Bordeaux Economic Overview

Bordeaux is located at the heart of an internationally renowned sightseeing region, in the middle of prestigious wine regions and has a rich historical and cultural heritage.

The city is home to many small and medium-sized companies and large industrial groups form the foremost economic sectors : aerospace and space, information technology, electronics, automobiles, chemistry and biotechnology, wood/paper, agribusiness.

The dynamism of the Gironde department is largely linked to wine. With 110,000 hectares of AOC vineyards, the production of Bordeaux wines averages 5,500,000 hectolitres, 83% of which are red wines.

The Gironde department is highly international and counts more than 350 foreign companies, all attracted by a high-performance network of communications infrastructures : international airport, European train station, major routes, Atlantic port.

The city’s 4 universities host some 70,000 students, 5,000 researchers, 8 engineering schools and several academic institutions.

Foreign Trade

In the import-export field, the Gironde shows a trade surplus of 16 522 million Francs. Between 1999 and 2000, exports have increased by 28%, and imports by 44%.

The Gironde ‘s major export sectors :

• Aeronautic and aerospace equipment (27%)

• Food industry (20%)

• Telecommunications equipment (10.8%)

• Car industry (10.5%)

The United States is the Gironde’s primary customer (34% of the sales), then Spain (7.9%) and Germany (7.3%).

European industrial leader

Bordeaux is a leader in a wide variety of Industries :

• World leader in rocket motors,

• World leader in industrial pumps and fluid control equipment,

• World leader in laid kraft,

• Largest European producer of fluff pulp and corn,

• Leading region in Europe for business aircraft, avionics, biomaterials, biotechnologies; and neurobiology, cardiology, implant technology and medical electronics,

• Leading region in France for aircraft maintenance and electronic imagery,

• Largest French exporter of automotive parts and equipment.

International Exhibitions

Bordeaux is host to a year-long program of international conferences and exhibitions including :

• PRISMEUROPE : European exhibition of Testing and Measurement

• World Congress of Science Parks

• VINEXPO : the world’s leading wines and spirit fair

• VINITECH : World exhibition of viticulture and winemaking technology

• Bordeaux International Fair.