV – Short films – Documentaries
  • Video games
  • Nouveaux Médias
  • Nonprofit animation and creation (using development funds from Emergence)
  • Regional Film Commission, one-on-one support and programs
In Hauts-de-France, we drive growth in the region—and in France as a whole—by making resources available to creative talents.

Close-up: Pictanovo—spearheading the creative industry

Pictanovo is an association focused on:
  • Fostering talent
  • Creating film and audiovisual content
  • Identify innovation and breakthroughs in the creative industry
Mission: foster cooperation between main stakeholders in digital arts, including companies, educational institutions and research platforms. Pictanovo brings together three centers of excellence: Plaine Images, Serre Numérique and Arenberg Creative Mine. Together they house 200 companies, 22 research teams and 9 trade associations. Pictanovo provides financial support for writing, developing and/or producing feature films, series and short films, acting as co-producer for many projects. The fund is co-financed by France’s national center for film and animation (Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée).

Video games

Game IN is an association founded in 2009 by regional video game professionals including development studios, publishers, distributors, accessory manufacturers, educational institutions and specialized service providers. Members focus on:
  • Providing professional training
  • Contributing expert guidance
  • Developing exports
  • Monitoring and passing on information
  • Creating tools, including the playtest Play in lab.
They organize a wide variety of events ranging from trade days to meetings, happy hours and even Game Camp, a huge annual gathering of French video game professionals in Lille.

For the animation sector

NORANIM is a trade association for animators in northern France. Membership currently includes 24 organizations ranging from production companies to design studios, educational institutions and educators working in visual arts and broadcasting. The association promotes the industry throughout Europe, helps members move into export markets, and encourages innovative partnerships. It welcomes members in six areas:
  • Producers
  • Studios
  • Schools and training programs
  • Visual arts and broadcasting
  • Technicians
  • Writers

For augmented reality

RA’pro is an association set up to promote the development and use of augmented reality by businesses, institutions and individuals in France. To do so, it organizes events and builds partnerships with companies to show them how they can reap the benefits of augmented reality.