ARIANE is a unique variety of apple that is resistant to apple scab, which enables growers to reduce the use of chemical products in the apple orchard by half. The ARIANE apple, developed by French company Pomalia, will be available for tasting at Fruit Logistica 2012, the international fresh-produce trade show to be held in Berlin (Germany) from 8 to 10 February.  “Creating a new variety of apple is crucial, but it is not enough. It is also necessary to make it known and to establish its legitimacy within a sustainable economic approach. As the outcome of a truly progress-oriented approach, the ARIANE apple finds its strength in a network involving 15 nurserymen, 250 producers and six distributors,” explains Philippe Massardier, Chairman of Pomalia. ARIANE will be showcased at the Fruit Logistica 2012 trade fair in Berlin (Germany) between 8 and 10 February 2012 (in Hall 22, Stand F-05). It is distributed by Blue Whale, Castang, Edenys, Sicodis, BVL and Loire ALIA. The ARIANE apple was created in 2001 at the Institut National de Recherche Agronomique of Angers (the National Institute of Agronomic Research, in western France), as a result of 65 years of R&D; it was obtained by natural crossbreeding.  Since the start of its commercialisation in 2003, ARIANE has increasingly gained the favour of consumers, with consumption rising year on year. In 2011, 20,000 tons of ARIANE apples were produced and distributed.  ARIANE is now grown by 250 producers across six key production areas in France: the Berry region (in central France), the Loire Valley (in western France), the Monts du Lyonnais (to the east of central France), the Périgord and Tarn & Garonne (in south-western France), and Provence (in south-eastern France).   In the world of fruit-tree cultivation, ARIANE is considered by many to constitute the most important technical advance of the last 20 years. Its high quality of presentation, taste and preservation differentiates it markedly from the other red and two-coloured apples on the market. Picked from the end of September, it is the first large-consumption apple to possess a natural resistance to apple scab, i.e. to the Venturia inaequalis fungus. Apple scab is one of the principal diseases of the apple tree, to which all commercial apple varieties are susceptible, and the reason for around half of phytosanitary orchard treatments. Therefore, ARIANE’s natural resistance to the fungus makes possible a 50% cut in the use of chemicals for orchard treatments. Cultivating an apple that requires a considerably reduced use of pesticides is an important advance from the consumer’s standpoint. Reconciling food safety and environmental concerns, the producers of ARIANE are among the first to be engaged in a voluntary approach to sustainable and efficient apple production. Less treated and with recognised gustatory qualities, the ARIANE apple is particularly appreciated by the public. Having conquered the hearts of the French, it is now landing on the shelves of retail outlets across Britain, and will certainly not leave the consumers indifferent. The ARIANE apple is described as a gourmet product. It is sweet, acidic, firm, crunchy and juicy, leaving a sparkling taste in the mouth that defines an authentic flavour. It is a two-coloured fruit, which combines a deep, bright red skin with yellow lenticels. The ARIANE apple marries elegance with rusticity: a recognised champion at tastings, it has charmed consumers, who appreciate its indisputable quality. Another attractive feature of ARIANE is the fact that the apple preserves very well, retaining the same fresh taste from October to May. “Through Pomalia, all have chosen to master the development and promotion of this variety with recognised qualities. Behind ARIANE, above all, there are territories, men and women who are participating in the development of this apple of the future and who have made the choice of a demanding variety, and of a real commitment to a better form of production. With good gustatory and innovative qualities, ARIANE is an alternative to the other varieties present on our shelves. It must become a qualitative line for the consumer,” explains Philippe Massardier. About ARIANE The ARIANE apple was developed by natural crossbreeding in 2001 at the Institut National de Recherche Agronomique of Angers (the National Institute of Agronomic Research in Angers, in western France), as a result of 65 years of R&D. In 2011 20,000 tons of ARIANE apples were produced. The ARIANE apple is marketed by Blue Whale, Castang, Edenys, Sicodis, BVL and Loire ALIA. ARIANE will be present at the Fruit Logistica 2012 trade fair in Berlin (Germany) between 8 and 10 February 2012 (in Hall 22, Stand F-05). For further information about Fruit Logistica, please go to: http://www.fruitlogistica.de/en/ For further information about ARIANE, please go to: http://www.pomme-ariane.com/en/

