Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 1 February 2018
Startup hub reflects Macron’s changing French economy

By ALEX TURNBULL and JEF- environment have fueled a
FREY SCHAEFFER quick shift in the country’s
Associated Press image.
PARIS (AP) — For a glimpse France’s economy grew
at President Emmanuel 1.9 percent in 2017, its high-
Macron’s vision for the new est level since 2011, ac-
French economy, look no cording to figures released
farther than Station F. Tuesday.
Entrepreneurs don virtual That’s partly because of
reality goggles and share Macron but also because
ideas with business angels of an improving climate
in this old Paris train station- Europe-wide and measures
turned-startup incubator. taken under his predeces-
The buzzing business cen- sor.
ter founded by telecom ty- Still, Macron has boosted
coon Xavier Niel hosts over investor confidence. The
3,500 people, all hoping to state statistics agency’s
see some of the 1,000 start- business confidence indi-
ups based here bloom into cator hit its highest point
a global firm capable of in a decade in December,
competing with Silicon Val- across multiple sectors.
ley behemoths. The startup sector remains
It’s part of what Macron a relatively small piece of
hopes is a fundamental People attend meetings at the world’s biggest start-up incubator Station F, in Paris, Wednesday, the French economy but
shift in the French econo- Jan. 31, 2018. Macron, Niel and the resi-
my, which confirmed this Associated Press dents of Station F are bank-
week that it’s back on the young and eager startup these startups to build to- he told The AP. ing on it to grow.
upswing after years of stag- managers, financial play- morrow’s big companies Not everything is perfect. Macron is notably trying to
nation. ers and key public institu- and to do that we need Dussauze said France’s shake up labor laws that
Niel, who revolutionized tions in an effort to develop to attract talents from as banking bureaucracy “is had favored big, tradition-
telecoms in France in the France’s budding tech many places as possible,” not in sync with startups.” al firms and made it difficult
early 2000s, says young ecosystem. Niel, CEO of Iliad and But Station F includes rep- for small businesses to set
startup entrepreneurs look The vast space hums with founder of coding school resentatives from French up, hire and lay off workers
at Macron’s meteoric rise energy and electronic de- 42, told The Associated institutions like the public when markets shift. He also
to the presidency and vices, as its mostly youth- Press. postal service La Poste and abolished the wealth tax,
think: “You can be presi- ful workers take breaks Among entrepreneurs thriv- employment office Pole to the joy of tycoons like
dent when you are 39 years around multi-colored sofas, ing off Station F’s atmo- Emploi, in an effort to make Niel and anger of the left-
old. You were nobody two or bounce ideas off each sphere is Gildas Dussauze, startups a more integral wing opposition.
or three years ago. ... can’t other in shared meeting who founded virtual reality part of the national econ- “During the campaign,
I create the biggest start- rooms. social platform Virtuoz just omy. he was really pro-startups,
up in the world by starting Station F includes people under three years ago and Dussauze says they pro-business and by hav-
now? A guy can become from multiple countries. spends most of his waking are “have completely ing him as president it helps
the French president so Niel is notably keen to at- hours in search of clients changed the way they talk this ecosystem we have in
can’t I create something tract talented people look- and cash to finally start to us and have adapted to Paris,” Niel said.
big, alone, when I’m 25 or ing to leave London as paying his staff of six. our needs.” “Now, from a global point
30 years old?” Brexit looms, and is among “The combination of Sta- Macron’s election last of view and in any country
With the support of Mayor a group of startup enter- tion F and Macron, yes, it May, his relentless pub- you can go, people are
Anne Hidalgo and then- preneurs and tech figures has turned France’s image lic relations campaign to always talking about Ma-
President Francois Hol- traveling with Macron on a upside down, in a good put France back onto the cron being elected and
lande, Niel founded Station trip to Africa this week.”We way. It’s an image of au- world map of innovation how it’s a big change for
F in 2017 to bring together need to create - we need dacity, youth, enthusiasm,” and a changing business France.”q

Dutch cut gas firm out of quake damage compensation process

By MIKE CORDER been shaken by hundreds The new independent sys-
Associated Press of small quakes in recent tem means that “individu-
THE HAGUE, Netherlands years, Economic Affairs al claimants will no longer
(AP) — Dutch authorities and Climate Minister Eric have to do business with
unveiled a new agree- Wiebes said the com- the NAM,” the govern-
ment Wednesday to com- pany extracting the gas, ment said.
pensate homeowners for known by its Dutch acro- ompensation scheme was
damages due to earth- nym NAM, would no lon- shelved last year amid
quakes caused by gas ger have a say in who gets complaints from home-
extraction, a deal that what compensation. owners that NAM was too
removes the company re- Instead, starting March closely involved. In the
sponsible for the quakes 19, an independent com- months since, more than
from the compensation mission will rule on claims 8,000 new claims have
process. based on “expertise, con- been registered but have
Support beams stabilize an historic farm in Hunzinge, northern In a concession to thou- tent and facts,” Wiebes gone nowhere while the
Netherlands, Friday, Jan. 19, 2018. sands of northeastern resi- told a nationally televised new system was being
Associated Press dents whose homes have press conference. created.q