Delegation of Foreign Maritime – Sector Companies Visiting PACA Region

From March 21 to 23, the members of the South Alliance (the ARII, Marine and Eurobiomed Clusters, Provence Promotion and Team Côte d’Azur economic development agencies, Var CCI, PACA International CCI and SATT Sud Est) will welcoming a foreign delegation of maritime-sector companies to Marseille, Toulon and Nice. 

The San Diego marine technology cluster The Maritime Alliance (TMA), which recently signed a partnership with the Marine Competitive Cluster, is visiting the region accompanied by a dozen firms and economic stakeholders from the San Diego area. Several British companies from the South Coast Marine Cluster and representatives from the City of Plymouth will also be joining the delegation.

Ties between Provence and San Diego began in 2010, with missions targeting the health and biotechnology sectors. Today, the growing relationship between the two has prompted the local maritime sector to showcase its potential. The first day in Marseille will begin with a presentation and a visit to the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanology (MIO) in Luminy. The scientific research being carried out at the Institute could be the basis for future cooperation, especially with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, one of the world's leading marine research facilities, which employs 1300 people and has an annual budget of $140M. 

A PACA investment workshop will highlight the advantages of setting up in Provence, with Provence Promotion talking about the La Ciotat shipyards and the Henri-Fabre project earmarked for the shores of the Etang de Berre, while the GPMM (Marseille port authority) will be focusing on the port of Marseille-Fos' eastern and western harbors. 

Business meetings aimed at encouraging commercial and technological partnerships are also scheduled with local companies, including Alcrys (Meyreuil / marine energies, gas pressure regulation systems), Foselev (Aix / handling, logistics), Geocorail (Marseille / innovative solutions to manage coastal erosion and protect coastal and offshore installations), Geodany (Marseille / oil and gas logistics), Mobilis (Aix / marine signaling and navigation aids, meteorology equipment) and Watt Consulting (Pertuis / electronic systems R&D and manufacturing).

The PACA region's economic stakeholders are coordinating their efforts to ensure this mission provides foreign investors with a comprehensive panorama of the local marine economy and a thorough overview of all the services and aid measures available to locating businesses (economic data, financial information, market access procedures etc.).

At a reception organized by the Consul-General of the United States in Marseille, Provence Promotion will be presenting the "Invest in Provence" award to the Californian start-up Principle Power, which recently set up in Aix-en-Provence; more evidence that this is an attractive region -for the maritime sector especially- and that businesses who are accompanied during their location projects then receive recognition for their investment.