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First of all, here at the press office of the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in London, we hope that you had an enjoyable end-of-year break and that the new year has started in positive fashion for you.  Despite the widely reported travails affecting the British and European economy right now, more particularly in matters monetary, fiscal and financial, we are finding that, as in previous years, January is a busy period with many clients — existing and potential — contacting us in order to finalize their blueprints (and budgets) for PR campaigns extending into 2012.  Among our existing clients, Ports of Normandy Authority (PNA), which manages and owns the French ports of Caen-Ouistreham and Cherbourg, has renewed its contract with us for 2012. There will be a lot to talk about in relation to PNA in coming months, if only because the port of Cherbourg has won a big contract from transport-and-engineering group Alstom , in connection with the construction of wind turbines. The wind turbines in question are due to be assembled in the region with a view to being deployed in the Channel, where several large offshore wind farms are being planned by the French and the British authorities.  Another of our key clients, CIV Corse , the syndicate of Corsican winegrowers, has also renewed its contract with us, so that we will continue to promote a range of quality Corsican wines throughout 2012. We have pledged not to miss a single wine tasting that CIV Corse may organise in the UK this year... Among our new clients, ARIANE commercialises a unique variety of apple under the same name, whose origins can be traced back to the orchards of Central Asia.  Thanks to the fact the ARIANE apple is naturally resistant to apple scab — a fungus ( Ventura inaequalis ) that attacks apple trees — the amount of chemicals needed to treat ARIANE apples can be cut by 50%, as compared to ordinary varieties. Besides, ARIANE apples, which have been on the market since 2003, are particularly tasty and keep very well. All this makes ARIANE apples very attractive to consumers.  ARIANE will attend the Fruit Logistica trade show in Berlin (in February, from 8 to 10), and the press office is going to issue a press release very shortly about the ARIANE apple, so as to alert the British media to its unique health and environmental benefits, apart from its intrinsic quality.  Closer to home, the press office is sending a total of five journalists to Paris to take part in a press trip on the topic of e-health at the end of January. The press trip, at the French end, is organised by ParisRegion , the economic development agency for Paris and its region. Three British journalists will join two Nordic ones (from Denmark and Sweden) in the French capital over two days (26 and 27 January), which will give them the opportunity to learn more about new technologies and electronic systems, as applied to the management of healthcare in the Paris region.  Among the companies that the press delegation will visit is Diabeo , a pioneer in innovative solutions that monitor diabetes, taking advantage of the most advanced web and mobile technologies that are available. Acclaimed by its first users — both doctors and patients — Diabeo aims to optimise the management of diabetes; pharmaceuticals group Sanofi has been instrumental in the deployment of Diabeo . Still in the field of technology, French companies were very much in evidence on the UBIFRANCE Pavilion at the B ETT show, held at Olympia (in London) from 11 to 14 January. The BETT show (formerly known as the British Educational Training and Technology Show) is one of Europe’s biggest trade fairs on technology applied to education, the trend being towards mobile and computerized applications, which enable you to brush up on your conversational Uzbek while on the move. (I have tried it and recommend it — conversational Uzbek, I mean.) Several other, recent trade events have been of direct interest to us at the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in London, such as Top Drawer (15 to 17 January), which specialises in gifts, stationery items, and well-being products, or the Independent Winegrowers’ B2B event organised by our colleagues in the Food & Drink Department at Lord’s Cricket Ground on 18 January. Apart from the fantastic venue, it was hard to resist the temptation to try all the fine wines presented by the 80 French participants, whose winemaking expertise more than makes up for their lack of any knowledge of cricket. (Then again, being good at cricket would not necessarily help you produce good wines.) We will have more exciting trade events and press trips to talk to you about in the coming months, and the range of topics and sectors we cover remains broad and varied, even if this bulletin’s crop is skewed towards IT and telecommunications. Be it offshore energy in relation to the Pays de Loire region of Western France or the attractiveness of the Lille region, in Northern France, we have it in stock. Should you be interested in yaw bearings, you can turn to ROLLIX . If it is the combination of gastronomy and computing that tickles your fancy, Unowhy has the answer with its QOOQ touchpad, which can beat any celebrity chef you can think of at the touch of a screen. As for me, I am thinking of purchasing one of Aldebaran Robotics’ near-human robots: I am dreaming of a fully programmable humanoid that can do the cooking, the washing, the ironing, the hoovering, the gardening, and change the odd light-bulb, so that I may have more time to devote to worthier pursuits, such as watching TV. So, NAO Next Gen, as the latest robot is known, is here with us to stay and may soon attend the BETT show in order to brush up on his conversational Uzbek. Last but not least, the press office is proud to announce that it has launched a Twitter feed that will keep all our fans — within the media and without — informed in real time as to what the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in London gets up to. Katherine Woods, press officer, herself a bit of a Twitter fanatic, will keep you updated. Indeed, she has been Tweeting non-stop of late, so as to gain ever more followers in the UK and across the globe. We already have a British MP, various interior designers, a champagne importer, and a senior American IT executive among our devoted "followers", and I would strongly encourage you to join this in-crowd: it is all happening as we speak.  The next issue of UBIFRANCE UK will come out towards the end of March. Till then, and if you can’t wait, please log on to https://twitter.com/ and follow us at @UBIFRANCE_UK   in order to be kept informed of the manifold activities of the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in Britain and the companies that we promote. Philip Jolly Manager — Press Office Mission Economique UBIFRANCE, the French Trade Commission in London Business and manufacturing Vialog starts contract-manufacturing revolution out of Normandy Contract-manufacturing specialist Vialog is a collaborative group of 13 companies, based in the region of Dieppe, in Normandy. Providing a combination of industrial services and manufacturing capabilities, while covering related areas such as logistics, Vialog is the partner of choice for any international player keen to subcontract and outsource industrial production at the heart of Europe. For further information, please go to:   www.vialog.fr   To get the full story click here Lille region given thumbs up by 85% of foreign investors International auditing firm KPMG has confirmed the appeal of the Lille region for non-French investors. According to the independent survey conducted by KPMG and published in November 2011, 85% of respondents, representative of the 1,077 subsidiaries of foreign-owned groups established in Northern France, recommend the region.  For further information, please go to:   www.investinnorthernfrance.com To get the full story click here Engineering and robotics Aldebaran Robotics’ latest humanoid robot says ’hello’ Aldebaran Robotics, a world leader in humanoid robotics, has released its latest version of the NAO robot — NAO Next Gen , a new fully programmable humanoid robot that has the most extensive worldwide use. For further information, please go to:   www.aldebaran-robotics.com To get the full story click here ROLLIX finds its bearings with Alstom offshore turbines ROLLIX, a key player in the French offshore wind-turbine sector, has developed pitch and yaw bearings for the new Alstom Haliade 150-6MW offshore wind turbine — the largest offshore wind turbine manufactured to date. For further information, please go to:   www.rollix.com To get the full story click here Pays de la Loire blows away EWEA OFFSHORE 2011 The Pays de la Loire region was present at the EWEA OFFSHORE 2011 trade show in Amsterdam (in The Netherlands), between 29 November and 1 December. The French region’s pavilion provided visitors with the opportunity to better understand its offshore-energy sector. For further information, please go to:   www.offshorewind2011.info/ To get the full story click here Software and IT security WALLIX is €2m better off and joins the big league WALLIX, a European IT-security company, has finalised an increase in share capital of €2 million to be carried out with Thierry Dassault Holding (TDH), the personal holding group of Thierry Dassault, and Auriga Partners, a venture-capital firm. As part of the deal, Thierry Dassault will acquire a stake in software developer WALLIX, which is to become a public-limited company. For further information, please go to: www.systematic-paris-region.org/en   To get the full story click here   WALLIX buttresses Admin Bastion with WAB 3.0 WALLIX has announced the launch of version 3.0 of the Wallix Admin Bastion (WAB) , a security solution for information systems. WAB 3.0 enables companies to conform to the highest of standards, whilst observing the regulations that are in force. For further information, please go to:  www.wallix.com   To get the full story click here CARTES & IDentification attracts 20,000 from 145 countries CARTES & IDentification 2011, held in Paris in mid-November, attracted close to 20,000 visitors, positioning itself as a key global event