Start-up capital
Business Traveller Middle East|January 2020
Paris is becoming increasingly appealing as a location for innovation
HANNAH BRANDLER
Start-up capital
My arrival in Paris was well timed, it being the first cool evening after the capital’s recordbreaking 42-degree heatwave – a relief for the Tour de France cyclists making their final sprint to the Champs-Elysées. There was barely a bike to be seen, though – instead, what caught my eye was the vast number of trottinettes (electric scooters) propped up along the city’s boulevards.

It’s estimated that there will be about 40,000 of these vehicles in the city by the turn of the year, thanks to companies such as Bird setting up here. This is just one sign of Paris’s new chapter as a start-up capital, with the city currently ranked as the ninth start-up ecosystem in the world, according to Startup Genome, up from 11th place in 2017.

LOOK OUT, LONDON

It was in 2017, shortly after he won the election, that President Emmanuel Macron spelled out his vision for France’s tech future to a room full of start-ups and digital professionals at the Viva Technology conference. Macron urged the country to “think and move like a start-up”, concluding with the rousing statement: “Entrepreneur is the new France.” This year’s event attracted 124,000 people, playing host to 450 speakers and almost 13,000 start-ups, a 24 per cent increase on last year.

To take the title of European tech capital from London, Paris will rely on poaching foreign talent – a task arguably being made easier by the Brexit saga. Julie Ranty, managing director of Viva Technology, stresses that Brexit won’t be “a game changer” but “might represent an advantage”.

Esta historia es de la edición January 2020 de Business Traveller Middle East.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición January 2020 de Business Traveller Middle East.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE BUSINESS TRAVELLER MIDDLE EASTVer todo
Onwards and upwards
Business Traveller Middle East

Onwards and upwards

In an exclusive interview with Ian Fairservice for Business Traveller, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and CEO and Founder of the Emirates Group, provides insight into the current and future state of travel and Emirates’ pivotal role in getting the industry back on track

time-read
5 minutos  |
July - August 2021
Cleaning up the crisis
Business Traveller Middle East

Cleaning up the crisis

How hotels have risen to the challenge of keeping guests safe during the pandemic

time-read
10 minutos  |
May - June 2021
The Great Vegas Meetings Magic Act
Business Traveller Middle East

The Great Vegas Meetings Magic Act

The city is working hard to conjure up events and make millions of visitors reappear

time-read
9 minutos  |
May - June 2021
TAKES OFF
Business Traveller Middle East

TAKES OFF

Corporations are seeking new travel solutions that put safety and convenience first

time-read
5 minutos  |
May - June 2021
TEE TIME IN TOKYO
Business Traveller Middle East

TEE TIME IN TOKYO

The Tokyo Olympics may be delayed, but the golf courses around Japan’s capital aren’t slowing down

time-read
5 minutos  |
May - June 2021
KEYS TO THE KINGDOM
Business Traveller Middle East

KEYS TO THE KINGDOM

New and upcoming hotels to check out when you next visit Saudi Arabia

time-read
10+ minutos  |
May - June 2021
QATAR CALLING
Business Traveller Middle East

QATAR CALLING

A swathe of hotels are opening in the Gulf State in the run-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup

time-read
10 minutos  |
March 2021
MEMPHIS CON BRIO
Business Traveller Middle East

MEMPHIS CON BRIO

Music and history flood through the heart and soul of this quintessential American river town

time-read
6 minutos  |
March 2021
Sofitel Mumbai BKC
Business Traveller Middle East

Sofitel Mumbai BKC

BACKGROUND Sofitel Mumbai BKC is one of Accor’s most prominent addresses in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The French hospitality group’s other hotels in the city are operated under the Novotel and ibis brands.

time-read
3 minutos  |
March 2021
Taking Scotland in Stride
Business Traveller Middle East

Taking Scotland in Stride

A walk through the Highlands and Borders is the best way to touch this country’s history and nature

time-read
5 minutos  |
March 2021