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NEWS COVERAGE - FRANCE

ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS FROM THE PAST WEEK
12th of February 2016
Business Sweden in Paris

GREEN TECH LAUNCHED TO PROMOTE ENERGY

TRANSITION
09/02/2016
The minister of ecology, Sgolne Royal, and the economy minister, Emmanuel Macron, launched this Tuesday, 9th of
February, the "Green Tech" in France an incubator aimed to connect digitalization and energy transition
Objective: to make France one of the leading countries in the fields of technological innovation, intelligent networks and
data sharing, all in order to support green growth.
Projects in eight different sectors should enable the development of digital technology in the areas of:
Energy savings, Renewable energy, Construction, Transport, Risk Management, Circular Economy, Health & the
environment and Biodiversity
It is the Ministry of Ecology that will launch the start-up incubator contributing to the energy transition (examples of startups touch upon: smart grids, bio-based chemistry, storage of energy, circular economy which optimizes the life cycle of
products).
50 projects will be selected and granted a "pre-seed fund" of up to 150 000 euros.
The most promising projects will be grated up to 500 000 euros.

SOURCES: 1,2
BUSINESS SWEDEN

12 FEBRUARY, 2016

TOTAL PRODUCES NEW GAS FIELD IN SCOTLAND

08/02/2016
Monday 8th of February, Total announced the launch of a new gas field that will be placed outside the Shetland Islands,
Scotland.
The field will produce gas and condensate (liquid gas):
It will produce the equivalent of 90,000 barrels of oil per day
Developed since 2010 for a total cost of 4.5 billion euros
Total is the operator with 60% of the project, associated with the Danish Dong Energy (20%) and the UK Scottish and
Southern Energy (20%).
The project confirms Total's gas strategy, a way to fight the low oil prices and to maintain production of hydrocarbons.
Its CEO, Patrick Pouyann, recalls that in the early 2000s gas weighed only 35% of the group's production. It is about
half today and in the near future, the company will produce more than in oil, partly because it is easier to find gas
deposits.
Mr. Pouyann believes that gas is the ideal complement to renewable energy, to quickly take over wind and solar parks.
The seven largest operators (Shell, BP, Total, ENI, BG, Repsol and Statoil) lobbied hard in favor of the gas (and a
carbon tax), at the climate conference held in Paris at the end of 2015 (COP21)

SOURCES: 3,4,5
BUSINESS SWEDEN

12 FEBRUARY, 2016

GOOD NEWS FOR THE FRENCH INDUSTRY

10/02/2016
The French manufacturing industry grew by 1.7% last year, according to figures released by INSEE, Wednesday
February 10th
The leading manufacturing firms surveyed by INSEE also forecast an increase of 7% of their investments in 2016
- a significantly greater improvement than in the last survey in October.
In general, when the business leaders forecast above 5% this early, it is a sign of a dynamic growth cycle of investment,
according to an economist at the French Observatory of economic Conditions, Mathieu Plane.

The positive results and forecasts are mainly due to good macroeconomic conditions:
Strengthened demand due the low oil prices
Cost of capital is particularly attractive because of low rates
The weaker euro also benefited exporters in 2015

SOURCES: 6
BUSINESS SWEDEN

12 FEBRUARY, 2016

SOURCES
1.

http://abonnes.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2016/02/09/le-gouvernement-donne-un-coup-de-main-aux-start-ups-de-latransition-energetique_4862289_3244.html

2.

http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/Green-Tech-le-numerique-au-service.html

3.

http://www.total.com/en/media/news/press-releases/uk-total-starts-production-laggan-tormore-west-shetland

4.

http://abonnes.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2016/02/08/total-met-en-production-un-nouveau-champ-gazier-enecosse_4861299_3234.html

5.

http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/2016/02/08/97002-20160208FILWWW00071-total-debut-de-la-production-au-largedes-iles-shetland.php

6.

http://abonnes.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2016/02/10/le-bulletin-de-sante-de-l-industrie-francaise-sameliore_4862642_3234.html

BUSINESS SWEDEN

12 FEBRUARY, 2016