for digital security and smart technologies. The CARTES team has already announced the dates of the next trade show, i.e. 6 to 8 November 2012 in Paris. For further information, please go to:  www.blogcartes.com To get the full story click here Software and telecommunications France BETTs on its educational know-how For the fifth year running, there was a French pavilion at the British Education and Training Technology (BETT) trade show, a key event for educational technology. The pavilion showcased 10 cutting-edge French players from 11 to 14 January 2012, in London. For further information, please go to:  www.bettshow.com   To get the full story click here Generix Group directs Carrefour’s 60 million Generix Group’s on-demand exchange platform has processed 60 million messages from 20,000 suppliers across 14 countries for the Carrefour Group over the past 12 months, thanks to Carrefour Group’s decision to outsource its international electronic data interchange (EDI) and B2B workflow management on Generix Group’s shared data-exchange platform. For further information, please go to:   www.generixgroup.com To get the full story click here AddOnMail goes for V 3.5 After publishing Microsoft Outlook plug-ins for several years, AddOnMail has announced the arrival of the latest version of its leading product, PSTStation Corporate for Outlook — the PSTStation Corporate 3.5 , which is V.3.5 of the product in Exchange 2010 .  For further information, please go to:   www.addonmail.com To get the full story click here France goes further in Near Field Communication The card-and-identification market is expanding fast in France. Specifically, Near Field Communication (NFC), the technology used for contactless identification and transactions, experienced rapid growth across the sector in 2010-2011. For further information, please go to:  www.investinfrance.org To get the full story click here Target Skills makes planning and scheduling mobile Target Skills is the publisher of PlanningPME ©, a scheduling software suite that is available in seven languages. Target Skills is launching its PlanningPME© mobile application — PlanningPME© Mobile . For further information, please go to:  http://www.planningpme.com To get the full story click here Unowhy unveils QOOQ celebrity chef in Las Vegas QOOQ, the first touchpad of its kind in the field of gastronomy, which has been developed by Unowhy, was launched in the English-language market at the 2012 International CES®.  The trade event, the largest international consumer-technology trade show of its kind, took place from 10 to 13 January in Las Vegas (USA). For further information, please go to:  www.cesweb.org/ To get the full story click here

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The recent boom in data transmission and storage capacity has given rise to an increase in Cloud computing in France — a sector that has been given the backing of the government’s National Investment Program. This market is set to surpass the €2 billion mark for France in 2011, and may make up more than 6% of the French software and IT-services industry in 2012. “France is a growth market for high-tech and innovative companies, particularly in the Cloud-computing sector, where the leading players are already here [in France], doing business,” points out David Appia, Chairman & CEO of the Invest in France Agency (IFA). In 2010, revenue from the global market for Cloud-computing services totalled US$68.3 billion while, in Europe, the cloud computing market surged 20% and is predicted to account for almost 15% of the European software and IT-services market by 2015.  The French market, which continues to grow strongly, was worth €1.85 billion in 2010, €672 million of which was generated by SMEs. This market is set to exceed €2 billion in 2011 and may account for more than 6% of the French software and IT-services market by the end of 2012. (This estimate has been made by Nexima, a French marketing company.) The recent success in Cloud computing has stemmed from the increase in data transmission and storage-capacity usage. Calculations and data are scattered in a universe that is no longer directly accessible to clients who, instead, buy processing capacity in the same way that one might buy electricity.  Three levels of offerings are available with respect to Cloud-computing services:  a client may go for an externally hosted IT infrastructure, i.e. Infrastructure as a Service (or IaaS ); for ready-to-use environments, i.e. Platform as a Service (or PaaS ); or, finally, for standardised shared applications sold as services, i.e. Software as a Service (or SaaS ). In 2011, the French Government issued an initial call for projects dedicated to R&D in Cloud computing, as part of its National Investment Program. The Association Française des Editeurs de Logiciels (or AFDEL , i.e. the French Federation of Software Publishers) set up a website to simplify the procedure for project promoters, when submitting projects for funding within the National Investment Program ( www.investirdanslenumerique.fr ).  