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Who can benefit from the NFI services?

4 specific cases:
  • Foreign companies in all sectors looking to expand in Hauts-de-France
  • French companies with no site in Hauts-de-France
  • Hauts-de-France companies with a succession plan
  • Foreign-owned companies in Hauts-de-France with a development project
Our services are not intended for :
  • French or international self-employed entrepreneurs
  • French companies wishing to export
  • International companies seeking distribution networks only

Why as the help of Nord France Invest?

Nord France Invest provides you with completely tailored, free of charge and confidential support. We centralize all the information you need to analyze your project. We facilitate your process to find a site, partners or land. We organize site visits. We accelerate your networking with future regional partners. Find out more about the agency's services on this page.

What type of project can support you in?

The agency supports job-creating investment projects. The nature of projects varies according to 3 main categories:
  • Start-up projects
  • Expansion of existing sites in the region
  • takeovers of regional businesses by international companies.
Nord France Invest's services are not aimed at capital investments.
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HomeInvest in Hauts-de-FranceJoin an international envrionment

Join an international

envrionment

The large number of foreign businesses in Hauts-de-France makes us a genuinely international region. Learn more about the companies that have chosen our region as the springboard to growth in France and other European countries.
Nord France Invest

Strong international in Hauts-de-France

Many foreign-owned companies have set up a French subsidiary here to meet their goals for international growth. Our region has everything they need to pursue their international trade strategies.

Today foreign-owned companies have some 170,000 employees in our region. They’re well represented in industry, and an overwhelming majority recommend locating in Hauts-de-France to grow your business on French and European markets. Fast facts:

  • Over 2,000 foreign-owned companies are present in Hauts-de-France
  • 8% employees in the region work for an international company
  • 38% of industrial-sector employees work for an international company
  • 84% of foreign businesses recommend locating in Hauts-de-France

(source: INSEE & KPMG, 2022)

#2 French region for foreign direct investment

In 2023, Business France ranked Hauts-de-France as the No. 2 French region for foreign direct investment by number of jobs and No. 3 by number of projects.

Trends in foreign investments and job creation in Hauts-de-France 2018-2023

115 projects
5,266 jobs created or maintained

2018

130 projects
5,784 jobs created or maintained

2019

126 projects
4,746 jobs created or maintained

2020

136 projects
8,661 jobs created or maintained

2021

205 projects
8,437 jobs created or maintained

2022

197 projects
8,368 jobs created or maintained

2023

#2 European region for industrial foreign investment

Concerning the industrial sector, foreign groups find the ecosystem to be highly favourable for their international development. Hauts-de-France is naturally a european leader in foreign direct investment (source: EY barometer on France’s attractiveness)

Discover the type of international companies
settled in Hauts-de-France

Countries top 5 who invest in Hauts-de-France (in terms of site number in 2024)

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United States

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Germany

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Belgium

#

United Kingdom

#

the Netherlands

Belgium, the top investor in Hauts-de-France

Companies from Belgium, Germany and other European nations are the leading investors in Hauts-de-France—but they don’t have a monopoly. We attract companies from around the world, including the US, our third-ranked investor country.

Nationality of foreign investments (by number of sites in 2024)

The US, the top foreign employer in Hauts-de-France

American companies generate the most jobs in the region, followed by Germany and Belgium, which account for the highest number of companies.

Nationality of foreign investments (by number of employees in 2024)

Brexit and UK investment
in Hauts-de-France

Our region offers the closest possible location for British business leaders affected by Brexit and issues with national borders. Having a presence in continental Europe, just across the Channel from the UK, gives British companies more security and plenty of flexibility. The UK Business Centre Lille is a turnkey solution for British entrepreneurs wishing to expand on EU market.

Want to know more about foreign companies
in Hauts-de-France ?

ORECE (Observatoire Régional des Entreprises à Capitaux Etrangers), tracks foreign-owned companies in the region, offering a wealth of information on:

  • the international companies here in Haut-de-France
  • the industries with the largest presence in the region
  • the locations foreign companies choose to win new French and foreign markets

Nord France Invest founded and manages ORECE to improve the support we offer you. Every three years, we publish a study with a detailed breakdown of the foreign companies present in Hauts-de-France.

Download the lastest data