The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
Professional Services Scientific, Architectural And Engineering Technical Activities Scientific Research And Development 72 - Scientific research and development
1,500 jobs Number of planned job creations
Announcement Date
20 June 2006
Employment effect (start)
21 June 2007
Foreseen end date
1 July 2009
Description
Essor Promotion, a new French company specialized in the re-industrialisation (restoration) of factories' sites, announced the creation of a 'competitiveness center' specialised in transport activities in the north of France (Crespin). These centres are sites where specialists, such as academics, researchers and professionals of companies, work together. 1,500 new jobs are expected to be created in Essor Promotion Crespin (near Valenciennes). The project relates to the construction of a site comprising industrial buildings of a surface area of 150,000 square meters. The investment is of 100 million euro. The first completion phase of the 'competitiveness center' should be delivered during the summer 2007. The remaining phase of the project is to be completed by July 2009. The Canadian group Bombardier (1,500 employees in Crespin) signed an agreement and will take part in this project. Toyota France (Valenciennes) may participate too.
In July 2005, the French government gave an official approval that 67 'competitiveness centres' would be created in 2006, from which 13 would be oriented for worldwide scale's projects. All centres together are expected to create around 3,000 research posts in 2006 and an estimated 400,000 jobs could be kept safe by these new specialised industrial innovation projects. The main objective is to seek out complementarities between these different entities, allowing them to fit together into 'areas of excellence' all over the country, with specialisations that put them on the cutting edge of innovation. The social partners have given mixed reactions to the initiative because although the setting up of competitiveness centres is a good idea, it provides only incomplete answers to the questions raised by relocations and argue that the state lacks a vision of the future.
Sources
21 June 2006: Les Echos
21 June 2006: Libération
Citation
Eurofound (2006), Essor Promotion (Crespin), Business expansion in France, factsheet number 63655, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/63655.
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