David Appia, Chairman & CEO of IFA, explains, “The French government’s National Investment Program is providing a boost to a dynamic network of partnerships created by France’s innovation clusters through its funding offers for projects involving IT-system designers, telecoms operators, software publishers, technology integrators, research laboratories, and innovative SMEs.” Thanks to this initiative, five projects will receive state aid amounting to €19 million. These include software-engineering platform CloudForce , developed by Orange Labs (which comes under telecommunications operator Orange); CloudPort , an application-porting scheme designed by Prologue, a specialist SME; the high-performance software-infrastructure project known as Magellan , developed by Bull; a community-Cloud project known as Nu@age , promoted by Non Stop Systems, another  specialist SME; and, finally, UnivCloud , a Cloud project managed by INEO, a higher-education institution.  France provides new entrants with a growth-friendly environment. French legislation affords a high level of protection for data and for data processing. In particular, regulations governing encryption, which include Act No. 2004-575 of 21 June 2004 and Decree No 2007-663 of 2 May 2007, cover concerns relating to the sensitivity of data entrusted to Cloud-computing centres.  New entrants include US company Joyent, established in the Ile-de-France region in 2010, which provides IaaS to LinkedIn, Disney, CNN, Facebook, Yahoo and vente-privee.com. Joyent also provides open-source PaaS to publishers, hosting companies, and specialist computer-services companies, such as Dell and First Service. This pioneering Cloud-computing start-up is now competing with Cloud-based offerings from companies such as Amazon EC2 and Microsoft Azur. In 2010, Dell entered into an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) agreement with Joyent to use its smart technologies in order to offer turnkey Clouds hosted on its servers. Alongside international players such as Microsoft, Google, HP, AT&T and IBM, France is also home to numerous other companies, including Atos, Capgemini, Steria, Orange and SFR.  Atos, an international IT-services company, has recently established Yunano, a joint venture with Chinese company UFIDA, a provider of management-software solutions and services, in order to market Cloud-based management software and associated services. French software publisher Systancia, which has operations in Alsace (in eastern France) and in Ile-de-France (i.e. Paris and its region), is a market leader in Europe for application and workstation user-environment virtualisation. France has eight innovation clusters involved in Cloud computing: Cap Digital; System@tic; Elopsys; Images et réseaux; Imaginove; Minalogic; Secure Communication Solutions; and, finally, TES, the hi-tech cluster specialising in e-secure transactions.  About Invest in France Agency Invest in France Agency (IFA) is France’s national agency responsible for promoting and facilitating international investment in France. IFA also co-ordinates a range of initiatives in order to promote France’s economic attractiveness and stimulate inward investment. The IFA network operates worldwide, with offices within France as well as in North and South America, in Europe, in the Middle East, and in the rest of Asia. Within France, IFA works in partnership with regional development agencies to offer international investors outstanding business opportunities and customised services. For further information, please go to: www.investinfrance.org  

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10 January 2012 — The French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in the UK has launched a Twitter account, which will enable professionals, journalists, and other people interested in what we do to follow our activities in real time.   UBIFRANCE is France’s export-support agency, which assists French-based companies in their international development. In the UK, the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE, which is based in Central London and comes under the French Embassy in the United Kingdom, helps French-based businesses expand into the British market. We cover all markets and sectors, from engineering and transport to fashion and design, and from food & drink (including wine and champagne) to software, internet technology and other high-tech industries such as nuclear energy or eco-building. UBIFRANCE also runs the VIE programme for the employment of young graduates from across the EU who are interested in working for a French-based company outside France (including British subsidiaries of French companies, in the UK). The Press Office of the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in London issues press releases on an ongoing basis, organises press trips, and much more — all of this will be covered in real time on Twitter, with the assistance of Katherine Woods, press officer. So, to follow the manifold and exciting activities of the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in the UK and the companies that we promote, please log on to https://twitter.com/ and follow us at @UBIFRANCE_UK. Thank you The team at the press office of the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in London

