An international technopolitan business park

“A good place to work in.” That might well be the slogan that comes to mind while walking around the Parc Saint-Christophe in Cergy-Pontoise in the Val d’Oise département to the north-west of Paris. It is hard to imagine, in such a calm and verdant spot, that you are only thirty minutes from the French capital. Fifty percent of the park is given over to nature, which means that the site’s 102,000 square metres of office space benefit from a truly bucolic setting. Another surprising fact: the Parc Saint-Christophe is not a new creation. In fact, it was first opened almost twenty years ago. According to Abdelkader Zitouni, head of the Parc Saint-Christophe, “the original idea goes back to 1985. Spie Batignolles, a large construction and public works company, decided to consolidate its 13 subsidiaries, which were dispersed around the Paris region, in a single location. The company’s directors were also motivated by a desire to showcase their firm’s prowess in terms of the creation of tertiary sites.”

Three new towns in the Paris region were considered as locations for the site: Marne-la-Vallée (77), Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (78), and Cergy-Pontoise (95). For a number of different reasons, amongst them geographical location and the fact that Line A of the regional train system had reached the town, Cergy-Pontoise was retained. Construction began in 1986, the site welcomed its first company in March 1988, and the French Prime Minister of the time, Michel Rocard, opened the facility in October of the same year. With its emphasis on technology – the site boasted its own communications network, administrative and technical management systems, and highly efficient security service – the Parc Saint-Christophe was one of the first examples in France of the use of “intelligent buildings”. The interiors were designed to provide total modularity in terms of work spaces. “A system of tracks makes it possible to create either open plan or partitioned offices within these intelligent structures, which are equipped with a local Gigabits fibre optics loop,” says Mr Zitouni. In the late 1980s, the site already combined quality, convenience and attractive design, taking American university campuses as its model. In 2003, following a phase of restructuring, Spie Batignolles became Amec Spie: the group now provides services and expertise in electrical, mechanical and climatic engineering and communication networks, as well as rail infrastructure and pipeline construction.

Made-to-measure services
With the creation of Amec Spie, the Parc Saint-Christophe entered a new phase of its history. “Spie Batignolles owned 80% of the facility and was the sole occupier. In 2003, Amec Spie sold its shares to a Quebecois investment fund and rented the premises (empty as well as occupied) via its ad hoc subsidiary SNC Parc Saint-Christophe, of which I am MD,” Mr Zitouni explains. Since then, the subsidiary has had three objectives: hosting Amec Spie, finding occupants to fill the 20,000 square metres of empty office space, and providing high quality services. It is worth taking a closer look at these services, which play an important role in keeping the park’s occupier companies satisfied (see the interview with the MD of ITS and our inset article on the services in the following pages).

Open every day of the year, the Parc Saint-Christophe makes a point of meeting the needs of its tenants. For example, for export companies obliged to work late there is a 24/7 entry control system which functions 365 days a year. But above all, thanks to facilities management contracts, SNC Parc Saint-Christophe is able to employ specialist firms to deliver its services: Eurogem takes care of general maintenance and services, a subsidiary of the Amec Spie deals with the maintenance of IT and telephone networks, and Sodexho provides the catering. Meetings, training courses and large-scale conferences are also catered for. The site boasts a business centre complete with a 300-seat amphitheatre equipped with a state-of-the-art projection system, fifteen meeting rooms seating from 4 to 180 people, two reception lobbies, an IT room, a language lab and a cafeteria. These “à la carte” services are also available to companies not based in the business park. Company employees are treated like royalty.

Leisure and shopping facilities abound, with a fitness centre, tennis courts, a hairdresser, a beauty salon, a flower shop, a travel agency, a bank, and a garage. Meanwhile, the Association of Enterprise Committees runs a media library and organises events which give the business park a village atmosphere, an impression reinforced by the presence of an ancient windmill (photo on next page). As a result, in spite of the creation of other sites in the Paris region, Parc Saint-Christophe has, since 2004, attracted six new companies (each occupying an average of 500 square metres of office space). Moreover, another client is interested in the possibility of renting 15,000 square metres. In 2001, BP France set up its headquarters on the site, employing a staff of 500. A precocious choice that the Chairman and Managing Director of the subsidiary does not regret. “Our personnel feel safe in the park,” says Patrick Haas. “They appreciate the attractive natural setting, as well as services like the restaurants by the lake …”

The world of innovation at your fingertips
But the business park’s directors cannot claim all the credit for successfully keeping their tenants satisfied. The Cergy-Pontoise town council is actively involved in efforts to attract new companies to the site. Indeed, such an approach is very much in the interests of both parties. In certain fields, the collaboration, which has benefited in recent years from the introduction of a number of new laws (decentralisation, the obligation to revitalise urban areas, etc.), is particularly close. An important economic player in the area, the Parc Saint-Christophe receives support from twelve different communes, each one of which collaborates with Amec Spie in various projects. For example, Mr Zitouni works in conjunction with the local authorities, the bus company STIVO, and the SNCF to increase the frequency of buses serving the business park and Line A regional trains serving Cergy Le Haut station.

