Infrastructure, universities, innovation… The French capital has many advantages, according to a study by PwC, published this September 7. Even if it can further improve its entrepreneurial environment.

Cocorico! Out of the 30 cities in the competition, the French capital takes the fourth place in the ranking “Cities of opportunity 2016” the consulting firm PWC released this September 7, 2016, which presents the metropolis of the most dynamic and the most attractive on the planet. In the previous study, it was sixth. “The ranking of Paris is not due to a few elements only, but to a foundation that is very strong on all types of criteria, it is a performance uniform and a consistency unmatched,” comments Fabien Goffi, associate, public sector at PwC France.

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A city where life is good…

The French metropolis is the only one to be ranked in the top 10 for nine families of criteria out of ten. London is in the lead in the general classification, ahead of Singapore, Toronto, Paris and Amsterdam. New York passes from the second to the sixth place. Hong Kong is ranked 9th, while Beijing and Shanghai are respectively 19th and 21st.

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Paris is the first in a tie with New York for its quality of life. She returned to the top of the podium, after having dropped to seventh in 2014.

It is also distinguished as a place of welcome with its infrastructure for both tourists and leisure business.

Transform researchers into entrepreneurs

The city of light loses, however, its place as a leader for intellectual capital and innovation. It is no more than a third. It remains primarily driven by its education system and universities, but is being held back by his “entrepreneurial environment”. The Hexagon is placed 11th on this indicator, a drop of 3 places compared to 2014.

“Attention, this is a classification, notes Fabien Goffi. When one loses one of the seats, this is not necessarily because there has been less good, but because others have been able to be the best. At the 11th place, we are always in the top of the table, there are nineteen cities behind us.”

What have the cities that are passing us by ? “London, Amsterdam, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, have a strong tradition of start-upers and a “go to market” very short, ” explains Fabien Goffi. But it is possible, in France, to act in this way. Moreover, the initiative of the French Tech is typically the kind of actions that has an impact on the visibility of France, which gives start-ups the digital a new attractiveness on the market and which can help to reduce the “go to market” still a little too long among us.”

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structural constraints

“France in general and Paris in particular, has a capacity for innovation, which is clear, but there is a need to transform our researchers into entrepreneurs,” according to Fabien Goffi.

Paris is also penalized by the lack of attractiveness of the economic environment. It continues to lose seats from the 2nd position in 2012 to 4th in 2014, and finished 8th in 2016.”A number of structural fundamentals could in the future prevent Bets to increase, and the tax is part of it,” says Fabien Goffi.

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France is also in the back of the pack to the criteria of GDP growth (25th) and employment growth (28th).

Another black spot, it is in the fourth place of the most expensive cities, as much for the companies (the rents are still very expensive) than for households, even if the high cost of living of Parisians is compensated by wages important.

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Despite these caveats, the future seems to be looking good for Paris. “The performance uniform of his rank allows you to be calm for the result,” says Fabien Goffi.