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The Nord-Pas-de-Calais region (in northern France) will host the Welcome to Northern France pavilion at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2012. The trade show, dedicated to the fresh-produce sector, will take place from 8 to 10 February 2012 at the Messe Berlin exhibition centre in the German capital and is expected to welcome 56,000 visitors from over 130 countries. The 400m² Welcome to Northern France pavilion (in Hall 22, Booth F14) will host 17 French companies presenting their region’s fresh produce or their packaging/logistics know-how. The Nord-Pas-de-Calais region offers many benefits to businesses, including its prime location, close to Brussels, London and Paris. (The Eurostar journey from London to Lille takes 90 minutes.) Nord-Pas-de-Calais ranks third among French food-growing regions, with the sector’s turnover set to reach €11.5 billion in 2011. A third of all potatoes produced in France are grown in the region, which ranks first nationally for endives, second for onions, and third for cauliflowers, in terms of volumes produced. Among the new features on the Nord–Pas-de-Calais pavilion will be T&B Vergers’ new Quality Guarantee, which ensures full traceability of fruit from the place of production to its dispatch through the channels of distribution. Verduyn will introduce its two new packaging modes — in punnets or in P-Plus packages of more than a kilo — as well as a new range of knife-peeled carrots. Bayard Distribution will present its upscale brand of potatoes and introduce a new microwavable package, and NEGONOR will showcase a new range of organic potatoes for making chips or mash. To enhance the visitor experience on the pavilion, there will also be a daily showcase by a chef using produce from the Nord–Pas-de-Calais region. The full list of exhibitors on the Welcome to Northern France pavilion is as follows. Further information is available on the websites that have been listed and can also be provided upon request. Agrochange is a potato brokerage company which works with over 600 producers in France ( www.agrochange.com ). Bayard Distribution, already mentioned, produces and distributes potatoes ( www.bayard-distribution.com ). Olivier Négoce is a potato trading specialist ( www.oliviernegoce.fr ), and Condilys, for its part, has been trading in potatoes since 2003. Lucas Lemaire is a   family-run company trading in potatoes and onions ( www.lucaslemaire.com ). NEGONOR ( www.negonor.com ), already mentioned, and Verpom ( www.verpom.com ) are both specialists in potatoes and onions. Wecxsteen is a company that is also active in the potato market in northern France ( www.groupe-wecxsteen.com ). Perle du Nord has been a specialist in endives for the past 20 years ( www.perledunord.com ), whereas T&B Vergers, already mentioned, trades in (and packages) both apples and pears ( www.tbvergers.fr ). Verduyn, mentioned above in this press release, prepares fresh vegetables ( www.verduyn.fr ), while Wostin is a bean-sprout specialist ( www.wostin.fr ). For its part, PICVERT produces, packages and markets baby leaves for a range of salads ( www.picvert.info ). Klim Top Controls provides refrigerating equipment ( www.klimtop.eu ), while Dunfresh, which is based in the port of Dunkirk, specialises in temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics         ( http://www.conhexa.com/dunfresh_eng.htm ). The Nord-Pas-de-Calais pavilion will also showcase the Port of Dunkirk, the second most important French port for trade with Britain ( www.portdedunkerque.fr ), as well as Agence Maritime Rommel PLC, an expert in international logistics based in northern France ( www.amragency.com ). About Nord-Pas-de-Calais The Nord-Pas-de-Calais region will host the Welcome to Northern France pavilion at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2012 at the Messe Berlin exhibition centre, in Berlin (Germany), from 8 to 10 February 2012. The pavilion will be situated in Hall 22, Booth F14. A comprehensive exhibitor catalogue is available upon request from Ms Katherine Woods, Press Officer, or from the Welcome to Northern France pavilion. For further information about Fruit Logistica 2012, please go to: http://www.fruitlogistica.de/en/ For further information about Nord-Pas-de-Calais, please go to: www.cci-international.net

