Located in North West France, facing England, Haute-Normandie enjoys a favoured geographical location between the Ile de France and the English Channel.
The Region comprises two Departments, Seine-Maritime and Eure, crossed over by the Seine which represents a major axis for economic development, notably through Rouen and Le Havre, together constituting the leading French port complex.
Endowed with a remarkable natural and cultural heritage, the Alabaster Coast, the Seine Estuary and Valley, its renowned architectural heritage (Rouen Cathedral, Abbeys, Châteaux and Manors), Haute-Normandie is also characterised by the youth of its population (27% under 20 years of age) and a relatively high-level of urbanisation, composed of three major conurbations: Rouen, Le Havre and Evreux.
Key sectors
Haute-Normandie is typified by its highly industrial economic structure. Alone it accounts for 60% of French lubricants, 50% of plastics, 34% of oil refining, 30% of cars, 20% of paper, 11.5% of national electricity production and 13% of nuclear power.
The region’s economic landscape is structured around four centres of industrial excellence: cars, chemistry/energy, in particular petro-chemicals and pharmaceuticals, the agri-food industry and aeronautics. Other sectors also boast leading firms: electrical and electronics manufacturing, paper and printing, plastics, logistics/transport, IT and networks, glass, etc.
Economic activity benefits from the competitive advantage represented by the port complex: Le Havre, 1st ranking French port for container traffic and Rouen, European leader for cereal exports, and the proximity of the market represented by the Ile-de-France. It also enjoys the benefits of two Universities (Rouen and Le Havre), several engineering training institutes plus a range of research and technology transfer centres.
Advantages and distinctive features
Ranked as the fifth French region for external trade, Haute-Normandie intends to strengthen its hand in the transport and logistics sector thanks to the “Port 2000” project at Le Havre (new port site dedicated to containers) and the improvement of its links with major routes and centres of economic development: the proposed rapid rail link between Normandy – Seine Valley – TGV network, A28 and A29 motorways.
Since its natural environment is subject to strong pressure, Haute-Normandie is deploying considerable resources to guarantee long-term management of the Seine Estuary and improve the quality of life of residents, while valorising its assets in terms of tourism (Regional Nature Park of the Norman Seine Meanders, Route of the Abbeys).
Special initiatives are being implemented for the professional training of young people.
The ambitions of Haute-Normandie for opening up and cooperation are omnipresent, whether in the form of major technical projects such as the “Pont de Normandie” or in the domain of European cooperation (Southern English Counties, Lower Saxony, Pomerania, Galati). The Haute-Normandie Region is notably, the managing authority for the INTERREG IIIA cooperation programme covering the Franco-British zone.
Key figures
Surface area: 12,317 km2
Coastline: 140 km
Population: 1,780,200 (1999)
Density: 145 ha / km2
Active population: 828,800 (1999)
GDP/capita: 19,697 (Purchase Power Standard 1999)
Unemployment rate: 9.9 % (2002)
Repartition of the workforce by sector (1999) :
- primary : 2.4 %
- secondary : 32.6 %
- tertiary : 65 %
