Experts consider the entrepreneurial ecosystem in France as supportive according to the country’s latest GEM National Report. Frank Lasch, Professor at the Montpellier Business School and co-leader of the GEM France Team, provided analysis about this and other findings during a GEM National Reports Webinar (access recording here) moderated by GEM Executive Director Aileen Ionescu-Somers.
Contributing to this favorable environment are public policy and support, promotion of entrepreneurship in higher education, infrastructure, access to finance, effective administration and taxation, promotion in primary and secondary education, and social and cultural norms. Another positive is that entrepreneurship has become a desirable career choice over time and is highly profiled in the media.
However, among Level A countries (countries with GDP per capita of more than $40,000 USD), France lags behind on cultural and social norms (18/19); entrepreneurial education at primary and secondary level (17/19) and access to the market (17/19).
France has the smallest gender gap among G7 countries for TEA (the percentage of adults aged 18-64 who are starting or running an early stage business) at 8.4% for men and 7.1% percent for women. By contrast, Italy’s rate is 6.5% men and 3.5% women, while Canada’s is 24.4% men and 15.8% women. However, the gap in France is still large among established businesses (6.1% men and 2.9% women).
These findings are based on two surveys led by the GEM France Team: the Adult Population Survey (some 3,800 respondents) and the National Expert Survey (50 expert responses in 2021 and 42 in 2022).
“The entrepreneurial revolution hasn’t full impacted society yet,” said Lasch. “Efforts are still needed to spread an entrepreneurial culture. Entrepreneurship is a vital component of any country's economy. We need to continue to monitor the entrepreneurial ecosystem, celebrate its successes, and address its challenges to ensure it remains healthy and vibrant.”
In addition to Frank Lasch, the GEM France Team is led by Karim Messeghem, Montpellier University professor and researchers from LabEx Entreprendre, a entrepreneurship laboratory of excellence created in 2011 at the University of Montpellier. GEM France National Team members also include:
- Justine Valette, Université de Montpellier, LabEx Entreprendre
- Sophie Casanova, Université de Montpellier, LabEx Entreprendre
- Jean-Marie Courrent, Université de Montpellier, LabEx Entreprendre
- Walid Nakara, Montpellier Business School, LabEx Entreprendre
- Sylvie Sammut, Université de Montpellier, LabEx Entreprendre
- Roy Thurik, Montpellier Business School, LabEx Entreprendre
- Olivier Torrès, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier Business School, LabEx Entreprendre
- Dorian Boumedjaoud, EDC Paris, LabEx Entreprendre
Watch the webinar recording and access the GEM France National Report.