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For the fifth year running, there will be a French pavilion at the British Education and Training Technology (BETT) trade show, one of the world’s leading events for educational technology. The pavilion will showcase 10 cutting-edge French players. The event is taking place from 11 to 14 January 2012, at the Olympia exhibition centre in London (UK). Chambre de commerce & d’industrie de Paris (CCIP, the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry), the French Education Ministry, Cap Digital (the Parisian cluster of excellence for the digital industries), and PM Conseil (an information-management company) have organised the French pavilion. It will be situated on Stand B90 at BETT, and will present 10 French companies from the educational-technology sector.     The companies that will be on the French pavilion are listed below. Further details can be provided on request.     4n media   4n media is a Paris-based independent publisher of mobile-learning (or m-learning) solutions for foreign languages. The company is a member of Cap Digital, the cluster of excellence for the digital industries in Paris and its region. 4n media has also been awarded the prize for Young Innovative Company by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research.   www.4nmedia.com     Awabot   Awabot was founded in 2010 by Bruno Bonnell and develops applications, such as EMOX, The Augmented Robot, for the service-robotics sector. The company is at the heart of the industrial and academic ecosystem via the development of multiple partnerships and projects.   www.emox-robot.com     Dassault Systèmes   Dassault Systèmes is a leading provider of software applied to 3D-design, manufacturing, simulation and innovation, product-lifecycle management, as well as search-based applications. Used by numerous industrial employers and educational institutions across the globe, the solutions developed by Dassault Systèmes provide a wide range of tutorials and curricula to help users create their own courses in both engineering and non-engineering disciplines.   www.3ds.com     eduMedia   eduMedia is an online educational-resource database for teachers, a work and revision tool for students, and a multimedia scientific encyclopaedia for libraries and the general public. The resources accessible on the website are visual and interactive; they can be downloaded for offline usage and are available in six languages (Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German and Spanish).   www.edumedia-sciences.com     Erdenet   Erdenet provides BeLearner.com, a web device that allows teachers to create customised educational courses in the form of interactive videos. Currently more than 9,000 users are connected to this collaborative space, which enables the development of an interactive educational situation. This development is made possible thanks to the ability to edit one’s own tools, which remain in a secure legal framework, and to build online and interactive videos. The Video Learning Object concept at the heart of this education system has a patent pending.   www.erdenet.fr     ISI     ISI provides complete internet services in order to archive, manage, send and receive digital images and other documents. With more than 15 years of experience in the graphic-arts industry, ISI has developed a full range of internet services, including secure image- and document-archiving solutions as well as centralised multimedia-management solutions.   www.isimages.com     ITOP Éducation   ITOP Éducation specialises in digital technologies and resources for education. With over two million active users, and a partnership with Microsoft, ITOP Éducation is a French leader in educational technology. ITOP Éducation is the first Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) developer to be awarded the AFAQ certification by AFNOR, the international specialist in industrial standards and certification.   www.itop.fr     Milliweb   Milliweb provides a complete solution that delivers a desktop application for both student and teacher, allowing them to use the same software, applications and content. The company’s innovative application is fully customisable; it can be used online, offline, at school, or at home; and, finally, it is compatible with most devices. Over one million of Milliweb’s products have been distributed throughout the world to date.   www.milliweb.fr     MultiCam Systems   MultiCam Systems has a long experience in video production for web purposes. Its principal product is MultiCam eLearning, a complete system for recording a lesson. MultiCam eLearning has a user-friendly and intuitive touch-screen interface, two cameras, a seven-key-angle shooting feature, and a VGA input, which allow teachers (or students) to capture any classroom situation. The technology developed by MultiCam Systems is compatible with any kind of content-delivery server.   www.multicam-systems.com     Vision Objects   Based in Nantes (in western France), Vision Objects develops and markets accurate high-performance handwriting-recognition technology for touch- and pen-based user interfaces. Vision Objects’ MyScript technology is available for all major operating systems, and in more than 30 languages.   www.visionobjects.com     About Chambre de commerce & d’industrie de Paris   Chambre de commerce & d’industrie de Paris (CCIP, the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry) represents and promotes the interests of companies based in Paris and its region.   Companies from France will take part in the BETT trade show in London from 11 to 14 January 2012. The French pavilion will be located at Stand B90 and will showcase 10 businesses.   For further information on the trade show, please go to: www.bettshow.com     For further information about the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, please go to: www.ccip.fr