Encouraged by the creation of competitiveness centres, the partnership between local authorities and businesses in the field of research and innovation is of particular benefit to both parties. And an official framework has been set up to aid this partnership. In 2004, the General Assembly of France’s 49 technopoles (centres of technological excellence) granted the Val d’Oise département special status. The département’s General Council reacted by encouraging local businesses to take part in the scheme. As a result, in December 2005, the Parc Saint-Christophe became a “technopolitan business park” thanks to the quality of its services and infrastructure (broadband IT networks, IP telephony, etc.). It should also be noted that the prestigious grande école, ITIN (IT Networks and Information Systems), is located in the Parc Saint-Christophe and that seminars, forums and conferences are regularly organised by business schools and companies in the site’s business centre, “Les Espaces du parc”. Logistically speaking, companies and organisations based in the park are very well placed. A high-speed train link takes passengers from Cergy-Pontoise to Charles de Gaulle airport in only 40 minutes. The airport is served by a TGV rail link and destinations all over France and the rest of Europe are easily reached by train. The A16 motorway heads north through Beauvais and on to Calais with London just across the Channel, while the A1 serves Lille and Brussels, and the A4, Metz and Frankfurt.

But the proximity of these major centres of economic activity is not the only advantage offered by the Parc Saint-Christophe in terms of international trade. “Insofar as prices, services and geography are concerned, it is an excellent location for multinationals and export firms. Moreover, if you don’t have to set up in La Défense, why do it? It’s better to opt for a less imposing address, but one which, nevertheless, offers a number of advantages, amongst them a highly efficient business park.” The Parc Saint-Christophe is not only ideal for international trade, it is also good for families. Cergy-Pontoise has added substantially to its housing stock, building new residences for all tastes and budgets. With house prices in Paris rocketing skyward, this can only be good news. And when it comes to the provision of education, the area has much to be proud of, with its 926 schools, colleges and lycées, the ESSEC business school, a university, and various institutes of engineering. And the cherry on the cake? The Vexin Regional Park is a marvellous, natural retreat just a stone’s throw from Saint-Christophe. And, according to Marc Foskett, Managing Director of ITS, a company based there, “happy employees make for satisfied customers.”

World class services

The Parc Saint-Christophe is suitable for all kinds of businesses and organisations, including multinationals, SMEs, research centres, and higher education establishments. The quality of services provided is truly exceptional.

General services:
Childminding, reception, telephone exchange, mail, couriers, printing and photocopying, cleaning, maintenance and repairs, occupational medicine, etc.
Technological services:
Facilities management, IT maintenance services, telephone services, server hosting, messaging, network protection, Nortel broadband LAN fibre optics, IP telephone system in development, etc.

Business services:
Auditorium and conference facilities, lecture theatres, language laboratory with audiovisual equipment, projectors, videoconferencing services, etc.
Personal services:
Restaurants, travel agencies and banks, newsagent, hairdresser, beauty salon, dry cleaners, car cleaning and repairs, library, media library, fitness centre, tennis courts, etc.

Three questions for ITS Managing Director, Marc Foskett

British-based ITS (Interactive Transaction Solutions) is a subsidiary of American Express. Its market: electronic payments (transaction management, integrated monetics, etc.), a field in which innovation, security and cost management are of fundamental importance. Marc Foskett, MD of ITS, explains why the company recently set up its headquarters in the Parc Saint-Christope.

Commerce International: Why did you choose Cergy-Pontoise and the Parc Saint-Christophe in particular?

Marc Foskett: “The Parc Saint-Christophe was able to respond to our needs very rapidly. ITS chose Cergy-Pontoise as a bridgehead for its development in Europe in the fast-growing electronic payment market, notably payment via internet (IP technology). This location offers us the kind of solutions suited to our ambitions: it is close to major European markets, offers impressive transport infrastructure and easy access to universities and grandes écoles, and provides a stimulating environment for employees both in terms of work and quality of life.”

How important was the quality of services in your decision?

M.F.: “Innovation must be rigorously managed and costs kept firmly under control. The range of services offered by the management team of the Parc Saint-Christophe means that we can rely on professionals to provide the services that, although not integral to our core business, are nevertheless essential to the smooth running and positive image of the company. A well defined global offer which, thanks to an amortization-based approach, is competitively priced enables us to outsource the maintenance of our premises and our IT equipment, as well as general services, telephone reception, mail services and reprographics to the park’s highly competent personnel. We reinvest the savings made in creating added value for our clients. Moreover, in our line of business, the highly secure environment offered by the Saint-Christophe is essential.

What benefits do you expect from your decision to set up in the Parc Saint-Christophe?

M.F.: “Our business model is based on the United States, where universities and businesses work hand in hand. Many innovations first saw the light of day in university research departments (internet, for example). This is why we chose the Parc Saint-Christophe, an American-style campus accredited by the French authorities as a “technopole”. We intend to attract and, above all, retain, the most talented people in the market. After all, happy employees make for satisfied customers.”