Marseille is in a prime geographical position in relation to the Mediterranean basin. The city is increasingly recognised by European countries as "the gateway" to the Middle East and North Africa – a stance supported by the policies of the city and the regional, national and international organisations such as the World Bank, AFD (French Development Agency) and BEI (European Investment Bank) that have established themselves in the area, together with almost 200 associations relating to the Mediterranean zone.

The Mediterranean countries are in fact facing the necessity to build a new strategy to replace the wealth formerly based on petroleum, with wealth based on human resources, and to engage in the new knowledge economy to reverse the economic downturn. To do this, they must catch up with the worldwide knowledge and invest in local knowledge to develop specific resources. To succeed, experts agree that a united vision is essential - all sectors must move in the same direction (a united strategy) but success will rest on individual initiative. Three key elements are identified as catalysts for change: innovation, education/training, and infrastructure development.

Co-operation with the Mediterranean basin countries does not happen without planning. Cultural factors must be taken into account to ensure the success of long-term economic exchanges. The way a company is presented, relations that are built up between staff and "things to know" to avoid cultural misunderstandings are just as important as the quality of a product or service. In Provence, public and private sector participants have developed special services to help companies wanting to do business with these countries. Far from being « easy » markets as some Western markets may be considered, it is necessary to plan long-term development that will combine political strategies with economic objectives.

Contact us to get in touch with useful partners!

For example:

On the website www.medinnov.com set up by Marseille Innovation and its partners, you will find the network of technology parks in the Mediterranean region as well as economic fact-sheets for each country dedicated to the information and communication technology sector.