This study sketches a preliminary outline of four areas of activity which share qualities that reinforce Paris and the metropolis: international visibility and an element of creativity and/or innovation.
This section of the study focuses on the creative industries, digital technology, fashion and design, and eco-activities.
The first three have very varied profiles and are still in a process of transformation, so we have chosen to attach them to specific areas of activity under the heading of activities and products, in the knowledge that their parameters may overlap and that they can also change over time.
Both the creative industries and digital technology are very divided in terms of geographical position and sector. Their position mainly on the western edge of the metropolis in the Hauts-de-Seine,,in Essonne and in the western districts of Paris proper, is coupled with differences in type and content: size of business often small in Paris, stronger presence in the Hauts-de-Seine of information technology, publicity and media activities.
As for fashion and design, this is an industry that has both been established in Paris for a long time and is in continuous evolution. Even though the Sentier area still appears to be the epicentre of the fashion world, there are many new areas of growth, particularly to the north of Paris in the bordering communes which run in an arc from Neuilly-sur-Seine to Pantin. It is more difficult to assess the design industry as it is largely an in-house activity taking place in big companies operating both in the industrial domain and in the service industry. Nevertheless, an examination of the data has revealed that independent designers are concentrated in the centre of the metropolis.
Eco-activities constitute a sector which has been documented over a longer period and whose precise profile is less open to debate. Because they are within the jurisdiction of local authorities, their location in the territory of Ile-de-France is much more uniform. They are for the most part non-market services and are in the throes of a remarkable expansion linked to the rise in importance and the complexity of waste and water management processes, to huge thermal renovation projects on buildings and also to the surge in recycling activities.
Contents:
- Introduction
- Creative industries
- Digital technology
- Fashion and design
- Eco-activities
- Conclusion
