France's economic performance and innovation

This chapter presents France’s performance in terms of growth, competitiveness and innovation. It examines the factors of the shortfall in the country’s balance of trade and growth slowdown, and especially its declining price competitiveness. It reviews the structural conditions for economic activity – in other words, the labour market and the market for goods and services – as well as taxation and public deficits. The second part of the chapter focuses on France’s performance in the realm of innovation, as measured by expenditure on research and development, patents and the share of new products in total sales, and as reflected in France’s attractiveness for international investments in innovation. It compares France with its main partners, particularly Germany.