Cote d'Azur Monaco Chapter

 Serge Lambert, Cote d'Azur
Chairman
slambert@teamcotedazur.fr
04.92.17.51.67     06.03.35.64.17

Burton Gintell (Sophia Business Angels) in Sophia Antipolis
Vice Chair
bgintell@aol.com

Franco Quillico (Andromeda Consulting) in Monaco
Vice Chair
fquillico@andromeda-consulting.com

AmCham reestablishes its presence on the Riviera

For many years AmCham France had regional chapters in the south of France (PACA - Province, Alpes, Cote d'Azur), with the last one closing in 2000.  At the initiative of Cote d'Azur Team, the investment promotion agency based in the region, and several existing member companies and active Americans on the Riviera, AmCham reopened a Cote d'Azur/Monaco Chapter during a ceremony in Marseille on November 27.   Chairman is Serge Lambert, Team Cote d'Azur, and the Vice Chairs are Burton Gintell (Sophia Business Angels) in Sophia Antipolis, and Franco Quillico (Andromeda Consulting) in Monaco.
The Chapter embraces three departments of Southeast France: Alpes-Maritimes, Var, and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, plus the Principality of Monaco. Bordered by the Mediterranean and the Alps, the area is the sunniest and the only region in France where two completely different but complementary environments are situated side by side: the French Alps mountain region - a link to continental Europe, and the Mediterranean region known for the free circulation of people, ideas and technical expertise. The region’s pleasant environment makes it one of the word’s leading tourist destinations, and its airport: Nice-Cote d’Azur handled more than 10 million passengers in 2008, second in France only to the Paris airports, with service to 60 international destinations.
The region hosts world-class international conferences, festivals and events each year (the most famous being perhaps the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco Grand Prix). This attractiveness is also  the reason for the significant levels of Europe’s intellectual and technology resources that are concentrated in the region. It results in high levels of economic activity in sectors like telecommunications, microelectronics, life sciences, aerospace, maritime technology, multimedia, agro-food, chemicals, and logistics. The Sophia Antipolis technology park is a European leader for incubating new companies and provides a unique infrastructure for their subsequent growth.

Regional Economic Development
Located in Southeast France, bordered by the Mediterranean and the Alps, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur is the sunniest and the only region in France where two completely different but complementary environments are situated side by side: the French Alps mountain region, a link to continental Europe, and the Mediterranean region known for the free circulation of people, ideas and technical expertise. The region’s pleasant environment makes it one of the word’s leading tourist destinations (35 million tourists visit the region every year). It offers international connections from three international airports (Marseille, Nice and Toulon), and quality transport networks. The region hosts 35 world-class international conferences and events each year (the most famous being the Cannes Film Festival). This attractiveness is the reason for the significant levels of Europe’s intellectual and technology resources that are concentrated in the region. It results in high levels of economic activity (the PACA region is ranked 19th among European regions for GDP), in sectors like telecommunications, microelectronics, life sciences, aerospace, maritime technology, multimedia, agro-food, chemicals and logistics.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur is France’s 3rd leading economic region and the leader (not including Paris) for new companies. The region is dynamic and technologically advanced, with 8 clusters
(soon to be 10) , two of which are internationa l: the “Secure Communications Solutions” cluster specialized in microelectronics, telecommunications, software and multimedia, and the “Mer” maritime cluster specialized in security and sustainable maritime development, in collaboration with the Brittany region. Six other national clusters have been designated in the PACA region in perfumes-aromas-flavors, fruits and vegetables, optics-photonics, emerging and orphan illnesses, energy, and regional risk management. To create jobs in the region, the PACA Regional Council supports the creation of regional innovation and economic development clusters (P.R.I.D.E.S) alongside national clusters to strengthen regional company networks and concentrate regional efforts. Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur is also the chosen location for ITER, an experimental nuclear reactor to be situated in Cadarache. This decision shows the region’s potential for innovation and economic development.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region accounts for approximately 1,100 foreign companies representing 40,000 jobs. In 2006, PACA ranked 3rd for inward FDI, after Ile-de-France and Rhône-Alpes, with the number of jobs created having doubled since 2005. PACA achieved particularly impressive results for R&D centers(Amadeus, Gemalto, etc.) and aerospace (Eurocopter, the world leader in helicopter construction, is based in Marignane and Thales Alenia, the world’s leading satellite construction company, is based in Cannes).
Thank you to AFII  (Invest in France Agency) for providing this information. AFII's mission is to make France Europe's leading destination for international investment. Visit their website at http://www.invest-in-france.org

Serge Lambert, Team Cote d'Azur, Chairman Amcham Cote d'Azur-Monaco

Team Cote d’Azur is a venture between the regional Chamber of Commerce and the regional government.  The agency offers international companies a number of free of charge services designed to help them set up their businesses.  To learn more, visit the website www.investincotedazur.fr.

Please contact Serge Lambert for more information about joining this AmCham Chapter: 
slambert@teamcotedazur.fr
04.92.17.51.67     06.03.35.64.17

05 Oct 2009-10:00-11:45
New Members Meeting

More on this event

The Sun Rises on Corporate Cote-d'Azur : The Cote d’Azur has a strong, well-established base of leading international companies.
Monaco Ready for Closer Economic Ties with the United States : Prince Albert has said he is proud of his American heritage, and wants to expand economic ties with the United States. The new AmCham Chapter, Cote d'Azur-Monaco, will be one vehicle for this. In December 2006, the United States and Monaco upgraded
Marseille, a Capital Leap Forward into the Top 20! : In September 2008 Marseille was chosen as European Capital of Culture for 2013.