FTPB is the London press bureau of UBIFRANCE and is an integral part of this unrivalled and unique network of technology and business information bureaux. The fast-changing international economic environment means that the need for collaboration between business people throughout the world is becoming increasingly important. UBIFRANCE (the French agency for international business development) supports French companies that are trying to develop an international outlook. It helps foster technical and commercial exchanges between businesses in France and those abroad.

FTPB issues press releases, organises press conferences, and also press trips. FTPB is able to provide real-time and exclusive information regarding French companies and organisations interested in developing their activities in the U K , the Republic of Ireland , the Netherlands and the Nordic Region. To this effect, FTPB works closely with the French Embassy in London (more particularly the Embassy’s business section or Mission Economique) and Invest In France (the French government agency set up to help non-French companies invest in France).

Funded by both the French Government and by French companies, FTPB promotes French technology and innovation to the British and Irish Press. FTPB has been proactively co-operating with the press for over 20 years by gathering information on the latest technological developments in France and passing it on to British and Irish journalists and editors.

FTPB handles stories emanating from all sectors of French industry, from software development and farming to zinc coating and shipbuilding, so that, whatever a news organisation’s area of interest, FTPB can provide journalists with the latest news from across the Channel. Part of FTPB’s work is the monitoring of the British and Irish press for publications, so that the London bureau of UBIFRANCE is always grateful to news organisations and journalists for their assistance in identifying details of articles published further to events organised by, and press releases sent by, FTPB.

UBIFRANCE, which is headquartered in Paris, has press  bureaux on four continents — in London, Madrid, Warsaw, Düsseldorf, Milan, Cairo, Chicago, Mexico, Sao Paolo, Beijing, Hong K ong, Bangkok, and Tokyo.

OUR K EY GOALS

►To develop technical and business co-operation between France and her foreign partners;

►To offer a variety of means to help French decision-markers build closer links with decision-markers in other countries.

UBIFRANCE can offer access to privileged sources of information regarding French businesses, thanks to its unrivalled expertise in the promotion of French technology, products and services.

BRINGING TOGETHER FRENCH BUSINESS PEOPLE AND THEIR FOREIGN COUNTERPARTS

■ Inviting foreign decision-makers to France

UBIFRANCE organises technical information programmes to enable foreign decision-makers to meet up with French managers in their sector of activity and to find out about the technologies that they are developing.

■ Meeting foreign decision-makers outside France

At international trade fairs, UBIFRANCE organises group participation for French companies as well as other promotional activities. It also arranges multi-sector exhibitions of French technology and presentations of French products outside France .

Besides, through the organisation of technical symposia and conferences abroad, UBIFRANCE enables French professionals to present their expertise to top decision-markers from industry and government bodies in host countries.

■ Helping to forge contacts

UBIFRANCE has built up a unique network of around 35,000 foreign decision-markers who have attended its events – prime contacts for French companies in more than 100 countries around the world. These decision-makers are members of about 40 associations, run by UBIFRANCE, which represent useful points of reference for companies.

INFORMING ON FRENCH PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGY THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE PRESS

UBIFRANCE runs 13 press offices around the world. This unique business and hi-tech information network covers major international markets and countries with an active, internationally recognised trade press.

The press offices send out press releases on innovative French products and longer articles on dynamic sectors in France and interesting new projects. They also advise French companies on making the most of the foreign trade press.

Each year, UBIFRANCE organises press trips for foreign journalists wishing to discover more about French technology in their own particular sectors.

DEVELOPING PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN FRENCH COMPANIES AND COMPANIES  IN HOST-COUNTRIES

UBIFRANCE co-ordinates publicly funded programmes to bring companies together through joint ventures, subcontracting agreements, technology transfers, and so on.

UBIFRANCE also offers advice and support to French companies that are approaching the EU authorities in Brussels about the various network systems, aid programmes and existing financial schemes (Interprise, Phare, Jev, Al-Invest, Asia-Invest, Synergy, Meda, Coopeco, EIC, etc.).

In addition, UBIFRANCE offers a specific aid programme for partnerships between companies in France and Quebec (in Canada ).

ENCOURAGING INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY

UBIFRANCE manages a programme of International Volunteers for placements with French companies outside France , known under the French acronym ‘VIE’. This programme enables young women and men to experience foreign cultures through the undertaking of professional and paid work placements within French companies.

AN INTERNATIONAL NETWOR K

UBIFRANCE is a not-for-profit association headquartered in Paris ( France ), whose members are French companies and professional organisations. It is part of the French programme for export support.

UBIFRANCE currently represents nearly 3,000 French companies and organisations.

UBIFRANCE is run by a board of directors composed of representatives of government and public bodies as well as representatives from member companies. The board is headed by a chairman or chairwoman, assisted by an executive director.

BRINGING FRENCH AND NON-FRENCH PARTNERS TOGETHER

French Partners of UBIFRANCE are companies, professional bodies, public-sector organisations and associations, public-services bodies, major government departments,  consular offices around the world, and commercial sections of French embassies.

Non-French partners of UBIFRANCE are companies, government and other official organisations, and international organisations. UBIFRANCE, through its various offices around the world, works closely with editors and journalists writing for the national, regional and trade press of the host-countries.