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The French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in London will present six innovative manufacturers of design-led gifts and stationery items on the French pavilion at Spring Fair International. The trade show will take place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), in Birmingham (England), from 5 to 9 February 2012. Five of these French companies are looking to establish partnerships with agents in order to distribute their products on the British market. The companies taking part in the French Pavilion are as follows. Further details can be provided on request.   BANDIT MA NCHOT (on stand M35)   BANDIT MANCHOT uses leather that is left over from manufacturing processes at the most reputable fashion houses. Only leather with a perfect finish, texture and colour is selected for the cards, bookmarks, bracelets and other gifts that the company makes. Each card produced is a de-luxe, unique, and often humorous way of conveying words and thoughts.   http://banditmanchot.net/en/     COLLEGIEN (on stand M33)   COLLEGIEN is made up of a team of designers who have had their own workshops in the département of Tarn (in southern France) for four generations, making innovative and fashionable collections. COLLEGIEN’s key product is a slipper sock that has a shaped, ergonomic sole, which has punched holes for aeration and is attached to a knitted sock. The sole is treated by relying on advanced anti-allergy technology. Besides, only natural materials such as cashmere, wool and cotton are used, making COLLEGIEN’s sock perfect for everyone, including babies. The sock comes in a range of colours and styles.   www.collegien-shop.com     GOBILAB (on stand M4)   Created in June 2010, GOBILAB is an independent business run by three entrepreneurs. It will be presenting Gobi, the first eco-designed, French-produced and Bisphenol A (BPA)-free reusable bottle at Spring Fair International. Gobi was specifically designed to be easily integrated into an office or urban environment and to offer an appealing alternative to disposable cups and bottles. Portable and fun, this product has been thoughtfully designed to be easily filled, carried, cleaned, re-used and customised.   www.gobilab.com      INCIDENCE (on stand M39)   For the last 20 years, INCIDENCE has been redesigning everyday objects in order to make them more aesthetic, fun and functional. The company will present its original, tongue-in-cheek range of gifts and home accessories at the trade show; they include products that are suitable for the bathroom, for the kitchen, and for children.   www.incidence.fr     LAMALI (on stand M43)   For 20 Years, LAMALI has been collaborating with one fair-trade-certified organisation in Nepal. The company’s collections are designed in Paris and then created in Nepal, using the local artisans’ traditional knowledge and materials. LAMALI will present its selection of handmade colourful lokta paper garlands, mobiles and bunting, as well as its woollen accessories, at the trade show.   www.lamali.com     LIB EDITEUR D’IDEES (on stand M37)   LIB EDITEUR D’IDEES, which was founded in 2009, produces top-quality items that are made in France and have been designed to high ecological standards. The first item produced by the company was its innovative cocktail stirrer which, in the shape of a dragonfly or bird, balances on the side of the glass. LIB EDITEUR D’IDEES works with high-quality partners and manufactures items of excellence at an optimal production cost.   www.lib-editeurdidees.com     About The French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE   The French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in London facilitates trade development between France and the UK. UBIFRANCE offers a wide range of services to French-based companies, so as to assist them in their business activities within the UK. As such, it organises B2B events in the form of conferences and networking opportunities, mainly in London.   The French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in London is organising a French pavilion at Spring Fair International, which will take place at the NEC, in Birmingham (England), from 5 to 9 February 2012. The pavilion will display the latest in gifts and home accessories coming out of France.   Journalists wishing to attend should contact Ms Katherine Woods, Press Officer of the French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE in London.   For further information about the Spring Fair, please go to:   http://www.springfair.com/

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