ECONOMY

With a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 61 Billions euros in 2001, Brittany holds the 7th range among the French regions and contributes with 4,2 % to the creation of the national wealth. Since nearly 20 years, Breton GDP has been experiencing an average growth higher than the national one and has thus marked the regional dynamism in France. The difference with the French average still grew during the last years.

Distribution by sector of the gross value added in % in 2001:
- Construction 6%
- Agriculture 6%
- Industry 19%
- Non commercial services 23%
- Commercial services 46%

The structure of the regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ( distribution of the value added according to sectors) differs from the French average, essentially due to the importance of agriculture. However, industry gradually becomes comparable to agriculture, thanks to the development of Food Industries and telecommunications. The weigh of services (70%) is noticeably comparable to national statistics.

IMPORT/EXPORT

Reinforcing each year a little bit more its international opening, Brittany exported, in 2000, products and services for an amount of almost 10 Billions euros (+6%on average per year since 1995). Among the foreign best seller products, the leading ones are: food, telecommunication means and cars. A chart which reflects the specificity of the regional economy. The countries of the European Union, especially Germany and Great-Britain are the main trade partners of Brittany.

Balance of Trade in 2000 (in millions of Euros)

	Brittany	France	% Brittany/France
Imports	7795	320642	2.4 %
Exports	9870	322640	3.1 %
Balance	+ 2075	+ 1998

source: customs

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

With 350 filed patents in 2000, Brittany comes in 4th position among the French regions.

R&D manpower in companies (unit : equivalent full-time manpower)

	Total manpower	including researchers
Brittany	6398	2903
% Brittany/ France	3.7%	3.8%

source: Ministry of National Education, Research and Technology

Brittany comes in 4th national position concerning the amount of filed patents. This success is due to the significance of regional means devoted to research and development. Breton companies have indeed a R&D manpower of more than 8000 people, including nearly 2,700 researchers. Moreover, they invest each year about 3,5 Billions Francs in the research and creation of new products.

 

Coming and going in Brittany…

… by train

TGV: Daily departures nearly every hour between 7:00 and 13:00 from Paris-Montparnasse
railway station to Rennes (2 hours), Brest (4h), Quimper (4h)
Reservations: 33 8 36 35 35 35 (0.34 € TTC/min; 7h to 22h) -
Minitel: 36 15 SNCF or 36 15 TER (0.15 € TTC/min)
website: www.sncf.fr

From Belgium: TGV Brussels-Brittany direct (via Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle railway station), twice weekly in each direction.
Stops in Rennes (4h45), Redon (5h25), Vannes (5h50), Auray (6h), Lorient (6h20), Quimperlé (6h35), Rosporden (6h50), Quimper (7h05).

From Switzerland: TGV via Paris
Information: Direct phone line in French: 33 836 35 35 35 (international rates – from 7h to 22h)
Internet: http://www.sncf.com

… air travel

Airports
Brest: +0 (33) 2 98 32 01 00
Lorient: +0 (33) 2 97 87 21 50
Quimper: +0 (33) 2 98 94 30 30
Rennes: +0 (33) 2 99 29 60 00
Saint-Brieuc: +0 (33) 2 96 94 95 00

Main airline companies:
Brit'Air: direct flight to Paris (Brest, Lorient, Quimper, Rennes), Lyon (Brest, Rennes), Nice (Brest, Rennes), and between Rennes and Brest, Caen, Deauville, Le Havre, Nantes, Strasbourg, Toulouse .
Info, reserv: 0 802 802 802

Regional Airlines: direct flights from Rennes to Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Le Havre, and from Saint-Brieuc to Paris.
Info, reserv. +0 (33) 2 40 13 52 00 - N° Indigo : 0 803 00 52 00.

Belgium: Air Agencies Belgium: 322 7126 422.

Switzerland: toll free No.: 166 83 79

Westair – Info, reserv: 02 98 84 89 66

Flandre Air: direct flights to Lille (Brest, Rennes) and between Rennes and Brest, Caen, Montpellier, Mulhouse, Strasbourg.
Info, reserv: 0 803 001 000

Other airlines: direct flights from Rennes to Ajaccio (Aérotour), Brussels (Sabena), Fort de France, Montpellier (Air Littoral), Paris (Air Liberté - TAT), Toulouse (Air Liberté - TAT) …

... on the road

Brittany has an excellent and extensive road network. The capital city of Rennes is only 3 hours away from Paris on the Océane motorway (A11), and connected to Nantes via a motorway, with a link with the Bordeaux motorway. The future "Motorway of the Estuaries", linking Calais to Biarritz, will also include a Rennes-Caen section, for easy connection with Northern Brittany. From Rennes, toll free expressways provide further links to all other towns and cities in the region.

Information: Sécurité Routière: +0 (33) 2 99 32 33 33 or Minitel 36 15 ROUTES

… riding the coach

Regular coach lines offer daily connections to the main railway stations as well as between smaller towns and main cities throughout the year.
Information: Regional Rail Transport Guide/ SNCF: +0 (33) 8 36 35 35 35 ( 0.34 € TTC/min)
or Minitel: 36 15 SNCF and 36 15 TER (0.15 € TTC/min)