The geography is such that Nord-Pas de Calais occupies a favoured situation in North West Europe. Bordered by a 350 km frontier with Belgium, open to the world’s busiest shipping lane, the English Channel, and less than 300 km from major capital cities (London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam), at the centre of a market of 100 million consumers, the REgion forms part of the fertile crescent where 2/3 of all economic activity in the European Union is concentrated. Three major ports: Boulogne-sur-Mer, France’s leading fishing port, Calais, Europe’s busiest passenger terminal and Dunkirk, the third ranked French freight port - all located on an 80 km stretch of coastline - reinforce the geographical advantages.
For decades, Nord-Pas de Calais has heated France with its coal, equipped it with steel and clothed it with textiles. Badly affected by the collapse of traditional industry, the Région is currently busy meeting a new challenge: to become one of Europe’s premium areas, confident in the force of one of the Continent’s youngest populations, keen to learn and innovate. Nord-Pas de Calais is proud of its commercial know-how and astoundingly rich economic fabric.
Key sectors
1. Untapped resources now discovered
The combined effects of the Channel Tunnel and high-speed rail travel have revealed unexploited tourist potential, each year attracting additional visitors from Belgium and the UK, together with foreign investment and the creation of new trading currents. The improvement of the road and motorway networks has also undoubtedly contributed to this upsurge, and above all, proved that the area is far more than a mere transit zone. The land of mining and textiles no longer deters tourists who are flocking in (including from the rest of France) to explore and admire the attractions hitherto somewhat neglected by North Europeans. There is uncontested evidence of this restored vitality: the success of the Mining Museum in Lewarde, the Nausicaa marine exhibition in Boulogne (one of the most visited attractions in France), the renown of the Lille Fine Arts Museum, the Museum of Textiles and Applied Arts, known as “La Piscine”, in Roubaix. From the Côte d’Opale to the Avesnois woodland and pastures, holiday cottages are in demand. The towns (Lille, Arras, Boulogne, Douai, etc) have also managed to capture the attention of visitors. With more than 53 000 jobs, tourism has become the major employer in the Region.
2. Road and rail
Eurotunnel shuttles, the VAL (Automated Light Transit System installed in Lille, Taipei and Caracas) and express regional rail services (TER) are evidence of the achievements of the regional rail industry. Concentrated primarily in the Valenciennes region, with major names such as Alstom or Bombardier, this area accounts for more than 30% of French production, and is ranked first for the construction of railway rolling stock. Seven thousand jobs depend directly on this sector. The automobile sector does not lag far behind. France’s 3rd biggest industry, with 13% of production and 43 000 direct or indirectly linked jobs. The major names in the automotive world are represented: Française de mécanique at Douvrin (manufacturers of Peugeot-Renault engines); Renault Douai (Megane Scenic) ; MCA at Maubeuge (Kangoo); Sevelnord at Saint-Amand (Peugeot-Fiat people carriers); PSA at Valenciennes, Toyota at Onnaing (Yaris).
3. Textiles, now still and forever
Nord-Pas de Calais is the sole area producing French linen yarn, lace and worsteds. It manufactures ¾ of all French sewing thread. 20% of French rugs and carpets are made in the Region, and Calais and Caudry lace is much sought after by the major fashion houses. The textile industry has succeeded in modernising and diversifying by producing technical fibres used in tyres, the building industry, as insulation, for drugs and surgery, in particular, the manufacture of textile arteries and ligaments. But without doubt the greatest success is the surge in sales by correspondence. Now some 50 firms including La Redoute, 3 Suisses, Damart, Blanche Porte, Vert Baudet, Quelle employ 16,000 people, generating 75% of the national turnover in this sector. Sales by correspondence firms quickly latched onto the trend for selling through exploiting new information and communications technologies. They make a strong contribution to the dynamism of e-commerce in Nord-Pas de Calais.
4. A generous land
The world’s leading producer of endives and chicory, main French potato producing area and France’s second biggest cereal producer – the Nord-Pas de Calais land is generous. Agriculture uses 73% of the land surface and employees 4.4% of the working population.
The agri-food business, in which Nord-Pas de Calais is ranked fourth in France, is well represented worldwide thanks to prestigious brands: Bonduelle for conserved vegetables, Lessaffre, the world leader in baking yeast and Roquette, number 1 for starch. Fishing and seafood processing is equally dynamic. Each year 300,000 tonnes of fish from North and South Europe are loaded or unloaded at Boulogne-sur-Mer. Added value is then contributed by some 150 firms.
According to a recent report by the Banque de France, for 4 years the Region has been ranked 4th in terms of foreign inward investment in France. This economic potential can also be measured against evolution of the regional foreign trade figures. In fact, since 1982 the value of regional exports increased from 9.27 to 22.73 billion euros, generating a foreign trade surplus of 0.88 billion euros. France’s 3rd biggest exporting Region (behind Rhône-Alpes and the Ile de France), Nord-Pas de Calais contributes almost 9% to foreign trade. 73% of exports are to EU countries. Its main trading partners in order of importance : the Benelux countries, Germany, the UK etc.
Advantages and distinctive features
An exceptional geographic location, a coherent infrastructure network, a major recipient of foreign inward investment (ranked 1st in France for the last 4 years) but above all, a youthful and highly trained population (41% under 25 years), sectors enjoying rapid expansion and firms combining imagination and know-how… these are the advantages Nord-Pas de Calais can exploit to meet its self-imposed challenge: becoming a great European region resolutely looking to the future.
Key figures
Surface area : 12,414 km2
Coastline : 140 km
Population : 3,996,588 (1999)
Density : 322 ha / km2
Active population : 1,627,600 (1999)
GDP/capita : 16,921 (Purchase Power Standard 1999)
Unemployment rate : 12.1 % (2002)
Repartition of the workforce by sector (1999) :
- primary : 1.7 %
- secondary : 29.4 %
- tertiary : 68.9 %
